My fave books of the year so far are "Middlegame" by Seanan McGuire (SO. GOOD.), "Parable of the Sower" by Octavia E. Butler (written in 1993 and it's scary how close she got it), "Honey & Spice" by Bolu Babalola (made me realize there ARE romances for me out there), the "Shadow of the Fox" trilogy by Julie Kagawa (it needs an anime), "The Dead Romantics" by Ashley Poston (another romance that's up my alley), and "The Jasad Heir" by Sara Hashem (slow-burn, but definitely enemies-to-lovers done right!).

A River Enchanted is just wonderful and it's sequel is fantastic.

I simply adore a River Enchanted and was tickled pink to see that you loved it, too! I actually ended up somehow loving A Fire Endless even MORE so I can't wait to see what you think of it! 🔥

I LOVE A River Enchanted and will be forever grateful for you to recommend that. I am reading Fire Endless atm and it's equally good if not better imo. Also, I love how you're gushing for 5min in a way I gush to my partner about it. I will keep my eyes open for similar books.

YESSSS A River Enchanted is absolutely top tier!!! I don’t think anything will top this read for me this year either… except for A Fire Endless. That was even better imo, the book that made me realize Rebecca Ross really DID THAT with this duology. I never ever wanted to leave the world. So far I haven’t found anything like it, but I’d recommend reading her other books in publication order for something close to it. She gets better with every release but these two books really are her best imo! But maybe you’ll like another more! And if not, at least you got more of her wonderful worlds 💗

I LOVE A RIVER ENCHANTED

Ahhhh love this list! I own A River Enchanted and Yellowface so these will for sure be at the top of my list next to read. With Before the Coffee Gets Cold (granted I’ve only read the first two and just started the third) but you will 100% see some of the characters again! My best books so far this year is Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson, it’s a weird but wonderful story of found family and kids that combust into flames like the human torch from Fantastic Four hahaha! If you want something more dystopian either The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa or I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman for that thought provoking discussions on what it means to be human and self identity. Love love love! 💕

10/10 video! There is absolutely nothing better than hearing someone rave about books they love 💜 My 2024 favs so far: Greymist Fair by Francesca Zappia Empire of Exiles by Erin M. Craig Sir Callie and the Campions of Helston by Esme Symes-Smith Heaven Official's Blessing Vol 4 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

So excited I found this video! Definitely adding A River Enchanted to my list. I loved the other 4 on your list as well!

The Wishing Game is also one of my favorite books of this year, and I have you to thank for it! 🤗 I've also fallen in love with Percy Jackson books this year, and I was very surprised by The Princess Bride and definitely recommend it

I am currently reading A River Enchanted and my favorite character is Sidra, her relationship with Torin makes me feel so emotional 😭 Also, I might read Yellowface soon! Hope I like it as much as you did 🥰💜

THANK YOU for recommending A River Enchanted, it's also my favourite book so far this year, I loved it! I'm still saving A Fire Endless for a rainy day when I really need a great 5star read

JESSE have you read the Starless Sea? It’s one of the only books that completely transported me because of the descriptive and atmospheric writing ❤

After watching this I realized that I need to see your book Mount Rushmore (aka your 4 best books of all time. You're foundational books that remind you that while none will ever be greater, you keep reading because of those books)

your thoughts on all these books was so validating I totally agree with it all

For those who don't want to watch the entire video. (From beginning to end) 1:27 A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross 5:49 Happy Place by Emily Henry 10:00 Yellowface by R. F. Kuang 12:34 The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer 14:19 Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi Honorable mentions 17:49 Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee 18:47 The Montague Twins: The Witch's Hand by Nathan Page 19:24 Summer Ghost by Yoshi Inomi and loundraw

I’m also one of those readers who loved Before the Coffee Gets Cold. Can’t wait to see if you also love Legends & Lattes. Put coffee in a title or cover, and I’m here for it! ❤☕️

Before the coffee gets cold was one that started a bit meh but had me sobbing by the end as it was so beautifully written. I feel a lot of translated books go more for vibe and emotion over plot and I've fallen in love with everything I've read since that realisation!

I can't believe I still need to read yellowface and have let it ferment on my tbr this long 😭 And so happy you loved before the coffee gets cold this much still!

I know I mentioned this in a comment on another video but I highly recommend you prioritize reading The Red Palace by June Hur! (which I know you already own!) You made it sound so good that I read it and loved it and I have no one else to talk to about it so I would love to hear your thoughts!!

I enjoyed The Wishing Game too! I did want more expansion on the games as well, and I was confused why goodreads says it’s fantasy because I didn’t notice anything magical

My favorites so far this year are: _The Fragile Threads Of Power_ by V. E. Schwab (my heart, my soul, my source of happiness) _We Were Liars_ by E. Lockhart (holy cow that hit me lick a brick) _The Deep_ by Rivers Solomon (small, but so, so poignant)

I love slow paced, atmospheric fantasy stories! I should definitely check out a river enchanted!

Jesse, I freakin love Happy Place by Emily Henry it’s one of my favorite books of this year and everything you said about it I completely agree with you . Also hey last month I also read a book that I saw you read way back in the day and that is How To Make Friends With The Dark by Kathleen Glasgow I loved that book as well ❤

My fave of the year so far is Lonely Castle in the Mirror. And yes Jesse, YOU SHOULD READ IT.

I’m reading Yellowface now and I’m soo excited for it❤

I feel the same about A River Enchanted, and I listened to it on audio and thought it was elevated by the narrator for sure. If you decided to give it a reread, I highly encourage you try it in that format. The narrator is perfection!

The reappearance of Rachel Price is my favorite so far and Kaiju number 8 volume one is awesome

Loved, loved, LOVED Before The Coffee Gets Cold! Read it two years ago and I'm still thinking about it now! (I apologize for the multiple comments 😅)

A River Enchanted is on my list to read! I listened to "The Girl Who Feel Beneath the Sea" and it might have similar vibes. Definitely added Summer Ghost to my list.

I think you would love Rom Commers by Katherine Center. I just finished it and it was such a feel good book that also was a little emotional!

Haven't read A River Enchanted yet, but I've been dying to! If you're looking for more cozy fantasy, I highly recommend Legends & Lattes and Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree. Also, The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune and The Sun & The Star by Rick Riordan & Mark Oshiro

Since you’re slowly becoming a romance reader, I recommend A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard! It has disability rep and the CUTEST friends to lovers romance! Also, All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir! It’s an emotional journey, but it’s totally worth it!

I also loved Wishing Game and Yellowface!!

I don't know if these are exactly your vibes but "Lasagna Means I Love You" by Kate O'Shaughnessy (girl's grandma passed and she ends up in the foster system, using cooking to cope (I cried so much!)) and "Ella Minnow Pea" by Mark Dunn (a town's monument slowly loses letters, and now those letters are forbidden) are my absolute favorites this year so far! Funnily enough, both are novels written as letters

This was a nice video. I have read some good books, but it's not the kind a lot of people enjoy. They are known as the Paperbacks from Hell, which is just vintage horror books. While yes, a lot can be entertaining pulp trash there are some that might pique your interest. I'll only recommend three of them: The Auctioneer by Joan Samson, Deliver Us from Evil by Allen Lee Harris, and Elizabeth by Ken Greenhall

Okay, I have the same situation like you had with A River Enchanted! The book is called Ice Massacre, and it's about an island that's kinda occupied by mermaids and every year the island sends 20 men to fight them. That year, for the first time, they will send 20 women because the mermaid magic doesn't function on them. It's friends to enemies to lovers, sapphic romance, a lot of fighting and really high stakes (like, we're-on-a-boat-in-a-middle-of-the-ocean stakes)! I love it so much, I became obsessed with it, and I never heard about it before.

Similar to A River Enchanted, Wolfskin, The Dark Mirror, or Daughter of the Forest all by Juliet Marillier!!!!!

Highly recommend The God Of Nishi-Yuigahama Station it has similar vibes to Before The Coffee Gets Cold but there's an event that connects all of the characters and each chapter is so heartbreaking

I may have clicked on this video just to hear him rave about A River Enchanted again. Love that book so much!

Jesse, you have to try "Divine Rivals" by the same author, the atmosphere is amaziiiiinggg!!

cant wait to read A River Enchanted and im buying the sequel right now!!

Yellowface was sooo good i finished it in like two days😭 I wasn't expecting it to like it bc it was getting mixed reviews but after finding it at a sale i gave it a chance and oh my god!!!! I think i got a different kind of enjoyment than certain people because i love internet drama but even if I don't think it's a perfect story, my enjoyment while reading it is what gives it the 5⭐ haha

I love Rebecca Ross’s writing so much 🥹

Have you read The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern? It's my all time favorite and since we have similar taste I think you'll love it as much

slay Jesse

The closest in terms of atmosphere to A River Enchanted that I've read is The Scorpio Races. Both have a similar feel in terms of a mystical, Celtic-inspired island steeped in folk lore. The audiobook is one of the best I have ever listened to.

My best books of 2024 so far are The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, and Happy Place.

My favourite so far this year is Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

If you love A River Enchanted, you should check out Daughter of the Forest by Juliette Marillier :) The OG forest magic slow burn.

My best books of the year this far: The book that wouldn't burn by Mark Lawrence The women by Kristin Hannah Bright young women by Jessica Knoll

I have not read A River Enchanted, but if you want another weird (in a good way) reading experience I recommend The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern.

Thanks for not screaming when making this video. I notice KZfaqrs love to yell for some reason lol thanks for the Recs Jesse 😄

i kinda want to recommend the mindfu*k series and do a reading vlog for it

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson. A bit more lighthearted than what he usually writes. Not a perfect book, but funny and delightful.

Hoping we see a Bookish Award for the books you’ve read.

You should read "rascal does not dream of Bonnie girl sempai"

I'm here for the dramatics

Hot Take: A River Enchanted > Divine Rivals

I read The River Enchanted on your recommendation and didn't love it. The entire story served to lead into the next book. And any mysteries set up, I found that I saw coming. I'm glad that you got so much from it, but I won’t be following up with the series.

Ha leido la BIblia?

Is it weird to read in the mind of a girl, as a guy? Thanks for sharing your favorite books so far 👍

I think i read happy place wrong because i didnt like it 😢

Who is here after hearing for POTENCIAL solar storm this year 2024?

✨Based on the books that you just talked about… You would love the book “Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop” by Hwang Bo-Reum!!! You actually recommended it to us… And it really was great!✨

A River Enchanted and A Fire Endless are my favorite books I’ve read this year!!!! 🫶🏻🥰

I hate when romance feels forced into a story. Pleaaase just skip it!🥱