Getting Ready to Move & Deciding What Books to Keep 📚

A week-long vlog where I reading some of the oldest books on my shelves. x

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MY BOOKS:

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Things mentioned:

Toddler Hunting by Taeko Kono
Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link
Foreign Soil by Maxine Beneba Clarke
Getting It In the Head by Mike McCormack*
It's Gone Dark Over Bill's Mother's by Lisa Blower*
Melting Point by Baret Magarian*
How To Love a Jamaican by Alexia Arthur
We Don't Know What We're Doing by Thomas Morris
Heads of the Coloured People by Nafissa Thompson Spires
A Dream Between Two Rivers by KL Pereira
The Beauty of their Youth Joyce Hinnefeld*
Ambiguity Machines by Vandana Singh
Accusation by Bandi

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WHO I AM

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Where to find me:

This video contains is very kindly sponsored by Skillshare. As always, all opinions are my own.

#Booktube #CosyReadingVlog

[jenvcampbell]

Evening, folks. I hope you've had a good weekend. Let me know what you've been reading in a comment below. xx

[Tanya_LitLife]

Hi Jen, I just wanted to say congratulations & I’m wishing you a smooth moving process & a relaxing first night in you new home.

[rachelmatthews]

You are spoiling us! I am loving these reading vlogs of recent weeks, thank you 🤗
I'm currently partway through 8 (!) books: The Book of Form and Emptiness, Salt Lick, The Paper Palace, This One Sky Day, Assembly, Young Mungo, Paradais and The Exhibitionist. Send Help! 😂

[jessica]

Your reading vlogs are such a slice of peace in this wild world. Thank you!

[Frumious]

Currently scrolling booktok and booktube trying to find inspiration to read lol. I’ve definitely been here where you have to move and then figure out how to either pack them with you and which to get rid of. Honestly that’s always the harder option so my hoard tends to come with me wherever I go 😂

[anise]

OMG Jen! You liked Cat skin which is my favorite story in Magic for Beginners. I feel so validated in my short story taste now 🤓

Also Lola is the cutest dog ever (well except for my dog but she’s a close second :D)!

[nymeria]

I'm currently not reading much since I'm in a bit of a slump, but I am completely reorganizing my bookcases at the moment and I feel your pain when it comes to weeding through your shelves deciding what to keep. Good luck with you move!

[LinnaAP]

I'm just about to finish little women and I don't usually care or pay attention to prose but oh boy she writes so beautifully, I love it.

[YourTrueShelf]

I read and enjoyed how to love a Jamaican last year. There are lots of strong female protagonists and I remember the men don't come off well in the collection!
Glad you found some really great ones, and 3 to unhaul is better than none 😊 x

[ellentaggart]

Regarding Foreign Soil, I would say that the collection is worth reading for the story 'Gaps in the Hickory' alone. I did enjoy several of the other stories, but that was the stand-out story for me.
Best of luck with your move! I have also experienced living with building work next door and it is a sheer level of hell that I would wish on no one. I hope that your next place is nothing but quiet and tranquil.
I am currently working my way through the entire Women's Prize for Fiction longlist, and I only have three books left. For some wild reason I decided to undertake this whilst also doing a statistics module for my masters (maths is not my strong suit), but the module ended today and I seem to have survived so all is well. I am almost finished Great Circle and have enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.

[millieb]

Such a lovely vlog! I'm so tempted to purchase the diary but have just started a new bullet journal so i think i shall have to wait haha... I am currently reading The Island of Missing Trees and so far i am enjoying it the writing is lovely. The copy i have at the moment is a library book so i hope i finish it before it is due to be back in if not i guess I'm purchasing it hah! Thankyou Jen!!

[gilliansawers]

Currently reading Build Your House Around My Body and really enjoying it. Bought some books yesterday two of which where Elena Knows and The Last Children Of Tokyo, looking forward to getting around to them. Thanks Jen for your recommendations.

[littlemissgemreads]

Definitely feel for you regarding next door DIY. Our next door neighbours decided to start renovating the inside of their house on the day the UK went into lockdown March 2020 and kept going until October 2021. Every. Single. Day. I lost count of the amount of meetings I had to stay muted for because nobody could hear me. Trying to wfh was hell on earth.

[pamkellman]

this is a great video concept! definitely looking up a few of these you intro'd to me here. the only one i have read is heads of the colored people (superb! was fortunate to attend an event with her for the national book foundation at my local library a few years ago). this video reminded me of how much i love story collections.

[p_p_p_p_]

Good luck on your move Jen, hope it all goes smooth sailing :)
I'm reading Small Island for the first time, halfway through and I'm really enjoying it so far.

[strugglingwriter]

I have Heads of the Colored People and absolutely love it. Excited to say that there are a lot of amazing stories inside that awaiting you. One of my favs is about two angry mothers and their letters too each other.

[anjalibhat]

Listening to Small Bodies of Water on audio right now and absolutely loving it. Your videos introduced me to Nina Mingya Powles’ work and I’m so glad they did. All the best for the move, I hope you make beautiful memories in your new place!

[lauracorsi]

I just bought myself one of Papier's daily planners!! I love the cover you picked--so bright and cheerful. I have just recently discovered Papier's stuff, so it was a win for me to hear that you like them also. Patting myself on the back!!

[kiranreader]

i'm glad you decided to keep Toddler Hunting by Taeko Kono -- it's also in my collection and i love to dip in and out of it!! i'm currently reading ferrante's in the margins :)

[Emma_S]

Good luck with your move! I've just unhauled a lot of books...maybe 60 ish. Mostly unread! A number of them had been on my shelves for years. We're planning on downsizing in a few years, so slowly decreasing my book collection and trying to use the library more instead. I'm currently reading a few books, but really enjoying the audio of Great Expectations at the moment.