Why We DNF Books Too Easily (& What It Says About Us) @ChesIsHyperfixating

Ches Is Hyperfixating Have we gone too far with DNF culture? 📚

The book community often celebrates DNF-ing — encouraging us to put down any book we’re not loving. But lately, I’ve been wondering whether we’re losing something in the process.

In this video essay, I explore how our relationship with reading might be changing:

- Why DNF culture has become so normalised
- The pros and cons of not finishing books
- The Problem with “Every Book Must Be Fun” and only reading for joy
- What it says about our attention spans and our ability to tolerate boredom
- Whether you should review or rate books you didn’t finish
- Why slowing down with a book might make reading more meaningful

I’ll also share how ADHD has influenced my own reading habits (and how easily I DNF!), plus a few examples of books readers initially DNF’d but ended up loving.

So… do we DNF too many books? Do you think there’s still value in pushing through slower or more challenging reads — or is this just the evolution of reading culture? Let’s talk about it.

Timestamps:

00:00 - DNF Culture
01:32 - Have We Gone Too Far?
03:30 - Avoiding Boredom & Dwindling Attention Spans
07:13 - Slowing Down & Letting Boredom In
08:58 - Loving Previously DNF'd Books
12:10 - Rating Unfinished Books
17:19 - DNF Stance

📚 Books Mentioned:
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa
The Everlasting by Alix E Harrow
+ a few more in passing!

#booktube #dnf #readingculture #videoessay #bookishcommunity

updated 10 months ago

Why We DNF Books Too Easily (& What It Says About Us)

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-11-09 | Have we gone too far with DNF culture? 📚

The book community often celebrates DNF-ing — encouraging us to put down any book we’re not loving. But lately, I’ve been wondering whether we’re losing something in the process.

In this video essay, I explore how our relationship with reading might be changing:

- Why DNF culture has become so normalised
- The pros and cons of not finishing books
- The Problem with “Every Book Must Be Fun” and only reading for joy
- What it says about our attention spans and our ability to tolerate boredom
- Whether you should review or rate books you didn’t finish
- Why slowing down with a book might make reading more meaningful

I’ll also share how ADHD has influenced my own reading habits (and how easily I DNF!), plus a few examples of books readers initially DNF’d but ended up loving.

So… do we DNF too many books? Do you think there’s still value in pushing through slower or more challenging reads — or is this just the evolution of reading culture? Let’s talk about it.

Timestamps:

00:00 - DNF Culture
01:32 - Have We Gone Too Far?
03:30 - Avoiding Boredom & Dwindling Attention Spans
07:13 - Slowing Down & Letting Boredom In
08:58 - Loving Previously DNF'd Books
12:10 - Rating Unfinished Books
17:19 - DNF Stance

📚 Books Mentioned:
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa
The Everlasting by Alix E Harrow
+ a few more in passing!

#booktube #dnf #readingculture #videoessay #bookishcommunity

I Read 98 Books in 2025 📚| These Were the Absolute Best 🌟

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2026-01-11 | It's time for my best books of 2025! 📚✨
I read 98 books in 2025 across genres like fantasy, horror, literary fiction, and speculative fiction. In this video, I’m breaking down the absolute best of the best.

We’re starting with 11 honourable mentions (4.5★ reads), moving into 7 incredible 4.75★ books, and then I’ll talk in detail about the 7 books that I rated 5 stars in 2025!

Let me know your favourite books of 2025 in the comments!

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro / Ranking System
02:03 - 4.5 Star Honourable Mentions
03:33 - 4.75 Star Honourable Mentions
04:59 - No.7 Best Book 7
07:58 - No.6 Best Book 6
10:24 - No.5 Best Book
12:48 - No.4 Best Book
15:43 - No.3 Best Book
19:09 - No.2 Best Book
21:15 - No.1 Best Book

📚Books Mentioned and Affiliate Links:
(Thank you so much if you choose to use these links; it really helps to support my tiny channel!💜)

5⭐Reads:
The Everlasting - Alix E. Harrow
US: amzn.to/49wMj4i
UK: amzn.to/3Ncao9e

A Dowry of Blood - S.T. Gibson
US: amzn.to/3LCy9qw
UK: amzn.to/3Lnx5qw

Blood Over Bright Haven - M. L Wang
US: amzn.to/49fN2bp
UK: amzn.to/4qKk0GD

A Pale View of Hills - Kazuo Ishiguro
US: amzn.to/4ptEjY1
UK: amzn.to/3YtIMyR

The Memory Police - Yoko Ogawa
US: amzn.to/3YRXUGx
UK: amzn.to/4qkXFja

We Used To Live Here - Marcus Kliewer
US: amzn.to/3LnEE0k
UK: amzn.to/45zVuzQ

The Wild Wood - Charles De Lint
US: amzn.to/4sEhJPa
UK: amzn.to/49cWhck

📚Honourable Mentions - 4.75⭐ Reads:

Great Big Beautiful Life - Emily Henry
US: amzn.to/4buajYp
UK: amzn.to/4jz0Lxn

People We Meet On Vacation - Emily Henry
US: amzn.to/4aZlzfr
UK: amzn.to/4aTSKB0

Jade War - Fonda Lee
US: amzn.to/3Z4NlzE
UK: amzn.to/3YyEXbz

Ten Thousand Stitches - Olivia Atwater
US: amzn.to/4sBeWWI
UK: amzn.to/450ipUU

Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir
US: amzn.to/4jvC5Ws
UK: amzn.to/4pCoRsH

Klara and The Sun - Kazuo Ishiguro
US: amzn.to/4qjT7JU
UK: amzn.to/3N7qXDk

Dissection of A Murder - Jo Murray
US: amzn.to/3Z2cA5M (preorder - releases 05/19/26)
UK: amzn.to/49evkVF (preorder - releases 19/05/26)

📚Honourable Mentions - 4.5⭐ Reads:

Sunrise on the Reaping - Suzanne Collins
US: amzn.to/49NwS9k
UK: amzn.to/4pEB67X

Radiance - Grave Draven
US: amzn.to/45OPDGW
UK: amzn.to/4jCo3Cv

Beartown - Fredrik Backman
US: amzn.to/4qNx3qX
UK: amzn.to/3LucDnQ

One Dark Window - Rachel Gillig
US: amzn.to/4jAjcSd
UK: amzn.to/4sBdV14

We Have Always Lived In The Castle - Shirley Jackson
US: amzn.to/457YXpf
UK: amzn.to/3LkwbLn

The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King - Carissa Broadbent
US: amzn.to/4jzJqUU
UK: amzn.to/4qe3xKR

Half A Soul - Olivia Atwater
US: amzn.to/4qcN35L
UK: amzn.to/4bs6IKs

Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro
US: amzn.to/4pJFKBO
UK: amzn.to/4qopo2E

An Ember in The Ashes - Sabaa Tahir
US: amzn.to/4sxuvPi
UK: amzn.to/4jx1M9a

How To Disappear - Gillian McAllister
US: amzn.to/4qNaQJl
UK: amzn.to/3Lxdp3j

The Wind Weaver - Julie Johnson
US: amzn.to/49ml38w
UK: amzn.to/49gLLAT

A Taste of Gold and Iron - Alexandra Rowland
US: amzn.to/45BkRRO
UK: amzn.to/49ANgZv

#bestbooks #favoritebooks #bookrecommendations #bookreviews #fantasybooks #booktube

Most Disappointing Reads of 2025 😑📚 | Books I Expected to Love

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2026-01-03 | Most Disappointing Books of the Year 📚

These books weren’t bad books - but they did disappoint me! In this video, I’m sharing my most disappointing reads of the year: the books I fully expected to love… but didn’t. Some of these are hugely hyped and very well-loved, they just didn’t work for me personally.

My Best Books of the Year video will be coming very soon ✨

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
01:12- Book 1
02:46 - Book 2
04:14 - Book 3
05:42 - Book 4
08:26 - Book 5
11:29 - Book 6
15:43 - Book 7
18:17 - Book 8

📚 Books Mentioned
Never Lie — Frieda McFadden
The Inheritance Games — Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Legends & Lattes — Travis Baldree
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi — Shannon Chakraborty
Evocation — S. T. Gibson
I Who Have Never Known Men — Jacqueline Harpman
A Man Called Ove — Fredrik Backman
Scythe — Neal Shusterman

Let me know in the comments: which hyped book disappointed you the most this year?

#booktube #disappointingbooks #bookreviews #readingwrapup

My Worst Books of the Year 2025 🛑📚

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-12-23 | In this video, I’m talking through my worst books of the year! I'm not saying these are bad books, just that they didn’t work for me and ended up being around 1 star reads.

These are not books I simply found disappointing or overhyped (I’m doing a separate video on disappointing reads). This list is reserved for books I actively disliked, whether due to writing, pacing, characterisation, themes, or overall execution.

As always, this is just my personal reading experience & is not a judgement on the authors, or on readers who loved these books. Reading is subjective, and honest, critical reviews are an important part of bookish spaces.

If you’re interested in my thoughts on whether “worst books” videos are mean, I’ve made a separate video on that topic, which is linked below:
youtu.be/S8HA0Ku4YT4?si=5WCR7u8Z715fUDCa

Timestamps:
00:00 - Criteria!
01:06 - They get worse as they go!
01:42 - Book 1
03:23 - Spoiler for Book 1
04:54 - End of Spoilers for Book 1
05:27 - Book 2
07:22 - Book 3
08:42 - Book 4
10:39 - Spoilers for Book 4
12:20 - End of spoilers for Book 4
12:31 - Book 5
16:41 - Book 6
18:50 - Spoilers for Book 6
20:30 - End of spoilers for Book 6
20:59 - Book 7
25:24 - Spoilers for Book 7
27:23 - End of Spoilers for book 7
28:07 - Summary

📚Books discussed in this video:
- Bringing Down The Duke by Evie Dunmore
- Gideon The Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
- The Restaurant of Love Regained by Ito Ogawa
- Quicksilver by Callie Hart
- Happy Place by Emily Henry
- The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
- Rose in Chains by Julie Soto

If you enjoy thoughtful, honest book discussions (including unpopular opinions!) feel free to like, comment, or subscribe 🤍 Also, let me know what your worst book of the year was!

What The Everlasting Warns Us About Fascism & Censorship 📚 | A Political Deep Dive

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-12-20 | This is a political and thematic deep dive into The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow. I explore how the novel functions as a warning about fascism, censorship, nationalism, and the illusion of progress.

Rather than treating politics as background texture, this analysis looks at systems of power: how myths are upheld, how violence is normalised, and how liberal institutions can reinforce the very structures they claim to oppose and create an illusion of progress.

I discuss:
- the machinery of fascism and how it operates through repetition, loyalty, and enforced consensus
- why representation and inclusion inside violent systems are not the same as liberation
- how neoliberal feminism and “girlboss” narratives can uphold patriarchy rather than dismantle it
- the role of censorship, “clean” vs “dirty” books, and controlled archives
- how nationalism and racialised “othering” are maintained through storytelling
- counter-politics, memory, love, and defiance

Please note: This video critiques systems, not individuals. When discussing institutions such as the military, government, or academia, the focus is on structural power, not personal morality.

Spoilers: This discussion engages with the book’s themes, world-building, and ideas, and references plot elements where relevant — therefore it has spoilers, however t it does not reveal major twists or discuss the central love story. If you’ve already read the book, this video may deepen your understanding; if you haven’t, it’s designed to add context rather than diminish the reading experience.

✨ If you enjoy long-form literary criticism, political readings of fantasy, or books that challenge comforting narratives, this video is for you.

📚Buy The Everlasting:
USA: amzn.to/498CFEV
UK: amzn.to/4p8wFC9
*These links are affiliate links - if you were going to buy the book via Amazon anyway, it would mean a lot if you used my link. Thank you for your support!

Timestamps:

00:00 - Context
01:09 - Spoilers?
02:22 - Plot Overview
03:18 - The Machinery of Fascism
09:33 - Critiquing Liberalism and the Illusion of Progress
15:02 - Neoliberal Feminism
19:58 - Racism, Nationalism & The Othering of Outsiders
22:28 - Censorship & Clean vs "Dirty" Books
24:45 - Repetition and Enforced Consensus
27:04 - Counter Politics: What Can We Do?
30:38 - Love, Memory, & Defiance
32:53 - Quotes & Gushing

#booktube #bookanalysis #politicalfiction #deepdive #theeverlasting #politicalbooks #politicalfantasy

Are ‘Worst Books of the Year’ Videos Mean? | Let’s Talk Negative Book Reviews 📚

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-12-17 | Are “Worst Books of the Year” Videos Mean? | Let’s Talk Negative Book Reviews 📚

There’s been a lot of discussion lately about whether posting worst books of the year videos (or sharing negative book reviews more generally) is unkind or unethical.

In this video, I talk about why that conversation is happening, how tone policing and “false kindness” show up in book spaces, and why I don’t believe honest criticism is the same thing as cruelty.

We’ll discuss:
- whether book reviewers are expected to act as unpaid marketers
- why negative reviews can actually be useful to readers
- how the concept of kindness is misunderstood online and why criticism is not the opposite of kindness
- how parasocial relationships and shared author/reader spaces complicate reviews
- why disclaimer fatigue is very real for many viewers
- how fear of backlash can flatten discussion and authenticity

This isn’t about attacking authors or readers. It’s about talking honestly, respectfully, and thoughtfully about books that didn’t work for us, just as much as the ones that did.

If you enjoy nuanced book discussions, cultural commentary, and honest reading experiences (including the occasional rant), you’re very welcome here.

Side Note: My Worst Books of the Year video will be out soon! I also have a Best Books of the Year video coming soon if you prefer more positive content.

As always: reading is subjective, disagreement is not the same as harm, and you don’t have to watch every video that isn’t for you.

📚Brilliant Booktubers Mentioned:
- @JordalineReads (mentioned at around 15:41)

Timestamps:
00:00 - Context
00:30 - Bookstgram Post
01:58 - Reviewers Are Not Marketers
02:55 - One Star Reviews Are Useful
03:54 - Moralising Taste
04:56 - False Kindness, Authenticity & Tone Policing
08:42 - Parasocial Relationships & Boundaries
11:29 - Reviewers Allegiance is to Readers
13:50 - Disclaimer Fatigue
17:04 - Creators Fears Around Missed Opportunities
18:43 - Final Thoughts

#booktube #worstbooks #negativereviews #bookreviews

The 0 Books I Read In November 😬| Let’s Talk Reading Slumps

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-12-13 | The 0 Books I Read In November ...😬| Let’s Talk Reading Slumps
It’s time for my November reading wrap-up… and as you can see from the title, I read precisely 0 books 😅

In this video, I talk candidly about my 6 week reading slump and why it happened — from low mood to the surprisingly emotional experience of turning 35. I also chat about what hobbies I did instead of reading, and the book that *finally* pulled me out of my slump in December!

If you’ve been struggling to pick up a book lately, or you’ve ever felt burnt out from reading, I hope this video feels comforting and relatable 🧡

Timestamps:
00:00 - Where Are The Books?!😅
01:30 - Reading Slump & A Small Mid-Life Crisis 🙈
06:36 - What I Did Instead of Reading
07:45 - Changing Hyperfixations & Pressure To Read
09:03 - What Broke My Reading Slump
11:20 - Winter Causing Slumps?
12:35 - What's Coming
13:54 - No Idea Why This Is Here

📚Books Mentioned & Affiliate Links:
The Wind Weaver - Julie Johnson
US:amzn.to/4rZOrdy
UK: amzn.to/4q6Tabh

An Ember in The Ashes - Sabaa Tahir
US: amzn.to/4q22i0R
UK: amzn.to/499OhZp
*Please note using these links does not cost you any extra money when your purchase, but it does support my channel, so thank you if you choose to you them*

#readingslump #readingwrapup #monthlywrapup #booktube

Goodreads Ratings Are Misleading You (Here’s Why)

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-12-09 | Are Goodreads ratings actually helping us choose better books… or causing us to miss out on incredible reads? 👀

In this video essay, I explore the problems of relying on star ratings and Goodreads reviews - from ARC skew, review bombing, and inconsistent rating systems to how personal taste and “trigger events” can tank a score.

We’ll talk about how Goodreads shapes our reading choices (often subconsciously), why middling ratings aren’t a red flag, and how star systems can mislead more than they help. I also share examples of books I personally loved that aren’t highly rated — plus some extremely high-rated books I didn’t enjoy at all!

If you've ever skipped a book because it was rated below 4 stars, this video might change how you choose what to read next. ...Your next 5 star book could be rated a 3.5 on Goodreads!

Timestamps:
00:00 - The Problem
00:36 - Why Do People Avoid Middling Ratings?
02:14 - Inflammatory Goodreads Ratings
03:11 - Individual Tastes
05:00 - People Rate Differently
06:31 - Triggering Events in Books
08:11 - ARC Reviews & Bias
10:17 - Reviewing Before Release Date
11:04 - Reviewing Bombing
13:45 - Extortion On Goodreads
14:38 - Should We Still Check Goodreads Reviews?
17:18 - Missing Out
18:24 - Do You Rely On Ratings?

#booktube #goodreads #bookreviews #videoessay #bookdiscussion

Book Unhaul 📚| Decluttering My Books ✨

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-12-02 | It's time for an unhaul!📚 Join me as I declutter my books and talk through why I'm not keeping them (basically giving you mini books reviews!)
Some are books I've read and don't plan on rereading, and others are books I don't think I'm ever going to get round to. Time to make some space on the shelves!

Timestamps:
00:00 - Unhaul
28:45 - Should I Read These?

#bookunhaul #booktube #declutter #unhaul

Neurodivergent Book Recs + My AuDHD Experiences 🧠🌈 #Neurovember

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-11-29 | In this video, I’m sharing some of my favourite books by neurodivergent authors and/or featuring neurodivergent characters — including autistic memoirs, nonfiction, self help, children’s books, and fiction recs.
I also overshare and go off on a few classic AuDHD tangents (naturally), including a little bit about my own experience as a neurodivergent person - including some kinda funny autistic miscommunication stories 🙈. I also very briefly share how I got diagnosed with autism & ADHD 🧠💬

Honestly, I usually cut out my oversharing and ADHD-fuelled tangents, but since this is a video about neurodiversity - I left them in! (Albeit I moved a couple into outtakes!) Sorry 'bout it 😂

📚Books Mentioned:
- Wonderfully Wired Brains by Louise Gooding (Non-Fiction Children's Book)
- How To Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis (Non-Fiction / Self-Help)
- Drama Queen by Sara Gibbs (Autistic Memoir)
- Notes On A Nervous Planet by Matt Haig (Non-Fiction / Self-Help)
- Can You See Me? By Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott (Middle Grade / YA Fiction)
- Half A Soul by Olivia Atwater (Fiction)
- Chris Packham's Birdwatching Guide by Chris Packham (Non-Fiction)

📚Brilliant Booktubers Mentioned:
@Curious-Cat - Cat created Neurovember and you can check out her channel here!💜

Timestamps:
00:00 - Neurovember & Neurodivergent
01:40 - Book 1
04:59 - Book 2
08:27 - Book 3 & My Own ND School Experiences
09:55 - Work Miscommunication Stories
13:05 - Dating Miscommunication Tangent 🙈😳
14:31 - Book 4
16:16 - Book 5
19:10 - Book 6
20:58 - Book 7
22:45 - Your Recs?
23:11 - How I Got Diagnosed (ie Another Tangent)
24:31 - Outtake 1 / ND Story
25:30 - Outtake 2 / ND Story

💬 I'd love to hear your favourite books by ND authors or with neurodivergent rep in the comments!

#neurodivergent #AuDHD #booktube #bookrecommendations #Adhdbrain #NDbooks #Neurovember #neurodiversity #autisticcommunity

Emptying My TBR Cart 📚| Reorganising My Bookshelves ✨

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-11-25 | Today I’m emptying my TBR cart and giving my bookshelves a refresh! 📚✨
In my last video I said I wouldn’t be using my TBR cart anymore, so… it’s time for the books to go back on the shelves where they belong.

I also roped my husband in to help me rearrange the books... his idea of organising is interesting 🙈 (Also, he's super awkward on camera, bless him 💜😅)

As well as adding the books back on and reorganising, I also ended up doing a little mini-declutter, and pulling out a few books for an unhaul… which will be my next video! 👀

If you enjoy bookshelf organisation, cosy chaos, and general bookish pottering, I hope you’ll enjoy this one 💜

Fair warning: this video is not super aesthetic ...I'm just not a very aesthetic person 🙃

Timestamps:
00:00 - Taking Books Off the TBR Cart
02:53 - The Pile!
04:16 - Adding Books to Shelves feat. My Husband
06:06 - They're Back on the Shelves!
06:32 - Reorganising, Yapping, & Decluttering
14:12 - A (Not So) Dramatic Reveal

#booktube #bookshelforganization #bookshelf #tbrcart #bookorganization
#reorganisation #bookunhaul

I’m DONE With Monthly TBRs — Here’s Why

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-11-19 | In this video I talk about why I'm no longer doing TBRs, or using my prompt jar or TBR cart. We'll chat about pressure, perfectionism, ADHD, reading slumps, when reading starts to feel like homework, and how to keep reading fun and curiosity-led.

So join me as I say goodbye to my TBR cart… and to the pressure of monthly to-be-read lists.

Are you a mood reader who struggles with TBRs too? Or do they actually help you stay focused? Let me know in the comments!

Timestamps
00:00 - Why I'm Not Doing Monthly TBRs (anymore!)
03:45 - Mood Reading & ADHD
05:56 - Kindle Books & My Physical TBR
07:49 - Reading Slumps
08:40 - Name Change
09:59 - What Am I Doing Instead?
11:09 - Reorganising Books (Again!)
12:40 - Do TBRs Work for You?

#tbr #booktube #moodreader #antitbr #tbrcart #tbrjar #tbrpromptjar #monthlytbr #readingcommunity

October Reading Wrap Up 📚 | A Horror Book I Wish I Could Unread 😭 + Fantasy & Manga with OCD Rep

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-11-13 | Welcome to my monthly reading wrap up where I review all of the books I read in October! It was a VERY mixed bag - I found a new 5 star read (yay!) ...& read a horror story I wish I could unread 😣

Genres Mentioned Include:
Fantasy (including a gentle 90s fantasy), Romantasy, Horror, BL Manga with OCD representation, non-fiction, and more.

Books Mentioned Include:
- The Wild Wood by Charles De Lint
- Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett
- Tales of the Macabre by Newton Webb
- Ten Count by Rihito Takarai
- Jingle Spells by Emily Grimoire
- The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jenson
- Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix
- How To Break Up With Your Phone by Catherine Price
- Plant Books!

Brilliant Booktubers Mentioned: @TheBookThing (see timestamp for Guards! Guards!) and @alisontalksbooks (see timestamp for The Bridge Kingdom). Check out their channels! 💜

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:31 - The Wild Wood
05:05 - Mild Spoiler / Content Warning
06:21 - Rating / End of Spoiler
06:31 - Guards! Guards!
10:16 - Tales of the Macabre
12:11 - Glory Hole Horror?! (Whyyy)
12:52 - Ten Count (Manga)
16:04 - Jingle Spells
18:45 - The Bridge Kingdom
21:09 - Horrorstör
22:05 - Tangent re running out of sucky old job
23:34 - Horrorstor (again)
24:45 - How To Break Up With Your Phone
27:02 - Plant Books!
27:45 - Reading Slump Chat

#readingwrapup #monthlyreading #booktube #octoberwrapup #bookreviews #bookrecs

Victorians Were Obsessed with Death & Ghosts — Here’s Why (+ Creepy Book Recs)

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-11-06 | In the 19th century, death wasn’t hidden behind closed doors; it was part of daily life. The Victorians mourned in black, took photos with their dead, believed in ghosts, and gathered around the fire on Christmas Eve to share spooky ghost stories.
In this video essay, I explore why Victorian Britain (and the US!) were so obsessed with death and the supernatural. From elaborate mourning rituals and post-mortem photography, to the industrial revolution and the rise of spiritualism, we’ll take a journey into the beautifully bleak world of Victorian grief culture and how it still haunts art and literature today.

Plus, I’ll be sharing a few eerie, atmospheric book recommendations (both classic and modern) inspired by all things Victorian and ghostly.

🕯️ Topics Covered:
- Mourning fashion & etiquette
- Post-mortem photography
- Christmas ghost stories
- Spiritualism & séances
- Science vs. faith in the 19th century
- Why ghost stories were *everywhere*
- Classic Book Recommendations with ghosts, grief, and Gothic vibes

📚Fiction Books Mentioned (Victorian Classics):
- The Signal-Man by Charles Dickens
Read here: gutenberg.org/ebooks/1289

- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Read Here: gutenberg.org/ebooks/46

- Green Tea by Sheridan Le Fanu
Read here: https://web.english.upenn.edu/~nauerbac/tea.html

- Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu
Read here: gutenberg.org/ebooks/10007

- Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad by M.R. James (Edwardian)
Read here: gutenberg.ca/ebooks/jamesmr-ohwhistle/jamesmr-ohwhistle-00-h.html

- Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

- The Open Door by Charlotte Riddell
Read here: https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0606251.txt

- The Old Nurse's Story by Elizabeth Gaskell
Read here: https://web.english.upenn.edu/~nauerbac/story.html

- The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde
Read her: gutenberg.org/files/14522/14522-h/14522-h.htm

📚Modern Gothic Books Mentioned:
- The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
- The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell

📚Non-Fiction Victorian Books Mentioned:
-The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
- The Ghost: A Cultural History by Susan Owens
- The Victorian Book of the Dead by Chris Woodyard

Timestamps:
00:00 - Context
01:18 - Victorian Mourning Culture
04:23 - The Rise of Ghost Stories
06:43 - Why were Ghost Stories so Popular? (Science & Spiritualism)
11:15 - Victorian Ghost Story Reading Recs - Fiction
17:23 - Non-Fiction Book Recs
18:56 - Victorian Inspired TBR pick
20:03 - Outro / Victorian Hair Chat?!

#booktube #victorian #ghoststories #victorianhistory #victorianbooks #classicbooks #victorianera

Tier Ranking Emily Henry Books | One Star to Five Stars ⭐📚

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-11-02 | Today I'm tier ranking all of Emily Henry's books! Some have been hits ...and some have definitely been misses 👀😬

📚Books Mentioned:
Happy Place
Book Lovers
People We Meet On Vacation
Funny Story
Great Big Beautiful Life
Beach Read
- All by Emily Henry (obviously!)

Timestamps:
00:00 - The Ranking System!
01:29 - Beach Read
03:15 - People We Meet On Vacation
04:11 - Happy Place
05:26 - Funny Story
06:24 - Book Lovers
07:23 - Great Big Beautiful Life
08:25 - The Final Ranking
08:57 - How did Emily Henry do this?

Let me know your favourite and least favourite Emily Henry books in the comments!

#booktube #contemporaryromance #romancebooks #tierranking #tierrankingbooks #romcombooks

10 Romantasy Books for People Who Dont Like Romantasy 📚

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-10-26 | Do you wish you liked romantasy books but nothing you try ever works out?
Maybe you love fantasy and romance but find romantasy novels full of clichés, weak world-building, or shallow writing? You’re not alone!

In today’s video, Alison and I are sharing ten romantacy recommendations that even skeptics might love!

Our picks fix many of the genre’s biggest complaints, such as:
💔 Weak world-building
💔 Toxic relationships
💔 Endless enemies-to-lovers plots
💔 Self-insert or bland characters
💔 Formulaic or bad writing
💔 Young, impossibly perfect protagonists
💔 Too much spice and "insta-love"

Instead, you’ll find beautifully written, emotionally resonant stories full of love, magic, and genuine depth. ✨

🤝This video is a collab with Alison, from @alisontalksbooks whose channel features thoughtful, research-based video essays exploring the culture of reading — think a mix of BookTube and EssayTube.

💜 Check out Alison's Channel here: youtube.com/@alisontalksbooks

Timestamps:
00:00 - Hello!
00:42 - Common Romantasy Complaints
02:36 - Context with Alison
03:28 - Book 10
05:08 - Book 9
08:45 - Book 8
11:14 - Book 7
13:48 - Book 6
16:55 - Book 5
19:13 - Book 4
22:18 - Book 3
26:02 - Book 2
30:03 - Book 1
33:31 - What are your recs?

📚 Books Mentioned:
💜 Daughter of the Moon Goddess - Sue Lynn Tan
💜 Daughter of the Forest - Juliet Marillier
💜 Tusk Love - Thea Guanzon
💜 Paladin's Grace - T. Kingfisher
💜 The Fairy Godmother - Mercedes Lackey
💜 Radiance - Grace Draven
💜 Swordheart - T Kingfisher
💜 A Dowry of Blood - S.T. Gibson
💜 Reign & Ruin - J. D. Evans
💜 Half A Soul - Olivia Atwater

#booktube #romantasy #fantasyromancebooks #fantasybooks #bookrecommendations #bookrecs

September Reading Wrap Up 📚🍂 | 14 books, 2 Five Stars & 1 DNF

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-10-24 | Welcome to my September Reading Wrap Up 2025. This is where I go through all of the books I read last month and tell you what I loved 💜...and what I DNF'd 👀😖
It was a mixed bag with a couple of new faves, as well as some reading regrets...

I read a few cosy books in September, as well as some spooky and scary books! Genres include thrillers, horrors, LGBTQ+ romance, literary fiction, a non-fiction memoir and more!

Timestamps:

00:00 - Why my voice sounds gruff!
00:50 - Patriot by Alexei Navalny
04:24 - The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alex E. Harrow
06:50 - Tangent re Upcoming The Everlasting Political Deep Dive
08:08 - In Her Shadow by Theo Baxter
11:44 - How to Disappear by Gillian McAllister
14:03 - Evocation by S T Gibson
17:17 - Spoiler for Evocation
18:52 - End of Spoilers / Rating
19:12 - We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
23:36 - In The Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace
24:44 - Garlic & the Witch by Bree Paulson
25:35 - Any Witch Way You Can by Amanda M. Lee
27:05 - Pumpkin Heads by Rainbow Rowell
28:04 -The (Most Unusual) Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy by Roan Parrish
32:56 - A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
36:00 - The Devil She Knows by Alexandria Bellefleur
38:04 - DNFs

📚🔗Books Mentioned and Links to Purchase:
Please note the below links are affiliate links. Thank you so much if you choose to purchase through them.

Patriot - Alexei Navalny
US: amzn.to/47oQHBt
UK: amzn.to/49iT6A8

The Ten Thousand Doors of January - Alex E. Harrow
US: amzn.to/4o5t9Zl
UK: amzn.to/3Jt3QkW

The Everlasting - Alix E. Harrow
US: amzn.to/4ovEce9
UK: amzn.to/47sazDS

How to Disappear - Gillian McAllister
US: amzn.to/3L3oloY
UK: amzn.to/4nqRU1d

Evocation - S. T. Gibson
US: amzn.to/3WQd9yu
UK: amzn.to/4nhamsT

We Used To Live Here - Marcus Kliewer
US: amzn.to/3WG5yCN
UK: amzn.to/3WnMZD7

In The Company of Witches - Auralee Wallace
US: amzn.to/4no7GtH
UK: amzn.to/4oGu8PT

Garlic & the Witch by Bree Paulson
US: amzn.to/4oBFULk
UK: amzn.to/3WRJQvl

Any Witch Way You Can - Amanda M. Lee
US: amzn.to/3L6lLyr
UK: amzn.to/4hunyth

Pumpkin Heads - Rainbow Rowell
US: amzn.to/47m5eOp
UK: amzn.to/4nwcZra

The (Most Unusual) Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy - Roan Parrish
US: amzn.to/47l9uxt
UK: amzn.to/47iVpAE

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping - Sangu Mandanna
US: amzn.to/3L3orgk
UK: amzn.to/4hzAgag

The Devil She Knows - Alexandria Bellefleur
US: amzn.to/3JaEOHj
UK: amzn.to/3JeP0yw

#booktube #readingwrapup #monthlyreading #monthlywrapup #septemberwrapup #whatiread #cozybooks #spookystories

The Death of Nuance on Booktube 📚 | We Need Better Book Discourse

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-10-18 | Is nuance dying on BookTube and BookTok? In this video essay, I explore how short-form content, ragebait, algorithm-driven discourse, and black-and-white thinking are changing the way we talk about books online.
From "This book RUINED my life" to speed reviews and viral hot takes, short-form and reaction-driven content dominates bookish spaces in 2025. And while these formats can be fun (and I genuinely enjoy many of them!), they often leave little room for complexity, context, or genuine discussion. This isn’t about bashing short-form creators or saying there's one "right" way to talk about books. It's about asking whether we’re losing something valuable when we stop giving space to grey areas, contradictions, and open-ended dialogue.

In this video, I cover:
- What nuance really means and why it matters
- The rise of ragebait
- The rise of short form content and shallow takes
- Clickbait and OTT video titles
- The pressure to be entertaining over thoughtful
- Whether nuance is just “fence-sitting” or a sign of intellectual honesty
- My experience as a tiny new BookTuber
- Why nuanced creators often get misinterpreted (or ignored by the algorithm)
- Why thoughtful, slow content still matters
- What we can do to bring depth and balance back into our content and conversations

If you’ve ever felt burnt out by the bookish algorithm a creator, craved in depth discussion as a reader, or felt unsure how to speak honestly online without being misunderstood, this one’s for you. Let's talk nuance.

00:00 - Nuance is dying (important context and some irony)
01:36 - What Is Nuance and Why Is It Dying
02:34 - Rage Bait
03:02 - How is this Relevant to Booktube / Booktok?
04:45 - My Experience as a Teeny Creator
06:29 - Is Nuance just Flip-Flopping?
07:17 - Nuance Opens you up to Misinterpretation
10:11 - Why do we Need Nuance?
11:18 - What can we do to Bring Back Nuance?

#booktube #videoessay #bookdiscussion #booktok #bookishcommunity #onlinediscourse #commentaryvideo #booktubecommentary

Cosy Autumn Reading Vlog 🍂 | Candle Making, Witchy Reads & Everyday Chaos 🧙🕯️✨

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-10-15 | Welcome back to another slightly chaotic, hopefully cozy reading vlog 🕯️📚

This week I decided to make my own candle in a vintage teacup (spoiler: it’s not exactly Yankee Candle material 😂), chat about life, and dive into some fall books and witchy reads.

In between all that, I get interrupted by the Rag and Bone man yelling down the street ..the same one who accidentally(??) stole my gate😂 and have a mini rant about people commenting just to make fun of my accent 😅

There’s also cross-stitching and cute pet cameos. Light a candle, grab a cuppa, and come hang out for some real-life witchy, bookish cosiness 😊✨

📚Books Reviewed:
- Any Witch Way You Can by Amanda M Lee (Cosy Witchy Murder Mystery)
- Garlic & the Witch by Bree Paulson (Cosy Witchy Graphic Novel)
- The Devil She Knows by Alexandria Bellefleur (Queer Sapphic RomCom - New Release / ARC)

🧶 Halloween Witchy Cross Stitch from: Emily Morris of Pyrodogpins on Etsy (Pattern Name: Stitch Craft!)

Timestamps:

00:00 - Candle Prep & Chat 🕯️
03:59 - Ranting About Accent Comments 😅
05:20 - Making A Candle in a Tea Cup☕
12:49 - Rag and Bone Man Rant & Gate Theft Story 🙈
14:11 - Reading Any Witch Way You Can
19:32 - Cross-Stitching a Halloween Project
22:25 - New Day ..Breakfast!
24:24 - Any Witch Way You Can: Final Update
25:43 - Reading Plans & Pet Interruptions
27:26 - Reading & Reviewing Garlic & the Witch
28:53 - Sapphic Story: The Devil She Knows
30:44 - The Devil She Knows: Update 1
32:20 - Spiralling About Lexicon
33:28 - The Devil She Knows: Final Update
38:03 - Dressing Up Like a Witch! 🧙
39:54 - Was This Boring? IDK 🤷‍♀️

#readingvlog #fallreading #booktube #vlog #cozyvlog #cozybooks #cozyreading #fallvlog

October TBR Prompt Jar 🍂🎃| Horror, Fantasy & Queer Reads 📚

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-10-11 | It’s time for my October Prompt Jar TBR! I pulled five prompts from my jar this month… and somehow ended up with eight books (oops 😅). Genre wise, there’s a bit of everything in here, including horror, fantasy, grimdark fantasy, romantasy and BL manga.

Grab a cosy drink and let's find out what I'll be reading in October!🍂🎃

Timestamps:

00:00 - Hi!
00:21 - Did I Read Last month's TBR?
01:17 - Adding Books to the Cart!
03:54 - Prompt 1
07:15 - Prompt 2
09:30 - Prompt 3
11:38 - Prompt 4
13:27 - Prompt 5 (FAIL!)
14:33 - Prompt 5 (repick!)
17:17 - Final books!

#tbrjar #tbrpromptjar #octobertbr #booktube #horrorbooks #fantasybooks #autumnbooks #falltbr

A Small Book Haul 📚 (Realistic & Mostly Second-Hand)

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-10-07 | In today’s video, I’m sharing a small, thoughtful book haul, featuring 14 books I’ve picked up over the past couple of months. It’s a mix of second-hand treasures, bargain finds, and a few new books and recent releases.

This is a realistic haul (no huge stacks or wild splurges!) of books I’m genuinely excited about. If you love thrifting books, discovering underrated reads, or just enjoy some cosy bookish chat, I hope you’ll enjoy this one. 💜📚

Genres include: Horror, literary fictions, thriller, manga, graphic novels, and fantasy.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Hello!
00:44 - Book 1 Tales of the Macabre by Newton Webb
02:12 - Book 2 Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix
04:08 - Book 3 The Girls Who Disappeared by Claire Douglas
04:55 - Book 4 The Metal Head Next Door by Mamita
06:16 - Book 5 Ten Count by Rihito Takarai
07:39 - Book 6 Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro
08:27 - Book 7 Pumpkin Heads by Rainbow Rowell
09:20 - Book 8 We All Rot Eventually by Mia Ballard
10:37 - Book 9 A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
11:10 - Book 10 Open Throat by Henry Hoke
13:12 - Book 11 Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
13:58 - Book 12 The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare
14:48 - Book 13 The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri
16:30 - Book 14 Antiques Handbook by Judith Miller

🔗Buy The Books:
*Please note these are affiliate links*
Tales of the Macabre by Newton Webb
US: amzn.to/3J1TacR
UK: amzn.to/42uxSev

Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix
US: amzn.to/4gXe89v
UK: amzn.to/4gWpQRw

The Girls Who Disappeared by Claire Douglas
US: amzn.to/3WrXuoO
UK: amzn.to/48dC4mB

The Metal Head Next Door by Mamita
US: amzn.to/48TgfJh
UK: amzn.to/48iATCv

Ten Count by Rihito Takarai
US: amzn.to/438qiGB
UK: amzn.to/4h4Jg74

Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro
US: amzn.to/4gYNywo
UK: amzn.to/3IWs8nc

Pumpkin Heads by Rainbow Rowell
US: amzn.to/4o5UR7X
UK: amzn.to/3IIJIep

We All Rot Eventually by Mia Ballard
US: amzn.to/4nHDASS
UK: amzn.to/4gVgOnM

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
US: amzn.to/46UOLQL
UK: amzn.to/46HRRc8

Open Throat by Henry Hoke
US: amzn.to/48NtB9W
UK: amzn.to/47euqr6

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
US: amzn.to/3VU2Mtc
UK: amzn.to/3IyOmf3

The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare
US: amzn.to/4o0k6bG
UK: amzn.to/3WpkuES

The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri
US: amzn.to/4nHGhnx
UK: amzn.to/4ocBKt7

Antiques Handbook by Judith Miller 2020-2021
US: amzn.to/4pZZdzd
UK: amzn.to/46HSdQ0

#bookhaul #secondhandbooks #booktube #smallbookhaul #recentreads #bookhauls #smallbooktuber #thriftedbooks

10 Cozy Witchy Books for Autumn 🍂🧙‍♀️ | Magical Fall Reading Recommendations 📚

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-09-30 | In today’s video I’m sharing 10 cosy witchy books for autumn, from whimsical graphic novels and magical small-town mysteries, to heart-warming tales of found family and a sprinkle of magical esoteric non-fiction. These books are perfect if you love Practical Magic vibes, want something atmospheric but not too dark, or just need a comforting fall read.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro
00:33 - A Witch's Guide To Magical Innkeeping
02:13 - Garlic & the Witch
03:27 - In the Company of Witches
05:01 - Hexes & Hush Money
06:16 - A Discovery of Witches
08:09 - Garden Spells
10:20 - The Witches of Moonshyne Manor
12:34 - Any Witch Way You Can
14:06 - Light Magic for Dark Times
16:08 - The House Witch

📚Buy The Books mentioned in this video:
*affiliate links below*
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping – Sangu Mandanna
Amazon US: amzn.to/4gPcjeE
Amazon UK: amzn.to/42iry9S

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches – Sangu Mandanna
Amazon US: amzn.to/46Ks1mF
Amazon UK: amzn.to/4pNm2pT

Garlic and the Witch – Bree Paulsen
Amazon US: amzn.to/4gOBzlh
Amazon UK: amzn.to/4mLQdev

In the Company of Witches – Auralee Wallace
Amazon US: amzn.to/3VIRXtS
Amazon UK: amzn.to/46KveCv

Hexes and Hush Money – Hazel Caraway
Amazon US: amzn.to/4mLDxEe
Amazon UK: amzn.to/3KscfW2

A Discovery of Witches – Deborah Harkness
Amazon US: amzn.to/42WC4DQ
Amazon UK: amzn.to/3IOzwks

Garden Spells – Sarah Addison Allen
Amazon US: amzn.to/4nuSw6T
Amazon UK: amzn.to/4nWHmHC

The Witches of Moonshyne Manor – Bianca Marais
Amazon US: amzn.to/3VJxd5g
Amazon UK: amzn.to/3VF0yOa

Any Witch Way You Can – Amanda M. Lee
Amazon US: amzn.to/3Iyrqwl
Amazon UK: amzn.to/42kcCIj

The House Witch – Arin Murphy-Hiscock (non-fiction)
Amazon US: amzn.to/4gNRfVL
Amazon UK: amzn.to/489yQ3A

Light Magic for Dark Times – Lisa Marie Basile (non-fiction)
Amazon US: amzn.to/42ix38D
Amazon UK: amzn.to/4gSvOD5

*Please note that if you choose to purchase through the above links I may receive a small commission. It will not cost you anymore and it really helps to support my tiny channel! Thank you*

#witchybooks #cozybooks #autumnbooks #fallreading #witchyreads #booktube #fallbooks #cozywitchybooks

The Best Autumn & Fall Books 📚🍂 | Gothic, Cozy & Creepy Reads

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-09-24 | Cosy nights, foggy mornings, gothic mansions, and a little bit of murder… autumn (or fall, for my US friends!) is the perfect season for atmospheric reads! Today I’m sharing 15 of my favourite fall book recommendations, from gothic classics and cozy magical tales to chilling ghost stories and creepy horrors. These are the best autumn books that give me all the seasonal vibes 🍁📚

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:24 - Book 1
01:12 - Book 2
02:31 - Book 3
04:19 - Book 4
05:37 - Book 5
06:44 - Book 6
07:31 - Book 7
08:55 - Book 8
10:04 - Book 9
11:27 - Book 10
13:36 - Book 11
14:40 - Book 12
16:22 - Book 13
17:20 - Book 14
18:34 - Book 15
19:58 - Book 16
20:55 - Outro

📚🔗Buy the books here:
The Canterville Ghost – Oscar Wilde
Amazon US: amzn.to/4nGlOyP
Amazon UK: amzn.to/47WvSzb

Olivia Atwater – Half a Soul
Amazon US: amzn.to/4msm97i
Amazon UK: amzn.to/46xzsxv

Olivia Atwater – Ten Thousand Stitches
Amazon US: amzn.to/46gjjxu
Amazon UK: amzn.to/4pxr8qd

Olivia Atwater – The Witchwood Knot
Amazon US: amzn.to/4pCZtE7
Amazon UK: amzn.to/3W97bs1

Pumpkin Heads – Rainbow Rowell & Faith Erin Hicks
Amazon US: amzn.to/3W2rHut
Amazon UK: amzn.to/4njCrAN

The Secret History – Donna Tartt
Amazon US: amzn.to/4nsH7nK
Amazon UK: amzn.to/4nIqGDD

The Golden Spoon – Jessa Maxwell
Amazon US: amzn.to/46x9NVr
Amazon UK: amzn.to/4mAZvd3

And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie
Amazon US: amzn.to/47XCLQO
Amazon UK: amzn.to/4nKO5o7

The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
Amazon US: amzn.to/4nFHR8N
Amazon UK: amzn.to/3IqMvZC

Rebecca – Daphne du Maurier
Amazon US: amzn.to/46A2mNi
Amazon UK: amzn.to/4o4ZDTt

The Woman in Black – Susan Hill
Amazon US: amzn.to/3IAk2QV
Amazon UK: amzn.to/425PNbc

We Used to Live Here – Marcus Kliewer
Amazon US: amzn.to/46l9Dlu
Amazon UK: amzn.to/3W1IE8e

Slewfoot - Brom
Amazon US: amzn.to/46hTux3
Amazon UK: amzn.to/4mv7IQ4

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall – Anne Brontë
Amazon US: amzn.to/3KeNVHa
Amazon UK: amzn.to/46x9vOl

We Have Always Lived In The Castle – Shirley Jackson
Amazon US: amzn.to/4gzMxL8
Amazon UK: amzn.to/4gMhXy3

The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien
Amazon US: amzn.to/3IBo9fC
Amazon UK: amzn.to/4gyGYww

Macbeth – William Shakespeare
Amazon US: amzn.to/3Vs9gzd
Amazon UK: amzn.to/3Iv7IBA

A Dowry of Blood – S. T. Gibson
Amazon US: amzn.to/3W97B1z
Amazon UK: amzn.to/3IbV6PP

*Please note that some of the above links are affiliate links, which means I may make a small commission if you choose to purchase through them. It does not cost you anything extra. Thank you so much if you choose to purchase through them - I really appreciate your support.*

#autumnbooks #fallreads #fallbooks #booktube #cozybooks #gothicfiction #spookyseason #autumnreads

Why You Can’t Keep Politics Out of Books (or BookTube!)

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-09-18 | Are books political? Should we just read for escapism? Should BookTubers talk about politics? What does it really mean when people say “Keep politics out of BookTube” or “Books shouldn’t be political”?

In this video essay, I explore the myth of the apolitical book. We'll unpack why every book (including cosy fantasy!) is political, whether it intends to be or not. I also talk about how reading for escapism is both valid and a privilege, and why those two things are not contradictory.

I’ll dive into what people often consider “too political,” and why reading itself is always a political act – from book bans to literacy as power, to who gets to read and why. Many of these bans disproportionately target LGBTQ+ and BIPOC authors, and historically, access to literature has been denied as a tool of control (especially to women, girls, and enslaved people).

We’ll also explore:
- Can you enjoy “problematic” books without compromising your values?
- Is it possible (or even helpful) to read authors whose political views don’t align with yours?
- Why do we tend to disengage from books and creators who challenge us, and what does that say about our own comfort zones?

Finally, I share why I believe we need books that comfort and challenge us - and why separating books and politics simply isn’t possible.

💬 Let’s talk:
Do you notice politics in books?
Do you read books by authors you disagree with?
Should creators be “politically neutral”? Is it even possible for a BookTuber to be neutral?

This isn’t a hot take or a drama react; it’s a nuanced discussion. If you appreciate thoughtful perspective on bookish topics, you’re in the right place. 📚

Timestamps:

00:00 - Keep Politics out of Books!
00:43 - The Myth of the Apolitical Book
03:20 - What If I just want Escapism?
04:47 - Escapism is Valid And A Privilege
06:47 - What is TOO Political?
07:50 - Reading is Political (Book Bans!)
09:08 - Who Gets To Read?
11:06 - What About "Problematic" Books? (And Creators)
13:04 - Booktubers and Politics
16:05 - We Need Both
17:08 - Why We Can't Separate Books and Politics

📚 Books Mentioned:
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Fairies by Heath Fawcett
The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

📸 Books Shown on the Thumbnail:
Kim JiYoung: Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo
Bear Town by Fredrik Backman
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
1984 by George Orwell

#booktube #videoessay #politicsinbooks #bannedbooks #Readingispolitcal #booktokdrama #readingispower

7 Popular Book Series I DNF’d — And Why They Didnt Work For Me 😬📚

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-09-13 | We’ve all been there. You pick up a hyped book series, give it a fair chance, and somewhere along the way… you just can’t anymore. In this video, I’m sharing the popular series I decided not to finish (after reading at least the first book, and sometimes more!).

I’ll break down what didn’t work for me and give a few unpopular opinions along the way. No shade if you loved these books; reading is personal, and these just weren’t for me!

📚 Books mentioned:
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
- Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
- Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
- Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi
- Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas
- The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
- The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
- One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
- Quicksilver by Callie Hart

📷 Brilliant Booktubers Mentioned: @VeesBookNook

Timestamps:
00:00 - Context
00:27 - The Inheritance Games
02:23 - One Of Us Is Lying
04:04 - Shatter Me
05:51 - The Cruel Prince
07:28 - Crescent City
10:42 - Fourth Wing
11:44 - Quicksilver
13:50 - What series have you DNF'd?

If you’ve DNF’d any popular series (or loved any of these!), let me know in the comments 💬

👉 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell if you enjoy honest bookish opinions!💜

#DNF #Booktube #BookSeries #unpopularopinions #PopularBooksIDNFd #BookTokBooks #popularbooks #Booktok

My BEST Reading Month Yet?! THREE 5-Star Books in August 😲📚✨

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-09-10 | Join me for my August Reading Wrap Up!✨ August was truly my best reading month of the year so far — I found three incredible 5-star reads (and if you know me, you know I don’t hand those out lightly 👀). In this video I’m sharing my honest thoughts on everything I read in August, from gothic romance to a cosy cat café mystery to genre-bending political fantasy novels that completely blew me away.

If you love reading wrap-ups with a mix of fantasy, gothic, romance, and political depth, this one’s for you! 📚

Brilliant Booktuber's Mentioned: Zahava @pallor17reads (who unintentionally convinced me to read Paladin's Grace 💜)

📚 Books mentioned:
- Bloodlust and Secret Whispers by Helen G. Huntley
- Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
- Paladin’s Grace by T. Kingfisher
- The Willows by Algernon Blackwood
- A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
- Radiance by Grace Draven
- Hexes & Hush Money by Hazel Caraway
- The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow

🔗Buy the Books here:
(affiliate links below — thank you so much if you choose to use them!)

Bloodlust and Secret Whispers by Helen G. Huntley
Amazon US: amzn.to/4pgEhUr
Amazon UK: amzn.to/3JVuxPc

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
Amazon US: amzn.to/41Nsl2j
Amazon UK: amzn.to/4p8mbDU

Paladin’s Grace by T. Kingfisher
Amazon US: amzn.to/4noeebY
Amazon UK: amzn.to/4nKeC55

The Willows by Algernon Blackwood
Amazon US: amzn.to/48cpunr
Amazon UK: amzn.to/4ntmXtJ

A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
Amazon US: amzn.to/4pgEUgL
Amazon UK: amzn.to/47DI8Vk

Radiance by Grace Draven
Amazon US: amzn.to/3JVuZwS
Amazon UK: amzn.to/4pj1Lbl

Hexes & Hush Money by Hazel Caraway
Amazon US: amzn.to/4pgFhIb
Amazon UK: amzn.to/46dReW7

The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow
Amazon US: amzn.to/3Ve55a2
Amazon UK: amzn.to/4nuE0vr

*Please note some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning I may receive a small commission when you purchase through them. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, and it really helps support my channel. Thank you!

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
01:10 - Bloodlust and Secret Whispers
04:21 - Blood Over Bright Haven
08:22 - Paladin's Grace
11:20 - A Dowry of Blood
13:26 - The Willows
15:00 - Radiance (Wraith Kings #1)
18:14 - Hexes and Hush Money
20:06 - The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow
26:51 - Books I'm in the middle of
27:49 - DNFs

#augustwrapup #readingwrapup #booktube #bookreviews #bookrecs #monthlywrapup #monthlyreading

Can You Tell Which Is AI? | Human Author vs ChatGPT Writing Challenge 🤖📚

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-09-07 | More and more authors are being accused of using AI in their books...but can you tell the difference between AI-generated writing and real human authors? Join me for a game of "Human Author Vs. AI!"

In this video, I put your literary instincts to the test! I read 12 short excerpts across 6 genres; half were written by ChatGPT, the other half by bestselling authors (well, with the exception of the one from me 👀😅).

Think you can spot the fakes? Let’s find out!

PS. This honestly made me feel like a BookTube quizmaster 🤣

📚 Genres featured:
- Fantasy
- YA Lit Fic
- Romance / Romantasy
- Literary Fiction
- Horror
- Classics

Time Stamps:

00:00 - The Challenge!
01:40 - Genre 1: Fantasy
02:27 - Genre 2: YA Literary Fiction
03:18 - Genre 3: Romantasy
04:16 - Genre 4: Horror
04:53 - Genre 5: Lyrical Literary Fiction
05:30 - Genre 6: Victorian Classic
07:57 - The Results! AI or Author?
10:39 - Bloopers!

👇 Comment your guesses before the reveal! Did any of them fool you?

🤖 The follows on from my previous video about authors being accused of using AI in books which you can find here: youtu.be/LSYYMxXP3qc

#Aibooks #booktube #aiwriting #chatgpt #booktubechallenge #booktubequiz

TBR Prompt Jar Picks My September Books 🍂☕📚

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-09-04 | It's that time again! My TBR prompt jar chooses (some of!) my September reads. In this video I draw random prompts and match them with books on my TBR cart. ..Remind me why I thought it was a good idea to include the prompt: "choose a book blindfolded" 🙈😅

📚Brilliant Booktubers Mentioned in this Video:
Mark @TheBookThing
Emily @BookswithEmilyFox
Riley @otherworldlyfiction

Chapters:

00:00 - Did I Read Last Month's Picks?
01:24 - New Books For My TBR Cart!
03:29 - Prompt 1
05:01 - Prompt 2
06:01 - Prompt 3
08:30 - Prompt 4
14:51 - Final September TBR (excluding mood reads!)

#tbrjar #booktubetbr #septembertbr #monthlytbr #tbrpromptjar #booktube

Writers Are Being Accused of Using AI — No Matter What They Do

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-08-31 | In this video essay, I talk about how AI accusations are affecting authors (especially indie authors) and how some authors are using AI, while others are fighting against it.
I discuss the romantasy author allegedly suing a reader over a defamatory book review, as well as how authors are changing the way they write books to avoid "looking like AI". I also explore why neurodivergent writers (particularly autistic authors) are more likely to face AI accusations, and ask whether it's ethical and acceptable to use AI as a creative writing tool.

Additionally, I share my personal experience of being told my work "sounds AI-generated", and question whether we're actually as good as we think we are at detecting AI writing.

Have you ever been accused of using AI in your writing? Does it matter to you if writers use AI? Let me know in the comments.

Part two (ie the spot the AI challenge!) can be found here: youtu.be/jkfd7FijY0c

Timestamps:

00:00 - Context
01:44 - Author Suing Reviewer Over AI Allegation?
03:57 - Authors Are Changing How They Write To Avoid Accusations
06:33 - Neurodivergent People Face The Most AI Accusations
08:34 - My Personal Experience With AI Accusations
12:24 - Where Do We Draw The Line?
14:33 - How Transparent Should Authors Be?
15:00 - AI Detectors Are Fallible
15:56 - Does It Even Matter?
17:34 - Can You Spot AI Writing?
18:02 - I Don't Have The Answers!

#booktube #aibooks #authortube #aiwriting #neurodivergentwriters #videoessay

This Book Destroyed My Reading Slump – And Me | A Dowry of Blood 🩸

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-08-28 | An alternative title for this video could honestly be: “Gushing about A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson for 11 minutes straight” 😅

This book completely obliterated my reading slump, and then emotionally destroyed me in the best way. It's not your average vampire book or romantasy. It's haunting, lyrical, queer, and devastating in all the right ways.

If you love gothic atmosphere, sapphic romance, complex characters, and books that feel like they reach into your chest and rearrange things... this is the one.

ALL THE STARS! 😍🩸

Have you read A Dowry of Blood? Let me know your thoughts!

🔗Buy A Dowry of Blood here:
(affiliate links below — thank you so much if you choose to use them!)
Amazon US: amzn.to/4pgEUgL
Amazon UK: amzn.to/47DI8Vk

#bookreview #bookrecommendation #booktube #gothicbook #readingslump #gothicfiction #gothicfantasy #emotionalbooks

Tier Ranking Popular Books Based On My Survival Chance 💀📚 *spoiler free*

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-08-26 | Could you survive your favourite book?! In this video, I rank popular books based on how likely I would be to survive if I were dropped into the story. Do I thrive ...or do I fail to make it past chapter 3? 😬😅

There are no big plot spoilers in the video; I’m just judging these books based on how fast I would die in them!

📚 Featuring:
- Twilight
- The Lord of the Rings
- The Hunger Games
- ACOTAR
- Slewfoot
- Fourth Wing
- The Secret History
...and loads more fantasy, horror and thriller books! Totally spoiler-free!

Join me for fun, bookish chaos! ✨

#Booktube #tierlist #booktierlist #rankingbooks #fantasybooks #horrorbooks #funbooktube #survivaltierlist

Organising My Antique Writing Desk ✨💜 | Cosy Vibes 📚 | Dark Academia Aesthetic

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-08-21 | Join me as I organise my antique Chippendale writing desk, from wax seals and inks to the journals I’m currently using. This video is a little different from my usual BookTube content; it’s cosy and chill, with a little chat at the end about my current reading slump and struggles with focus 💜

If you love vintage aesthetics, cozy desk setups, journaling, or the vibes of dark academia and light academia, I hope you enjoy spending a quiet moment with me. I’m also planning to redecorate my office / home library to better suit my interior design style, so please subscribe to see that journey along with lots of bookish content! 📚

Chapters:
00:00 - The Desk of my Dreams!
01:21 - Organising the Desk
04:41 - The Purpose of My Many Journals
06:35 - Organising the Desk (cont.)
10:07 - My Rage Journal!
11:18 - Back to Organising the Desk!
11:44 - Ta Da!
11:59 - Final Reveal! (Close Up)
13:40 - Reading Slump Chat

#desksetup #antiquefurniture #vintagevibes #booktube #darkacademia #lightacademia

LGBT Book Prize Longlists TERF Author | Polari Prize Controversy

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-08-17 | Could a transphobic person actually win an LGBTQ+ literary award?! Self-proclaimed TERF (Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist) author John Boyne has been longlisted for the 2025 Polar Prize, sparking major backlash within the LGBTQ+ literary community.

Calling yourself a “TERF” is inherently transphobic - something I know firsthand, as an ex-TERF who’s been on the other side of this debate.

📚 But this isn’t just about one author. It’s about trans rights, queer literature, who gets platformed, and how mainstream media reframes harmful ideologies as “reasonable debate.”

Authors who have withdrawn from the 2025 Polari Prize in protest (at the time of writing):
- Sacha Coward (Queer as Folklore)
- Mae Diansangu (Bloodsongs)
- Jason Okundaye (Revolutionary Acts: Love & Brotherhood in Black Gay Britain)
- Sanah Ashan (I Cannot Be Good Until You Say It)
- Amy Twigg (Spoilt Creatures)
- Olumide Popoola (Like Water Like Sea)
- Robert Hamberger (Nude Against a Rock)
- Andrew McMillan (Pity)
- Rhian Elizabeth (Girls, etc.)
- June Thomas (A Place of Our Own)
- Ciara Maguire (Impossible Heat)
- Curtis Garner (Isaac)
- Hanako Footman (Mongrel)
- Eleanor Medhurst (Unsuitable: A History of Lesbian Fashion)
- Jane Traies (3,000 Lesbians Go to York)
- Dean Atta (Person Unlimited: An Ode to My Black Queer Body)

Additionally:
Trans author Nicola Dinan, 2024 winner of the First Book Polari Prize, has resigned from the judging panel, as has Bob Hughes.
Longlisted authors Avi Ben-Zeeb and Karen McLeod have publicly criticised Boyne’s inclusion and made it clear they do not support his views.

Chapters:
00:00 - Context
00:46 - What is the Polari Prize?
01:05 - The Controversy and Response
02:19 - Polari's TERF problem?
03:28 - This is NOT Inclusion
04:09 - No LGB Without the T
04:57 - Mainstream Media Spin
06:58 - Leaving TERFdom and Personal Context
09:48 - Let's Uplift Trans and Non-Binary Authors

#TERF #LGBT #TransRights #PolariPrize #QueerLit #BookTube #ExTERF #BookPrize

Get To Know My Book Taste 📚💜 | Booktuber Tag Questions & Answers

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-08-13 | Do we have the same taste in books?! I answer the 'Get to Know My Taste' booktube tag questions! Discover my favourite books, things I hate in a book, underrated books that I think deserve to go viral and more!

This bookish tag was started by the following fabulous booktubers: @mynameismarines and @ThoughtsOnTomes 💜

Another brilliant booktuber mentioned in this video: @TheBookThing 📚

Questions and Timestamps:

00:00 - What's this tag?
00:24 Q1: How do you rate books?
01:38 - Q2: How do you approach reviewing books?
02:22 - Q3: What’s the book that made you a reader?
03:04 - Q4: Do you have a genre niche?
03:48 - Q5: Do you prefer character-driven or plot-driven stories?
04:06 - Q6: What’s a book you love so much that you don’t care if others don’t like it?
07:11 - Q7: What’s a book you love so much that if someone doesn’t like it, you know your reading tastes don’t align?
10:03 - Q8: What’s in your “trash pocket”?
11:57 - Q9: Do you have any dealbreakers in books?
13:09 - Q10: What’s a strong opinion you have about a book released within the last year?
14:14 - Q11: What do you look for in writing? What makes a book stand out to you?
16:07 - Q12: How do you decide what to read next? Do you plan ahead, mood read, or follow external factors?
16:56 - Q13: Where do you get inspiration for your BookTube content?
17:57 - Q14: If you could make any book go viral right now, what would it be?
21:57 - Q15: BookTubers with reading tastes similar to yours?
23:00 - Tag me if you do this video! (I'm nosey!)

📚A few of the Books Mentioned:
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
1984 by George Orwell
Turtles All The Way Down by John Green (great OCD rep!)
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas
Rose in Chains by Julie Soto
Drama Queen by Sara Gibbs (An Autistic Memoir)
But You Don't Look Autistic At All by Bianca Toeps (Another ASD memoir!)
The Path of Paganism by John Beckett (I actually spoke about Paganism in Depth by the same author, but I meant to speak about The Path of Paganism as it's a better introduction for beginners!)
...Plus lots more!

#gettoknowmytaste #booktube #booktubetag #booktuber #readingtaste #bookishcommunity

Spicy Book Quotes That Shouldve Stayed In The Drafts 👀😬 Try Not To Cringe (REACTION)

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-08-08 | Ever read a spicy book quote that made you stop and think: “Who wrote this?!” 😳😅 I’m reading and reacting to some of the most unintentionally hilarious, awkward, and downright cringey spicy quotes from popular books.

This video is a little different from my usual bookish content, so grab a drink and join me for a very tongue-in-cheek look at some truly questionable romance writing. Expect bad anatomy, unexpected metaphors, and maybe a few words you never wanted to hear again 😬🦫

📚 My Usual Bookish Content:
I normally post book reviews, wrap-ups, TBRs, bookish video essays and recommendations for readers who love literary fiction, fantasy & more! If you’re new here - welcome! 💜

Books Mentioned:
- Funny Story by Emily Henry
- Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey
- A Song Of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin
- Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
- Pack Darling Part 2 by Lola Rock
- Kissing England by Sean Thomas
- Overton Window by Glenn Beck
- Omens by Suzanne Wright
- Rescue Me by Christopher Hart
- Runaway Groom by Ruby Atkinson
- Pucked by Helena Hunting
- Gone by Johnathon Keller
- Hook, Line and Sink by Tessa Bailey
- A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro / Challenge
01:11 - Quote 1
02:11 - Quote 2
03:06 - Quote 3
03:47 - Quote 4
05:16 - Quote 5
06:39 - Quote 6
08:24 - Quote 7
08:57 - Quote 8
10:02 - Quote 9
11:05 - Quote 10
11:21 - Quote 11
13:02 - Quote 12
15:56 - Quote 13
17:02 - Quote 14
17:49 - Quote 15
18:46 - Outro

#BookTube #SpicyBooks #CringeQuotes #SpicyBookQuotes #RomanceBooks #Funnybooks #Badbooklines #BookTokMadeMeDoIt

I Read 14 Books in July — One Was Shockingly Bad 😬

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-08-03 | I read 14 books this month; some I loved ...and one I absolutely hated 😫😅 join me as I review all of the books I read in July 2025!

Genre wise, I read romantasy, dark romantasy, contemporary fiction, romance, literary fiction, classics, gothic horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and a western - so a real mix! I also read a couple of new releases and an indie arc this month.

📚Books reviewed:
- One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
- Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig
- Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent
- Order of Scorpions by Ivy Asher
- Rose in Chains by Julie Soto
- The Cherokee Trail by Louis L'amour
- De Profundis by Oscar Wilde
- We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson
- Project Hail Mary by Andy Wier
- The Woman In Black by Susan Hill
- Beach Read by Emily Henry
- Beartown by Fredrik Backman
- The Life Impossible by Matt Haig
- Sina - Songstress Of Rock by Brandon Rapp

Chapters:

00:00 - Did I read everything on my TBR?
00:35 - One Dark Window
02:08 - Two Twisted Crowns
03:16 - Six Scorched Roses
06:10 - Side-tracked by "aubergines" 🍆👀
07:38 - Order of Scorpions
10:13 - Rose in Chains
13:04 - The Cherokee Trail
14:02 - De Profundis
15:14 - We Have Always Lived In The Castle
17:35 - Project Hail Mary
18:55 - The Woman in Black
20:22 - Beach Read
25:25 - Beartown
28:40 - The Life Impossible
30:28 - Sina - Songstress of Rock
33:03 - Thank you!

#readingwrapup #booktube #julywrapup #bookreviews #readingrecommendations #whatiread #monthlywrapup #monthlyreading

Tarot Cards Pick My TBR 🔮✨| August TBR Game | Witchy Vibes 🧙‍♀️

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-07-30 | I usually pick my monthly reads using my TBR prompt jar, but this month I decided to have some fun and let my tarot cards choose my books instead!

In this video, I intuitively pull cards from my deck and match them to books from my TBR cart!

Will I regret giving this much power to the cards? Only the Major Arcana knows...🔮

🃏 Expect:
- Quick Tarot card interpretations
- Book recommendations based on each card’s theme
- Witchy vibes & bookish chaos

📚 Featured genres:
Fantasy, dark academia, romantasy, & literary fiction

🃏 Tarot Deck Used:
The Original Rider Waite Tarot

Chapters:

00:00 - What I'm doing
01:43 - Update on July's Picks
02:18 - Book 1
04:26 - Book 2
06:47 - Book 3
09:26 - Book 4
11:54 - Book 5
14:52 - All Picks
16:08 - Outtakes!

#tbrgame #tbrjar #booktube #tbrpromptjar #monthlytbr #witchybooktube #tbrlist #tbrprompts #TarotTBR #monthlyreading #witchyreads

I Read Books Outside Of My Comfort Zone 😬 | Fantasy Reader Tries Horror, Sci-Fi & Western!

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-07-26 | I've often thought that certain books or genres just aren't for me... but what if I was wrong? I decided to try a bit of a genre experiment!

In this reading challenge video, I review books I've read that are completely outside my comfort zone. From military thrillers and Westerns to sci-fi, horror, middle grade fantasy, and manga; these are genres I usually avoid. Honestly, I had some really surprising results!👀

✨ Featuring reviews of:

The Cherokee Trail by Louis L’Amour (Western)
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (Sci-fi)
Raven One by Kevin Miller (Military Thriller)
Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend (Middle Grade Fantasy)
Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba (Manga)
Slewfoot by Brom (Folk Horror)
The Woman in Black by Susan Hill (Gothic Horror)

✨ Booktuber’s mentioned:
@HeroicBookAdventures83 - Check out Steve's channel, Heroic Book Adventures; he gives insightful reviews of classic fantasy, sci-fi, horror, historical fiction and non-fiction books 📚✨

Timestamps:

00:00 - What I Normally Read
01:09 - Western
03:54 - Sci-fi
06:30 - Military Thriller / Action
10:56 - Middle-Grade / Children's
12:58 - Graphic Novel / Manga
14:57 - Horror
19:31 - Gothic Horror
22:14 - Summary

#Booktube #readingchallenge #bookreviews #Scifibooks #Horrorbooks #Westernbooks #readingwrapup #tryingnewgenres

Books I Bought During a Chronic Pain Flare & a Poem That Helps 💜

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-07-23 | This video is a little more raw than usual. I’ve been having a tough few days with a chronic pain flare-up, and I wanted to share a few small bookish comforts that brought me a bit of joy, including a small book haul and a comforting poem by Rumi. (I love poetry 💜)

Let me know in the comments if you’ve read any of the books I bought, or if you have a poem, quote, or comfort read that helps you through the hard days.

📚 A few of the books mentioned:
The Devils - Joe Abercrombie
The First Law Trilogy - Joe Abercrombie
The Raven Scholar - Antonia Hodgson
Empire of Shadows - Jacquelyn Benson

Poem Read:
The Guest House by Rumi

Brilliant Booktubers Mentioned:
@FunFantasyBooks (I'm so sorry I said your channel name wrong in the video Isa - I blame my brain fog 😭)
@pallor17reads
@kasiareads

Personalised Canvas Book Bag: etsy.com/uk/shop/WafflesnFairylights (I’m including this link in case you'd like to get your own; no commissions or incentives on my end!)

#ChronicPain #BookHaul #Booktube #BookishComforts #SmallBookHaul #ChronicIllness

The Real Reason Romantasy Gets Mocked 👀

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-07-20 | Why is romantasy dismissed as "badly written," "just smut," or "conservative propaganda"?

In this video, I unpack how gendered double standards shape the way we talk about books, especially when women are writing them and (mostly) women are reading them. From claims that romantasy lacks substance, to assumptions that female readers are being “ideologically corrupted” by fictional relationships, it’s clear that these critiques have less to do with the content...and more to do with who it's for 👀

It's fine to dislike romance and romantasy - perhaps it's just not your genre! However, dismissing the entire genre as "badly written smut" is a lazy generalisation that ignores the depth and diversity within it.

💬Is this a bookish hot take? Do you agree or disagree with this take? Let me know in the comments!

📚 Books featured on my thumbnail:
- The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
- One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
- Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
- A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas (part of the ACOTAR series)

📎Check out Alison's video (@alisontalksbooks ) 'Why Romantasy Isn't Conservative Propaganda - It's Feminist:" youtu.be/Vf_Z-r7o0PQ?si=XuEi9cYOhV4rokZs

Chapters:

00:00 - The Claim: Romantasy is "badly written"
02:39 - The Claim: Romantasy is "conservative propaganda"
05:22 - "What women read is trash!"

#Romantasy #LiteraryElitism #Booktube #FantasyBooks #RomanceBooks #Booktok #GenreBias #FeministBooks

Underrated Books: Whimsical, Quirky, or A Bit Weird 🧜‍♀️🧙 #booktube #underratedreads

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-07-19 | Add these underrated books to your TBR! These books are a little quirky, a little weird and absolutely worth your time!🧜‍♀️🧙💜
#undderratedbooks #whimsicalbooks #booktube #bookuberecs #quirkybooks #booktubetbr

Underrated Books You’ll Think About for Weeks ✨ #underratedbooks #booktok #booktube

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-07-17 | These underrated books will stay with you long after you've read them.
Which of these have you read? Got any underrated gems to recommend? 💜
#booktok #booktube #underratedbooks #literaryfiction #hiddengems #booktubeshorts

Romance In Fantasy Is Only Respected When Men Write It.

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-07-17 | Is romance in fantasy only taken seriously when it’s written by a man? Is it harder for a woman to have her work labelled as epic fantasy, instead of being relegated to romantasy or fantasy romance?

In this video, I explore how female fantasy authors are pushed out of the “epic fantasy” category and instead relegated to “romantasy” or even dismissed as writing “faery smut.” Books by men that include romance and romantic subplots are praised for their emotional depth, while similar stories by women are labelled fluffy, shallow, or unserious.

Additionally, many women have to conceal their gender by using their initials to ensure their books are taken seriously within the fantasy genre.

We’ll look at the gendered double standards in publishing, genre labelling, and the way romance readers (both contemporary romance and romantasy) are mocked or dismissed. Because it’s not just about tropes. It’s about who gets to be taken seriously in fantasy...and who doesn’t 👀

Is this a bookish hot take?! Let me know your thoughts in the comments and look out for part 2 coming soon!

Authors Mentioned:
- Sarah J Maas
- Brandon Sanderson

Books Mentioned:
- A Court of Wings and Ruin (Part of the ACOTAR series) by S J Maas
- Warbreaker by B. Sanderson

Chapters:

00:00 - Questions
01:25 - Defining Romantasy, Fantasy Romance & Epic Fantasy
2:00 - When men write romance vs when women write romance
04:23 - Women shamed for reading romance
05:23 - The intersection of misogyny and literary elitism
07:30 - The double standard
08:07 - The dismissal of entire genres
08:34 - What's your opinion?

#Romantasy #GenderBias #Booktube #EpicFantasy #BookTok #ACOTAR #FantasyBooks

Building My TBR Cart 📚 | Organising My Physical TBR | Cottagecore Vibes🌿

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-07-15 | In today’s video, I’m building my TBR cart (with a little help from my husband 👀), organising my physical TBR, and adding a touch of cottagecore charm.

You’ll get a full look at my physical TBR, including a mini book haul of recent purchases, and see how I styled my TBR cart setup from box to bookshelf. 🌿✨

Timestamps:

0:00 - My plan for the cart
01:34 - Build Fail / me being an idiot
02:41 - make it bigger!
3:30 - Physical TBR Tour & Mini Haul
19:25 - All books are on!
19:56 - Final Reveal!
21:07 - Building Montage (ie husband builds: I read😂)
21:29 - Blooper!

#TBRcart #Booktube #PhysicalTBR #CozyBooktube #OrganizeTBRCart

Dark Romantasy Reading Vlog | I Get More Unhinged With Each Book 👀🔥

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-07-13 | I’m reading three dark romantasy books - including the newly released 'Dramione-inspired' fantasy book, Rose in Chains! One of these books was SO spicy (you’ll see my “smut face” 😂) ...and one made me go on a full-on rant. Cue me rage-reading with dramatic background music 🤣

Seriously, this Dark FanRo reading vlog goes from cosy to unhinged 🙃

📚 Books I read in this vlog:
- Rain of Shadows and Endings by Melissa K. Roehrich
- Order of Scorpions by Ivy Asher
- Rose in Chains by Julie Soto

I’ll be sharing my reactions as I read - from spice levels, to world-building, to a few very familiar tropes 👀 If you love chaotic reading vlogs, dark fantasy romance, and some unfiltered opinions, this one’s for you!

🔗Buy the Colouring Book from the Vlog here:
US - Mindful Girl Days Cozy Coloring Book: amzn.to/48hmGp7
UK - Mindful Girl Days Cosy Colouring Book: amzn.to/4gnxYKJ
(Please note that the above links are affiliate links, which means I make a small commission if you purchase through them -- at no extra cost to you. Thank you so much if you choose to use my links 💜)

Time stamps:

00:00 - Intro
01:05 - Rain of Shadows and Endings Reaction and Review
09:36 - Order of Scorpions Reaction and Review
20:56 - Rose in Chains
22:34 - Rose In Chains First Reaction
24:31 - Rose in Chains: Rant
28:35 - Rose In Chains: Return of the Rant
29:38 - Spoiler
30:38 - Rage Reading Rose In Chains + Updates
32:19 - Spoiler
32:58 - Despair
33:10 - Rose in Chains: It Gets Rantier
34:10 - Spoiler
35:01 - Rose in Chains: The Final Rant
37:00 - Outro

#DarkRomantasy #RoseInChains #ReadingVlog #SpicyBooks #Booktube #RomantasyBooks

10 Short Books with a BIG Impact 👀📚

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-07-09 | Looking for quick reads that pack a punch? In this video, I’m sharing 10 of my favourite short books (all under 250 pages!) that stayed with me. You can read any of these in one sitting!

Let me know if you’ve read any of these, or if you have a favourite short book I should add to my TBR!

Time Stamps:

00:00 - Intro
00:28 - Book 1
01:44 - Book 2
02:54 - Book 3
04:09 - Book 4
05:23 - Book 5
06:09 - Book 6
07:30 - Book 7
08:26 - Book 8
09:55 - Book 9
11:46 - Book 10
12:50 - Outro

#shortbooks #booktube #quickreads #thoughtprovokingbooks #shortbookrecs #readingrecommendations #booktok

June Reading Wrap Up 📚 | All 16 Books I Read + My Honest Reviews

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-07-06 | Join me as I share my honest reviews of the 16 books I read in June 2025 📚

I found some books I loved...and a few disappointing books too (including one DNF 😣). I also reviewed my first ever ARC!📚

💜A few of the books featured in this video include:
- A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross
- Jade War by Fonda Lee
- Quicksilver by Callie Hart
- Silver Elite by Dani Francis
- People we Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
- Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- White Nights by Fyodor Dostoevsky
- The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent
- What You Are Looking For Is In The Library by Michiko Aoyama
- Rain of Shadows and Endings by Melissa K. Roerich

Timestamps below:

00:00 - Intro
00:26 - Book 1
01:39 - Book 2
02:43 - Book 3
04:00 - Book 4
05:10 - Book 5
05:44 - Book 6
07:08 - Book 7
08:13 - Book 8
09:14 - Book 9
10:49 - Book 10
12:59 - Book 11
14:29 - Book 12
16:44 - Book 13
18:16 - Book 14
21:49 - Book 15
23:59 - Book 16
27:41 - honest review discussion
28:15 - outro

#booktube #readingwrapup #junewrapup #bookrecs #bookreviews #monthlyreading #wrapup #bookrecommendations #honestbookreviews

*Chaotic* July TBR Prompt Jar | ADHD Brain vs Unhinged Prompts 🧠✨

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-07-03 | This month's TBR jar was...a journey. Honestly, my brain was so uncooperative and chaotic in this video that I nearly didn't upload it. It took a lot of editing to cut the chaos down to this level believe it or not 😅 ..The heat really exacerbates my ADHD and my brain fog!

Between forgetting what I was saying mid-sentence, throwing prompts back in, and getting sabotaged by past me, this was my most chaotic TBR yet (albeit it's also only my second one 😅).
So yeah, it's giving ✨executive dysfunction✨

Anyhoo, if you're into books, chaos, and a healthy dose of ADHD rambling; you're in the right place 💁‍♀️

Let me know what you would’ve picked for the “unhinged book” prompt, and what's on your July TBR!

0:00 - Did I read last month's jar picks?
02:23 - Prompt 1
03:56 - Prompt 2
06:09 - Prompt 3
06:54 - Prompt 4
11:13 - Prompt 5
12:24 - Prompt 5...again 🙃
13:14 - Prompt 6
14:55 - Failed outro attempt
15:25 - Bloopers! aka try not to cringe

#tbrjar #julypromptjar #adhdbooktuber #julytbr #booktube #chaotictbr #promptjar #adhdbrain #neurodivergentbooktuber

UK Book Shopping Vlog 📚 | Blind Date With a Book Reveal & Cosy Indie Bookstore ☕💜

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-06-29 | Come book shopping with me!📚

Today I’m taking you along for a cosy day of book shopping in the Midlands, UK! I visited Waterstones and chose a 'Blind Date with a Book' 🎁 and discovered a charming indie bookstore called Vellichor Books!💕

At the end of the vlog, I unwrap the ✨mystery book✨ and show you the books I bought!

This bookish vlog is filled with cosy vibes and quiet bookstore moments 😊Grab a cup of tea and come book browsing with me! ☕💜

📍Bookstores visited:
- Waterstones, Hanley
- Vellichor Books, Hanley (Indie)

#bookshoppingvlog #mysterybook #IndieBookstore #bookshopping #UKBooktuber #comebookshoppingwithme #booktubeUK #cozybooktube #BookishVlog #cosybookvlog #VellichorBooks #Waterstones

Im okay with overconsuming books.

Ches Is Hyperfixating 2025-06-25 | 📚 Is buying books bad now!? Let’s talk about overconsumption in Booktube & intentional living 🌱

There’s been a growing wave of discourse online around overconsumption in the bookish community. Book hauls and large book collections are being labelled as unethical and book lovers are being shamed for buying books.

Why do people care what other people spend their money on? Is buying books bad for the planet? ...Or are book lovers being unfairly singled out?

In this video, I explore the conversation around Booktok and Booktube overconsumption, minimalism, intentional living, 'underconsumption core,' and what sustainability really means when it comes to reading.

I’ll be diving into:
✨ The rise of performative outrage around overconsumption
✨ Why the internet hyper-focuses on trends and “callouts”
✨ The unfair comparison between book publishing and fast fashion
✨ How intentional living and minimalism look different for everyone
✨ My personal sustainability and intentional living journey
✨ Why “just use your library!!” isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution
✨ The joy and value in book buying!

💬 Is this a 'hot take' or an unpopular opinion? Do you agree or disagree with me? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

00:00 - Booktube overconsumption accusations
00:32 - What does overconsumption actually mean?
00:59 - Performative outrage and the trend of 'underconsumption core'
01:31 - Why do people care how other people spend their money?
02:41 - Book publishing and fast fashion are NOT the same
03:34 - The issue with buying books
04:11 - You should be using your library!
05:13 - My experience of minimalism, intentional living and zero waste
06:14 - Shaming people never helps
07:06 - How to actually help
07:29 - It's okay to buy books!
08:13 - Weirdo outtake

#overconsumption #booktube #booktubeoverconsumption #bookhauls #booktokoverconsumption #bookhaulcontroversy #intentionalliving #minimalism #joyfulreading