Laura Tien - Invidious

Is it a crime to say that the "blueprint of fantasy" didn’t entirely hold up for me? 🫣

❓Have you read J.R.R Tolkein's The Lord of the Rings? Or is it on your TBR?

Because I like data, I tracked and averaged my actual chapter ratings as I read. The math did not lie, my enjoyment took a steady downward dive with every single book.

📖 The Fellowship of the Ring
📈 4.52 average | Rounded down to 4.5⭐

📖 The Two Towers
📈 4.25 average | Rounded down to 4⭐

📖 The Return of the King
📈 3.75 average | Rounded down to 3⭐

One thing I wanted to mention: I couldn't ignore the fact that there wasn't a single complex female character in the entire trilogy. There was a tiny bit of awareness around women and their place in the world but I hated the way this wrapped up. I have heard that complex female characters appear in some of Tolkein's other works but I can only speak to the LOTR.

TLDR: I don’t regret reading the trilogy at all, and I completely respect its legacy. But if you’re a reader who needs deep, heart-wrenching character connections and emotional payoff to love a series, you might end up feeling just as flat as I did by the end.

#booktube #fantasybooks #lotr #lordoftherings #jrrtolkein

1 day ago | [YT] | 21

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Laura Tien

📈 Charts for Every Book I Read in June

After a few months of less reading, I'm finally feeling like I'm back in the groove.

I rated every single chapter I read and made a chart that shows how my enjoyment level changed throughout each book.

Below, you'll find the average of all the chapter ratings as well as my final ratings and high-level thoughts.

❓How did your month go in reading and life in general?

FINISHED:
📖 The Return of the King by J.R.R Tolkein (The Lord of the Rings, #3)
📈 3.78 average | Rounded down to 3⭐
💭 Disappointed by how everything wrapped up after really enjoying the world and the first two books. Found the pacing very strange. Didn't feel a strong emotional connection to characters.

📖 Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher
📈 4.88 average | Rounded up to 5⭐
💭 Best book of the year so far?! I've liked a couple other books from T. Kingfisher but this one absolutely blew me away. Incredibly creepy and mysterious atmosphere. Loved the characters, writing, everything.

📖 Queen Amid Ashes by Christopher Ruocchio (The Sun Eater, #2.5)
📈 4.78 average | Rounded down to 4.5⭐
💭 Picked this one up with lower expectations but ended up flying through it. This has me so excited to read Demon in White after being a bit disappointed by Howling Dark.

📖 The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin (Earthsea Cycle #2)
📈 3.50 average | Rounded down to 3⭐
💭 I loved The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin but so far, the Earthsea Cycle has been a let down. Willing to push through because the books are short and I've heard they get better.

CURRENTLY READING:
📖 The Faith of Beasts by James S.A. Corey (The Captive's War, #2)

#booktube #fantasybooks #scifibooks #junewrapup #readingwrapup

1 week ago | [YT] | 51

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Laura Tien

Only THREE books have gotten a 5 star from me this year so we're digging into the archives for this post. 😂

❓If you've read any of these, what did you think? Are any on your TBR or being added to your TBR now?

Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher
The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee
The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab
Red City by Marie Lu
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

#booktube #fantasybooks #scifibooks #bookrecommendations #5starreads

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 79

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Laura Tien

I'm having trouble keeping up with all the book releases this year. There are just so many great ones I want to read?!

This list doesn't even include all the ones that I don't own physically like A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett and The Faith of Beasts by James S.A. Corey. 😭

❓If you've read any of these, where should I start? What 2026 releases do you need to get to?

NEED TO READ
Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher
Innamorota by Ava Reid
The Rainshadow Orphnans by Naomi Ishiguro
The Mistral by Felix Mosse
Cabaret in Flames by Hache Pueyo
Voidverse by Damien Ober

ALREADY READ
Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman
The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee

#booktube #fantasybooks #scifibooks #tbr #2026bookrelease

1 month ago | [YT] | 49

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Laura Tien

✨ May Bookish Wrap Up ✨

As has been usual for me for the past few months, I haven't been reading a huge quantity of books. However, in May, the quality was great!

I also got to see R.F. Kuang, my favourite author ever, speak in real life and it was genuinely awe-inspiring (more on this in my last post).

And I reached some great community milestones! Obviously, it's not all about the numbers but it's been so incredible to connect with more people through books. 🥺

❓How did your month go in reading and life in general?

Finished:
📖 The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee
📖 The Two Towers by J.R.R Tolkein

Currently reading:
📖 The Return of the King by J.R.R Tolkein

#booktube #fantasybooks #scifibooks #maywrapup #readingwrapup

1 month ago | [YT] | 52

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Laura Tien

Seeing R.F. Kuang speak in real life felt genuinely surreal. The way she thinks and the precision of her language is kind of unbelievable. I left wishing I could’ve written down every sentence she said. 😩

She spoke about the personal experiences and ideas that led to each of her books, including the inspiration behind her upcoming novel, Taipei Story. 👀

There was so much I couldn’t fit into the carousel, so here are more things I wanted to share:

One thing she said that’s really stayed with me was that great fiction requires “the obliteration of the ego", i.e. decentering yourself, looking beyond your own privileges, and paying attention to how systems affect other people.

When speaking about the professor-student relationship in Katabasis, she referenced Amia Srinivasan’s essay On (Not) Sleeping With Your Students. As a student, it's easy to misplace the infatuation for the material, the knowledge, for the person giving it to you. Validation from someone in power can quickly become a tool for manipulation.

Finally, she talked about her love for Bleach and described its mix of rock aesthetics and traditional samurai imagery as an “irreverent hybridisation of aesthetics,” which honestly sounds cool enough to belong in one of her books. 😂

1 month ago | [YT] | 72

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Laura Tien

I did a brutal audit of all 31 series I'm currently in the middle of and it was a bloodbath. 😂

Of the 31, I've put 13 into the bin (only metaphorically) and deciding once and for all that I won't be continuing them.

For more context on why I made every decision, I have a long-form video up on my channel!

❓There are only 4 series that I'm on the fence about continuing and could be convinced both ways (Red Rising, The Blade Itself, Paladin's Grace and Mort).

📚 All the series mentioned:
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells
The Empyrean by Rebecca Yarros
Red Rising Saga by Pierce Brown
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
White Sand by Brandon Sanderson
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
The First Law by Joe Abercrombie
Elements of Cadence by Rebecca Ross
Chaotic Orbits by Beth Revis
Between Earth and Sky by Rebecca Roanhorse
The Captive’s War by James S.A. Corey
The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson
Shadow of the Leviathan by Robert Jackson Bennett
The Saint of Steel by T. Kingfisher
Alex Stern by Leigh Bardugo
Queens of Elben by Holly Race
The Library Trilogy by Mark Lawrence
The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb
The Roots of Chaos by Samantha Shannon
Hierarchy by James Islington
The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington
The Sun Eater by Christopher Ruocchio
The New Alchemists by Marie Lu
The Band by Nicholas Eames
Eternal Path Trilogy by Antonia Hodgson
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin
Discworld (Death subseries) by Terry Pratchett
Imperial Radch by Ann Leckie
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

1 month ago | [YT] | 67

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Laura Tien

As a girly who has had incredible success pretty much every time I've read a long book, I remain terribly afraid of reading more. The investment just feels too big, you know? 😅

📚 Books mentioned:
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon
Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
A Time of Dragons by Philip C. Quaintrell

❓Are any of these on your TBR too? Do you have any other chonky books on your shelves that you've been scared to read?

#booktube #fantasybooks #scifibooks #tbrlist #tbr

2 months ago | [YT] | 51

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Laura Tien

✨ April Reading Wrap Up ✨

It used to feel like I needed to read more books to make more content but I'm realising that it really doesn't matter.

And on top of feeling less pressure to read, I’m also genuinely excited to be on my way to becoming a true fantasy fan. 😂

Every time I've talked about how much I love fantasy for the past few years, I've actually been a fraud. BUT, I'm happy to announce that I'm loving The Lord of the Rings so far and can't wait to finish the trilogy!

❓How did your reading month go?

Finished:
📖 The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R Tolkein

Currently reading:
📖 The Two Towers by J.R.R Tolkein

#booktube #fantasybooks #scifibooks #bookrecommendations #readingwrapup

2 months ago | [YT] | 52

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Laura Tien

I'd like to think that I don't have the worst problem ever in terms of the amount of unread books on my shelves but it's definitely getting a bit out of hand, especially considering that I don't get through books super quickly.

I also keep buying the first book in new series when I have a bunch of series I still need to finish. In fact, I have sequels to series that I haven't started at all (not included in the picture) which probably isn't the smartest choice.

But at the same time, having all these unread books feels like the best thing ever? I'm a happy girl with a full shelf and endless opportunity to find a new favourite book. That's all I really care about. 👉👈

❓Which of these should I read first? Are any on your TBR too?

📚 In the order that they're pictured:
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
Innamorata by Ava Reid
The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan
A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon
Green Rider by Kristin Britain
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Gideon the Ninth by Tasmyn Muir
Grave Empire by Richard Swan
Slow Gods by Claire North
A Time of Dragons by Phillip C. Quaintrell
Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Of Blood and Fire by Ryan Cahill
The Fall by Ryan Cahill
Blackveil by Kristin Britain
The High King's Tomb by Kristin Britain
First Rider's Call by Kristin Britain
Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher
Voidverse by Damien Ober

#booktube #fantasybooks #scifibooks #tbr #tbrlist

2 months ago | [YT] | 53

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