Randy Ray
My 15 Go To Booktubers I Always Watch
updated
As always, feel free to get in touch with me via any of the following channels:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
As always, feel free to get in touch with me via any of the following channels:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
As always, feel free to reach out to me any time via any of the following methods:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
I think the pros outweigh the cons so much that these videos should be more accurately titled "The Light Side of BookTube" or "The Bright Side of BookTube." But I also understand that such a title won't get as many clickthroughs.
Thanks for the video idea, @saintdonoghue
As always, please feel free to contact me any time via any of the following means:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
As always, feel free to reach out to me anytime using any of the following means:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
This is an original tag based around the names of Booktube channels created by @AaronReadABook
I don't remember exactly who tagged me. Probably Kat @gingerbibliophile because she seems to like me.
Here are the prompts:
1. Books I'm Not Reading - A book that's been on your TBR forever
2. Novel iDeea - A book with an interesting premise or plot device
3. Revenant Reads - A book where someone has returned from the dead
4. CriminOlly - A book where a crime takes place
5. Book Time With Elvis - A book about time, time travel, or someone named Elvis
6. MIDDLE of the Book MARCH - Your favourite book that you read in March
7. Book Buds - A book with a great friendship
8. Obscure Book Adventures - A book that you love that never gets talked about
9. Savage Reads - A book with a monster, or beast, or human acting monstrous or beastly
10. A book that fits your own channel name or the name of a channel that you love
11. Tag some other booktubers.
As always, feel free to reach out to me anytime using any of the following means:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
The Prompts:
1) What book have you been unable to finish?
What book have you yet to read because...
2) ...you just haven't had the time?
3) ...it's a sequel?
4) ...it's brand new?
5) ...you read a book by the same author and didn't enjoy it?
6) ...you're just not in the mood for it?
7) ...it's humongous?
8) ...because it was a cover buy that turned out to have poor reviews?
9) What is the most intimidating book in your TBR pile?
10) Tag some other people.
As always, please get in touch with me anytime via any of the following channels:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
1- Larry McMurtry
2- Robert B Parker
3- Joe Lansdale
4- Charles Portis
5- Jack Schaefer
6- James Lee Burke
7- Louis Lamour
8- Elmore Leonard
9- Edward Abbey
10- Stephen King
As always, please get in touch with me anytime via any of the following channels:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
@BookTimewithElvis
This is actually a tag video I learned about at @HannahsBooks
The tag was created by @ToReadersItMayConcern and @ProseAndPetticoats
I'll update the list of questions for the tag when I get back to my desk.
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry was mentioned but isn't part of my tentative TBR. Streets of Laredo, also by McMurtry, is my biggest focus during June on the Range this year. The other books on my list include:
True Grit by Charles Portis (This is a reread for me, but my friend Kirby is also reading it. She claims that I'd be a great actor to portray Rooster Cogburn.) I also mention Portis's other books in this video, but I don't plan to read any of them this year. They include:
Norwood
Dog of the South
Masters of Atlantis
Gringo
Here are the Louis Lamour novels I've mentioned:
Sackett
The Lonely Men
The Skyliners
The Daybreakers
The Tall Stranger
Ride the River
Treasure Mountain
The Far Blue Mountains
Hondo
Mojave Crossing
Mustang Man
Lonely on the Mountain
And other books I've mentioned include:
10,000 Ways to Die by Alex Cox (about western movies)
Slaughter at Rebel Ridge by Robert Vaughn
Payback at Morning Peak by Gene Hackman
Appaloosa by Robert Parker
Hombre by Elmore Leonard
@michaelk.vaughan8617 (The head honcho)
@unlimitedreads
@bookssongsandothermagic
@anotherbibliophilereads
@MysteryandMayhem-gr7nn
@M-J
@BookTimewithElvis
@LiterateTexan
@ShawnDStandfast
@saintdonoghue
As always, if you want to get in touch with me, I want to hear from you. You can contact me via any of the following methods:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
Whipples Castle by Thomas Williams
Lincoln by Gore Vidal
The Novels of Dashiel Hammett
Noir Movies
Spaghetti Westerns by Howard Hughes (no, not that Howard Hughes)
Dead Mans Walk by Larry McMurtry
The Last Kind Words Saloon by Larry McMurtry
The Last Picture Show by by Larry McMurtry
Texasville by Larry McMurtry
Comanche Moon by Larry McMurtry
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Streets of Laredo by Larry McMurtry
Buffalo Girls by Larry McMurtry
And I mentioned Jim at @MysteryandMayhem-gr7nn
As always, if you want to get in touch with me, I want to hear from you. You can contact me via any of the following methods:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
These 9 Star Trek novels are basically a trilogy of trilogies. They have William Shatner listed as the author, but they were actually ghostwritten by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens. I think Shatner had ideas for the stories, but I don't know how much of a hand he had in the actual writing. My guess is not much, but the Reeves-Stevens team has a great grasp on Star Trek lore.
The Shatnerverse Star Trek novels:
The Ashes of Eden
The Return
Avenger
Spectre
Dark Victory
Preserver
Captain's Peril
Captain's Blood
Captain's Glory
I'm also reading another trilogy at Brandy's recommendation, Star Trek: Prey, written by John Jackson Miller, and which consists of the following novels:
Hell's Heart
The Jackal's Trick
The Hall of Heroes
The hosts for this year's celebration of Star Trek books include:
@revenantreads
@bookssongsandothermagic
@ReadbyFred
@saintdonoghue
And I already linked to Brandy above.
As always, if you want to get in touch with me, I'd love to hear from you. You can contact me via and of the below methods:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
gofundme.com/f/join-randys-battle-against-blood-cancer
For those of you who've already helped out (and you know who you are), I don't have the words to express how grateful I am.
I'm not sure how coherent my messaging is in this video, but long story short, I've been unable to work for a few months, and I got further behind on my bills than I realized.
Feel free to skip this video and watch my other videos if you just wanna talk about books, too.
As always, feel free to contact me anytime via any of the following means:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
Here are the Booktubers I've mentioned:
Steve Donoghue at @saintdonoghue
Michael K Vaughan at @michaelk.vaughan8617
Greg at @anotherbibliophilereads
Michael Romeo at @MichaelRomeoTalksBooks
Flossy at @TheGrapeJellyLibrary
And here are the books I showed off and/or mentioned:
Barney's Version by Mordecai Richler
Black Dahlia by James Ellroy
The City and the City by China Mieville
Go Back at Once by Robert Aickman
Engines of Empire by RS Ford
The Starless Crown by James Rollins
You, Again by Kate Goldbeck
More Voices from the Radium Age
The Last Love Note by Emma Gray
Chances Are by Richard Russo
The Secret World of the Sex Witches
If I Never Get Back by Darryl Brock
The Natural by Bernard Malamud
Beartown by Fredrick Backman
Atomic Werewolves and Man Eating Plants by Robert Deis and Wyatt Doyle
The Boardwalk Bookshop by Susan Mallory
Until then, feel free to contact me via any of the following methods:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
@saintdonoghue
@BookTimewithElvis
Murder on the Orient Express
Point Omega
Razorblade Tears
The Stars My Destination
Through the Magic Door
Horseman, Pass By
The Princess Bride
The Stranger
She
The Real Cool Killers
Desert Solitaire
The Hobbit
As always, feel free to contact me anytime via any of the following methods:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
The event is meant to focus on shorter works of horror (less than 250 pages), but I'm ignoring that this year. Last year I focused almost exclusively on short stories from various anthologies.
You can find the bingo cards for the events at my website literatetexan.com
There are also weekly prompts:
Week 1 - Local Horror
Week 2 - Movie Horror
Week 3 - Classic Horror
Week 4 - Contemporary Horror
And here's a list of the many co-hosts:
@anotherbibliophilereads
@bighardbooks770
@mindysbookjourney
@bookssongsandothermagic
@readersretreat7845
@JimReadsTooSlow
@michaelk.vaughan8617
@anautisticreader2963
@theramblingreviewer5150
@CriminOllyBlog
@saintdonoghue
@bnbbooks1794
@BookBlather
@M-J
@badrad9226
As always, feel free to contact me anytime via any of the following methods:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
Created by @RoisinsReading
How many books have you read so far?
Have you already found a book you think might be a 2024 favourite?
If not what's the best book you've read so far this year?
Any 1 star books / least favourite book of the year?
Most read genre so far?
A book that surprised you?
Book that's come out in 2024 already that you want to read but haven't yet?
One goal you made that you're succeeding at
One goal you made you need to focus on
New to you Booktubers/bookstagrammer/booktokers for 2024 you recommend?
I mentioned the following Booktubers in the video:
@saintdonoghue
@EveningReader
@abookolive
@michaelk.vaughan8617
@JeffMesserman
@JamesRuchala
@pleasereadyourbook
@brenboothjones
As always, feel free to contact me anytime via any of the following methods:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
BOOK TREK is an annual event where we read, discuss, and celebrate Star Trek fiction! To participate, pick up a Star Trek book and read it, it’s that simple. We also have two optional away missions to get the full experience. This year’s BOOK TREK will run through June, July, and August of 2024.
THE MAIN MISSION
Read one or more books of Star Trek fiction.
AWAY MISSIONS (Optional)
1. Read a nonfiction science book.
2. Read a book about, inspired by, or somehow connected to Star Trek (biography, production history, etc.)
We will use the hashtag #BookTrek2024
OUR BRIDGE CREW
@saintdonoghue
@michaelk.vaughan8617
@TheBookclectic
@bookssongsandothermagic
@ReadbyFred
@LiterateTexan (That's me!)
As always, feel free to contact me anytime via any of the following methods:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
Also, as always, you can reach me anytime via the following channels:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
Here are the prompts:
1. How many books will you be able to read before you die, considering your age and statistical life expectancy?
2. How does this number affect your choice of books?
3. What will happen to your book collection once you have passed away?
4. Is there a book that helps you to cope with the disturbing fact of a limited life-span?
5. Which book on this topic do you consider the most witty or entertaining one?
6. Do you have a specific non-fiction book on the topic of death that you’d like to recommend?
7. Humor can be helpful to confront death. Do you have a favorite witty quote on this topic?
8. Does this tag make you feel uneasy or are you quite relaxed about this topic?
As always, feel free to reach out to me anytime using any of the following means:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
Hosts:
@BookTimewithElvis
@anotherbibliophilereads
@bighardbooks770
@ShawnDStandfast
@MysteryandMayhem-gr7nn
Tags:
@saintdonoghue
@bigaldoesbooktube1097
@M-J
@CriminOllyBlog
@JamesRuchala
@pleasereadyourbook
Prompts:
1- What's your favorite adventure book?
2- What's the newest (most recently published) adventure book you've read?
3- What's the oldest (earliest published) adventure book you've read?
4- Who's your favorite adventure book author?
5- What's your favorite film adaptation of an adventure book?
6- Who's your favorite adventure book character?
7- Do you prefer fiction or nonfiction adventure books?
8- Do you consider yourself "adventurous"? Why or why not?
9- What's your favorite genre to combine with the adventure genre?
10- Do you play or have you ever played adventure themed games (video games, board games, tabletop RPGs, etc.)?
As always, if you'd like to contact me, feel free to reach out to me via any of these methods:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
@BookTimewithElvis
@anotherbibliophilereads
@bighardbooks770
@ShawnDStandfast
@MysteryandMayhem-gr7nn
Here are the reading prompts for each week:
Week 1 - Short form -- anything under 200 words
Week 2 - Long form -- anything over 200 words AND/OR the novel She by H. Rider Haggard
Week 3 - Alternative forms - movies, tv shows, cartoons, comic books, etc.
Week 4 - Nonfiction adventure
As always, please get in touch with me anytime via any of the following channels:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
I mentioned Priscilla at @EveningReader in this video, and I briefly mentioned the Spring into Adventure event #springintoadventure, but I'll be making a video or two just about that event soon, so I won't go into too much detail about it here.
As always, feel free to contact me anytime via any of the following methods:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
@anotherbibliophilereads
@BookTimewithElvis
@MysteryandMayhem-gr7nn
Also, please get in touch with me anytime via any of the following channels (or just leave a comment):
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
And thanks to everyone here for touching my life in such a special way. You have no idea how much I enjoy my relationships with my Booktube friends.
Also, please get in touch with me anytime via any of the following channels (or just leave a comment):
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
@BookTimewithElvis
@MysteryandMayhem-gr7nn
@anotherbibliophilereads
Here are the prompts:
Prompts:
Week 1 The Long Canon read at least one Holmes Novel (I'll be reading them all -- there's just 4 of them, after all.)
Week 2 The Short Canon read at least one Holmes short story (I'll be reading them all -- there's only 56 of them.)
Week 3 Pastiche read a pastiche/parody or Holmes (I have a whole mess of these, as you'll see in the video when you watch it.)
Week 4 Legacy read a work which you believe to be inspired by Holmes (Nero Wolfe and Hercule Poirot are both clear literary descendants of Sherlock Holmes.)
Also, please get in touch with me anytime via any of the following channels (or just leave a comment):
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
Prompt #1 - Canon Novels - Read one of the 4 canonical Sherlock Holmes novels from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of Four, The Hound of the Baskervilles, or The Valley of Fear.
Prompt #2 Canon Short Stories - Read one of the 5 canonical short story collections: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, His Last Bow, or The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes.
Prompt #3 Pastiche - Read any of the fiction that's been written about Sherlock Holmes from other authors. Don't worry -- there's plenty of it, and I offer multiple suggestions in the video.
Prompt #4 Legacy - Read any fiction about characters who were inspired by Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Again, don't worry -- there's no shortage of it, and I have more suggestions.
My co-hosts for this event are also all worth following:
@MysteryandMayhem-gr7nn
@anotherbibliophilereads
@BookTimewithElvis
Please forgive me if I forgot anyone.
Also, please get in touch with me anytime via any of the following channels (or just leave a comment):
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
Get in touch with me anytime via any of the following methods:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
Also, big shout out to Clifford Lee Sargent @BetterThanFoodBookReviews for his recommendations on this list.
Get in touch with me anytime via any of the following methods:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
1- Oldest book
2- Newest book
3- Start or continue series
4- But it was free!
5- New to you author
6- Why did I buy this?
7- BookTube author
8- Clean up & organize
9- Blame it on BookTube
The hosts:
@CriminOllyBlog
@M-J
@kellyhookedonbooks4394
@anotherbibliophilereads
@StormReads
@ReadbyFred
@fiberartsyreads
Get in touch with me anytime via any of the following methods:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
youtube.com/watch?v=-1HD31zzveQ&t=623s
youtube.com/watch?v=yuhS0L6zXVU&t=0s
The Prompts:
A - Audiobooks
B - Bildungsroman. Dealing with a person's formative years or spiritual education.
C - Children's Books
D - Digital
E - Experimental
F - Fantasy
G - Graphic Novel
H - Horror
I - Inspirational
J - Journalism
K - Kitsch. Has a popular or sentimental appeal.
L - Library
M - Mystery
N - Non-Fiction
O - Omnibus
P - Poetry
Q - Quests. When the protagonist goes on a quest physical or spiritual.
R - Romance
S - Science Fiction
T - Translation. Books translated from one language into another.
U - Übermensch. The superman or the extraordinary human. Characters who can everything.
V - Victorian. Literature from 1837 to 1901.
W - Western
X - X Rated
Y - Young Adult
Z - Zeitgeist. Spirit or mood of the times.
Get in touch with me anytime via any of the following methods:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
Contact me anytime:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com
Please feel free to contact me anytime:
My email: randyray at gmail.com
My Voxer: rlray1584
My Instagram: @literatetexan
My website: literatetexan.com