Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
This reading update ended up being more interesting than I expected. I picked up a mix of fantasy and science fiction that took me in very different directions, and I had stronger reactions than I thought I would going in.
These were fantasy and sci-fi books that didn’t all work for me, but all of them sparked a strong reaction. Some comforted me, some challenged me, and a couple genuinely surprised me, which made this stretch of reading especially fun to talk through.
📚 Books discussed:
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain by Sofia Samatar
The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison
📖 Up next:
The Conductors by Nichole Glover
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
Witchmark by C.L. Polk
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments:
What’s a book that surprised you with how strongly it affected you?
Feeling quiet? Leave me the ⭐ emoji to let me know you were here.
💛 Support the Channel
Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/jessicaslibrarycard
(Never required, always appreciated.)
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:06 Finished: The Blade Itself
03:49 Finished: The Bear and the Nightingale
07:18 Finished: Klara and the Sun
12:34 Finished: The Witness for the Dead
15:37 Finished: The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain
18:56 My Next Reads
21:36 Question of the Week
📺 More Videos
Recent uploads
📌My December TBR → youtu.be/IgxQPQ8Ll_A
📌 Fantasy & Sci-fi authors I want to try in 2026! → youtu.be/Mtod8MIMBF0
Viewer favorites
📌 Best Books of 2024 → youtu.be/OsuelhkdEBU
📌 My Reading Journal Setup → youtu.be/4RtiXzQuqwE
📌 Little Free Library Tour & Haul → youtu.be/RFVITYR17Io
📌 My BookTube Newbie Tag → youtu.be/K6OzF2-diG
🎵 Music Credit
All music is from Epidemic Sound.
Let’s Connect
📷 Instagram → instagram.com/jessicaslibrarycard
📚 Goodreads → goodreads.com/user/show/1053059-jessica
📔 Storygraph → app.thestorygraph.com/profile/jessicas_library_card
☕ Ko-fi → ko-fi.com/jessicaslibrarycard
✉️ For review copies, sponsorships, or collaborations:
jessicaslibrarycard@gmail.com
This reading update ended up being more interesting than I expected. I picked up a mix of fantasy and science fiction that took me in very different directions, and I had stronger reactions than I thought I would going in.
These were fantasy and sci-fi books that didn’t all work for me, but all of them sparked a strong reaction. Some comforted me, some challenged me, and a couple genuinely surprised me, which made this stretch of reading especially fun to talk through.
📚 Books discussed:
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain by Sofia Samatar
The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison
📖 Up next:
The Conductors by Nichole Glover
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
Witchmark by C.L. Polk
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments:
What’s a book that surprised you with how strongly it affected you?
Feeling quiet? Leave me the ⭐ emoji to let me know you were here.
💛 Support the Channel
Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/jessicaslibrarycard
(Never required, always appreciated.)
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:06 Finished: The Blade Itself
03:49 Finished: The Bear and the Nightingale
07:18 Finished: Klara and the Sun
12:34 Finished: The Witness for the Dead
15:37 Finished: The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain
18:56 My Next Reads
21:36 Question of the Week
📺 More Videos
Recent uploads
📌My December TBR → youtu.be/IgxQPQ8Ll_A
📌 Fantasy & Sci-fi authors I want to try in 2026! → youtu.be/Mtod8MIMBF0
Viewer favorites
📌 Best Books of 2024 → youtu.be/OsuelhkdEBU
📌 My Reading Journal Setup → youtu.be/4RtiXzQuqwE
📌 Little Free Library Tour & Haul → youtu.be/RFVITYR17Io
📌 My BookTube Newbie Tag → youtu.be/K6OzF2-diG
🎵 Music Credit
All music is from Epidemic Sound.
Let’s Connect
📷 Instagram → instagram.com/jessicaslibrarycard
📚 Goodreads → goodreads.com/user/show/1053059-jessica
📔 Storygraph → app.thestorygraph.com/profile/jessicas_library_card
☕ Ko-fi → ko-fi.com/jessicaslibrarycard
✉️ For review copies, sponsorships, or collaborations:
jessicaslibrarycard@gmail.com
