 Hello friends. So it has gotten to the point in the year where I have read 99 books exactly and I wanted to think of a fun way to pick my 100th book of the year and I thought let me just give the power to you. So what I did was I made a poll with some of the books I was most excited to read this year. It had some books that had been on like my 2023 TBR, some new releases I haven't gotten around to yet that I really wanted to read, some books that were my 24 books before I turned 24 TBR. So books that I've been meaning to get around to and haven't got around to yet and I gave you the power to pick my 100th book and I told you listen it needs to be five stars. We need this. This is essential. This is a crisis because I feel like I need a five star right now. I'm desperate need a five star. I've had 11 five stars this year and frankly it's not good enough. It's not good enough because like not even all of them are like iconic like five stars five stars of all time. You know what I mean? It's stressing me out even just saying. So I gave you the power to choose what my 100th book of the year should be and we're gonna read it in this vlog. Over 1400 of you voted so I feel like we've got a pretty good sample size okay and the winner oh my god oh my god are we ready? My 100th book of the year and definitely a five star. It's going to be hell bent by Lee Bardugo. Oh my god okay it's happening. Everybody stay calm. There's some reason guys. I've been a little bit intimidated about reading this book. I've been putting it off. You guys know I love 9th house. I love love love 9th house. All the five stars for me. I adore it. It is up there. It's I reckon it was in my 25 favorite books of all time video I'm pretty sure. If you're curious the closest runner up this had 389 votes. The closest runner up had 302 and that was the only one left by Riley Sager which I also would have been very happy to read but it didn't win hell bent one. So yeah this is the sequel to 9th house. We're following Alex Stern as she goes. Is it Harvard? I never remember my American. No it's Yale. She's a Yale and she's kind of in charge of looking after the secret societies there. Now I'm gonna make this video non-spoilery for both this and 9th house. I'm gonna try not to spoil anything that happens in 9th house. I'm gonna read a 9th house read and I'm gonna try really hard not to spoil 9th house okay. So you should be fine to watch this even if you have not read 9th house but I'm very excited. I feel like you've made a good decision here. I feel like I'm finally gonna get around to it. I can't put it off any longer. I mean I waited like four years three years for this book and now it has to help. So yeah I'm gonna go read a recap because it has been about four years since I read 9th house and then we'll just get to it. I'm gonna go sit out in the garden have a read. I will check on you probably around every 100 pages or so but yeah I'm nervous but I think you probably have made the right decision. I'm having a cold so I could dry this flower up and my gland. Can you see I'm swollen here? Can you see that? It's so painful so I might just sit like this. My body really likes to tell me when like I'm too stressed. I'm over just I'm just like stressing about life. It's like yeah get a grip get a grip girl get a grip. It's been an evening it's been a day it's been an evening reading this book okay it's been through it. I'm 100 pages in exactly I'm on page 100. All you need to know about this book is that we're back with Alex at Yale that's literally I'm gonna tell you okay. I have been through it with this book because I have been very oh my gland is really throbbing. That's disgusting I'm blocking you. Can I block somebody on this thing? I've been too anxious to read this book for the whole year I have felt so much pressure around this because I love 9th house so much and it has been so long since I read 9th house and I know myself I know I'm probably not gonna reread 9th house before I read this like I know I'm not gonna do that. I'm not gonna do that I'm I'm probably not gonna do that it's not really me okay is this one back to front no we're fine it's chaos so the first 50 pages of this I was panicking oh I should have reread 9th house oh I'm not gonna like it as much oh I'm not vibing with it oh there's something about the writing that I'm not vibing with oh it's not instantly hooking me oh I'm I'm I'm shitting bricks but there's this moment I want to see 60 70 pages in if you know you know if you know you know and I it's been a long time since the book has made me laugh out loud like that like it was shocked laugh it's been a while I'm getting into it I'm getting into it it's taken me it took me those first 60 70 pages to like get into it but once that moment happened if you know you know I was like right I'm on board oh that could be very that could be I was just like you know when people are like is that when they're getting ready to fight they spend their hands I don't actually know what that could be really misconstrued I didn't mean it like that okay okay you stop insinuating things please I I'm just pulling back in love with the story I'm there's something about Alec Stern that's very she's a very interesting character I got a bit nervous also when reading this because I recently read this year book of night by Holly Black which was a one-star I think maybe I get 1.5 it's a one you know and a book of night really felt like a ripoff of ninth house and because I read that more recently there are things happening I was like oh it reminds me of book of night oh that really reminds me of book of night and I was very nervous because I was like it's gonna make me think of book of night which is negative connotations we don't want negative connotations but we expelled that I think this is a very interesting main character if you haven't read ninth house she's very like very dry sense of humor she's been through a lot like she's been through more than most people have she's got a very troubled history and she's kind of like if okay here's the thing I want you guys to know I have not I've been speaking for too long but I don't want to stop I I have only watched the first three seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer okay me and Tom we started season four we've stopped watching maybe we'll start again soon in spooky season I feel like because at the moment we're just re-watching old episodes of ghost files from watch out over and over again it's a problem that's all we're watching at the moment tonight but my parents loved it growing up Buffy and Angel and I always wanted to watch it and they wouldn't let me but they'd let me watch one episode of Buffy they'd let me watch once more with feeling so as like a four-year-old I was watching once more with feeling which is the musical episode from Buffy and like Alex Stern she's like I touch the fire and it freezes me if you don't know it's through Buffy spoilers a Buffy spoilers okay it's been out like 20 years Buffy's like recently died Buffy dies many times but in to my knowledge again I haven't watched the season I've only watched this episode she's like recently died and been booked back to life she's not happy about it she's like she left me dead babes should have left me fucking dead that's what's going on there and Alex reminds me of that kind of coldness almost of Buffy but with a bit more humor Buffy's kind of like dead pan in that she's like you know um what about the bunnies guys anyways no I think this night's mostly filler oh you don't understand how much I love once more with feeling I used to put it on CDs and take it into school the songs from once more with feeling my mom was like making you can't play that one and I didn't realize it's because what's the name spike said bitch in it so yes I've all that to say it's very round about what I'm saying I'm into it I'm into it I'm ready to go it is it's like 10 o'clock but I'm gonna read some more tonight I'm gonna get into it I'm gonna read to page 200 and check in with you we could be on the app I feel like I'm very glad that the story has gone where it's gone already because if you've read it you know that the thing that could have been dragged out right that could have been the whole book if this has been seven books like Lee once said it has which I still mourn like gone but not forgotten but perhaps she would have dragged that out for a whole book and I don't think that would work I needed that to happen to sustain me and to get into it so I'm gonna go carry on and finally reviving I think this slide is mostly filler um am I ready to go watch once more with feeling no no they got the mustard out there okay next time I see you it'll be to talk to you about something that I am very very excited to share with you so this video is very kindly sponsored by proven skincare which I have been testing and trying out for two I think almost three weeks now and I'm obsessed proven skincare is the world's most personalized skincare it's so cool guys it's so cool so you do a quiz when you first like sign up you're like I want to try it out you do a quiz and the quiz takes into account 47 factors that affect your skin so it's things like your personal skin concerns your lifestyle the water hardness in the area you live the humidity the UV index and they take that all into account it's no other skincare can do that that is perfect for you and the thing that I think is best about proven skincare is that it's so simple you only have three products and they're like the core products that you need so you have a custom cleanser I've been finding this has been a really gentle cleanser sometimes I've had problems with cleansers being too stripping on the skin and making my skin feel even more dried out but this has been feeling really gentle and my skin has just been feeling a bit rejuvenated when I use it should I do like a classic like skincare like you know with the walls like those commercials that you had back in the 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overwhelmed with how much skincare is out there nowadays I think this is perfect because it really makes it for you for you if you're like Megan you've broken out this is an under the skin spot that I get when I'm stressed I always get it in the same spot and I'm stressed I sometimes this just flares up so that is nothing to do the skincare it's just because I'm stressed it makes the whole process a lot simpler because I get overwhelmed as well worrying about like should I be using a toner should I be using like an essence should I be using like there's so many things out there and this really simplifies it for me so I've taken some before and after photos so you guys can see if I took it in the same shirt even the before and after it's because color theory is a thing guys that can make different shirts different colors can make you look different um so yeah these are my before and after and I just feel like you can see that my skin has a little bit more glow to it in the after a little bit I mean I've only been using it for two weeks really so I'm expecting to see more changes as time goes on so it's very exciting you guys can get 20 off your three step personalized skincare routine from proven for a limited time with my code megwithbook so just go check out the link below type in the code megwithbooks and you can get 20 off which is very exciting like I said I have been absolutely loving trying these out and I'm excited to keep using it so yeah make sure you go check out proven down below guys it's hotter than the hell in the UK right now this is satan's work so hot and uncomfortable and I also just started my period so I'm just not feeling good so I'm thinking very anxious about this perk you know because I'm in a bad mood it's not the right time to read this and so I shouldn't be reading this right now I'm not gonna give it five stars I'm not happy with myself and I can't focus so the last like 50 pages of this I'm up to page 200 they haven't been the most enjoyable but I am really enjoying it I need to just like get rid I hate when I have these like anxieties I'm already gosh I've been filming for 30 seconds and it's already too hot in here I want to get rid of these anxieties I always feel so much pressure but it's a book that I want to love to love it and I feel so much pressure to like read it in the right conditions read it at the right time I'm like oh because it's hot and summery it's not like yaley october autumn leaves falling I'm not this isn't the perfect time to read this get over yourself Megan get over yourself I've always said I love reading books like a snowy book in the summertime like I really do enjoy reading books like at the complete opposite of the seasons that they're set in but they're like my mood and my emotions are getting in the way of me enjoying this book as much as I could which was very upsetting but it has elicited some gasps and gags from me I am really enjoying it I just need to get rid of these emotions I'm crying mentally very emotional it's making me anxious the heat usually I love the heat but I think because I'm not in a good mood in myself and not in like you know I'm not feeling very well it's not making me very happy yeah there's something just happened in the last chapter we had our introduction of a new kind of magic let's say there's something that I don't believe that we had been introduced yet to existing in the world that lee bodega has created and I was like wow that slaps it's kind of gag worthy I don't know if it's gonna have like a big impact on the rest of the story but I just like that it was thrown in there I feel like I've now like I've gotten back into the characters I've gotten back into the vibe of the story I just need to focus I'm having a focusing issue today I'm not focusing very well so I need to just go over that but I am really enjoying it I think I'm only gonna do two more check-ins I'm gonna do one in between now and finishing it because there's I'm on page 200 the book is about 470 pages and I'd have to read there's not an easy check-in around page 300 have to read to like page 320 so at that point I might as well just read a little bit more then check in then finish it but yeah I am really enjoying it but I just it's one of those books this is probably one of the books this year that I feel the most pressure around I don't know why I think also it's because I read ninth house so long ago it was four years ago it was like one of the first videos I read on my channel and I think because I read it so long ago I really doubt how much this world this writing this story was gonna hold up for me right sometimes I've reread stuff that really hit me in such a special way at the start of my reading journey that just don't hit the same way now and so I think I've been really anxious about that and that anxiety is just feeding into me not enjoying it as much so I need to just let it go I went back actually I watched the video where I read ninth house it was a shit vlog but I mean it was like my eighth video I don't know how to talk to the camera yet really and I have that anxiety about a lot of things like if I was to ever reread the secret history or I don't know there's loads of examples of stuff that I loved when I was first getting back into reading and I feel like I'm just a lot more picky customer now and so I feel so much anxiety around how is this gonna compare clap if you have anxiety you know reading the second book and the first book I haven't read in four years so anyways I'm gonna really try I'm gonna do some editing now I'm gonna edit this clip okay and then I'm gonna really try the next time I speak to you I'm gonna have gotten rid of that anxiety and I'm just gonna be a happy girl okay I'll see you this evening hopefully hopefully I'll be less hot can you guys see like it's not pleasant it's really my room is a fairness a fairness actually does anyone know if books can make a room hotter is this like extra insulation let me know in the comments please because maybe I just need to get rid of them all I'm about 320 pages into hell then I was gonna read more tonight but now I'm not sure if I'm gonna get any more read so I thought I'd check in I might get like another 20 pages read but I thought I'd just check in um Leigh Bardugo Leigh Bardugo we need to have a chat we need to sit and have a chat because why why on God's green earth is Leigh Bardugo fucking around right in the king of scars geology when this exists I'm so sorry it's not adding up but like when you can craft this when you can craft this why are we fucking around with that why are we fucking around with that why the Grisha verse I think what I'm done is that controversial I'm ready for whatever she has next and I'm done with the Grisha verse yes I know we're gonna have six of crows three but I say six of crows three because if you've read the king of scars geology you know that the worlds have become inextricably linked you can't have six of crows without shadow and bone people and I'm not here for that to be honest I liked it when they were separate um I'm really enjoying it perhaps it's fitting that it's so hot if you read the book they're going through it they're going through it this is a very different beast to ninth house ninth house I think I preferred the plot and the pacing of ninth house a little bit it's got more of that academia vibes we kind of are eschewing that a little bit in this one but I love the developments and how the world is growing and new additions the world expanding the magic is expanding that's something I always say that I love in my fantasy I don't I really get annoyed at fantasy where they just dump everything in the first book like all the world building all of the rules all the magic system and you know Alex is obviously new to this magic system and so I like that things about you know the hell this world work I mean it's our world but you know how this world works are slowly being revealed and I really liked how that's been expanded upon in this book um is it gonna be a five I feel like I've forgotten what a five star is to be quite honest with you like I've been giving Sony books 4.5 all of a sudden which I never do and I've been having very little five stars this year I just think I've forgotten what a five star is like it's legends and lattes or it's not a five star this is a concern and a worry am I ever gonna have five stars ever again it's gonna be all four or five there are moments where I think this is a five there's moments where I think it's not quite that but is that the pressure talking I don't know I don't know it could get a five if the ending fucking turns it out it could get a five it could also get a four I don't quite know at the moment if I'm honest with you I'm really enjoying it and I'm excited to see where it's gonna go and I think these characters are great I'm really loving the group of characters we've got at the moment I'm just I've really gotten into it since I last checked in with you like it happened I like all my doubts kind of went away but I still the my issue with whether it's a five star is a large issue of my reading this year not just this book but I love the writing I think the world that she has crafted is so impeccable but that I'm just excited for everything I've had the wish of us to be honest I'm done with it give me six across three and then let's put it to bed I don't want any more Grisha firstly like it's incredible look at what you've done but let's leave in the past because this you're telling me I could have had seven books of this each of me I could have had seven books and then we only get one more now I'm begging you you could reconsider you know that Lee you could reconsider we could just make it a big old series again you know but I'm really enjoying it I don't know if I will probably finish it tonight we're gonna go out somewhere tomorrow I don't know what plan is it's hot might go to the beach might go on a little walk somewhere I don't know what the plan is but I'm hoping I'll finish this over tomorrow or the next day um but yes oh it's so good it's really good guys but is it a five I don't know I used to think I'm the problem that I was way too sensitive react on wait until okay okay everyone finished this last night finished hellbent and I'm gonna give it four stars well I think it's safe to say we all just lost a bit of respect for you there I'm a bit sad about it you know I I don't want to spoil anything so I'm not really gonna talk in much detail about the ending but I just did have some issues with the pacing I felt like this last section dragged a bit however I think some of that is to do with maybe this not being the right time to read it or my stressing about this not being the right time to read it might have damaged my reading experience this book and I can accept that and I can say that's my fault but also what is not my fault right is that I believe nowadays to get a five star there has to be a bit of magic right you have to be you know in the mood that clicks with the book something is something that's happening in your life that's like distracting or upsetting or makes you click with a book like the the context what's going on in your life can really affect your reading of a book I think a book especially with four or five star can really hinge on like everything falling into place to give everything a five star and for you to fall into that book and for it to be I don't know for that to be the moment that you read the book and to like connect with it right and there were just moments where I didn't feel as connected to this as ninth house but I have sworn to tell you that my dad he said they had to tell you he's very upset with me he like can't stop talking about it because he loves this he prefers this to ninth house and he just can't stop talking about how I haven't given this a five star so he wants me to let you know that he's very upset with me that I haven't given this a five star and so am I you know I accept yeah I don't know in another day this could have been a five star but ninth house this series I still think is incredible I still think what the buddy goes doing this is incredible and I'm still so excited third one it just was a four for me it wasn't quite five but that's okay you know what I mean that's okay that's okay that's okay denial is a river in Egypt your husband is gay I really enjoy it now that is my 100th book of the year so shall we put that in on Goodreads so we get the confetti that's the whole reason I've done this video is just so we can watch the confetti together because that excites me okay my books update progress finish the book four stars confetti please she's completed it so I did set my goal to 100 bucks this year let me just screenshot her how cute what a moment we've done it guys but maybe we'll do it again can I change my goal on here I set it to 100 because I I I do better with positive reinforcement right I set my goal to 150 last year and I didn't reach it because whenever I was a couple books behind schedule it stressed me out right but knowing now I've reached 100 books I think I'm going to change it to 150 I've decided I'm going to change it to 150 books I reckon I'll be like a book or two behind let's change it to 150 and see what it says three books behind schedule we can live with that I think I'm going to get to 150 books for the first time ever three books behind schedule we can live with that's pretty much on schedule I think I was like 20 books behind schedule by the end of like last year at a certain point by this point so three books were pretty much on schedule so thank you guys for picking hellbent because otherwise I think it would have taken me like 10 years to read it and I'm really I'm really happy that I read it I really did enjoy it and I think I will probably but I think by the time the third books comes out I'm going to give that five stars this was just a middle book flip that sometimes happens right um and perhaps not everything quite falling into place for us to be a five star but I hope you enjoyed the video if you got to the end comment a bunny rabbit emoji down below if you got to the end and thank you guys so much for watching I'll see you very soon another one and thank you again to proven skincare for sponsoring a portion of this video make sure you guys check them out down below use my code to get $20 off which is so exciting and yeah I will see you soon bye