**The Magic of Reading: Exploring Five Fantastic Books**

I just can't get enough of reading and discovering new stories that transport me to different worlds. There's something truly special about immersing myself in the world of words, where I can transform objects with a mere thought, touch the hearts of characters, and unravel mysteries that leave me breathless.

As someone who loves fantasy and magic, I was thrilled to dive into five incredible books this winter. Each one was a journey worth taking, with its own unique charm and captivating storyline. From mythology and folklore to science fiction and historical fiction, these books had it all – twists, turns, and surprises that kept me on the edge of my seat.

**The Allure of **Winter of the Witch**** by Katherine Arden**

One of the highlights of my reading journey was Katherine Arden's "Winter of the Witch". This is the third book in her Bear in the Nightingale series, which I have to say is a favorite among readers. The series is set in Russia and follows the story of Vasya, a young girl with extraordinary abilities who must navigate the challenges of war, family, and magic. From the first page, I was hooked by Vasya's strength, courage, and determination as she grows from a child into an incredibly powerful woman. The historical setting is meticulously researched, adding depth and realism to the story, while also exploring the complexities of folklore and mythology.

I must confess that I've fallen in love with Vasya, who embodies all the qualities I admire – tenacity, confidence, and a willingness to take risks. As I watched her tackle obstacles with ease, I found myself inspired by her example. The world-building is another aspect of this series that deserves special mention, as Arden masterfully weaves together historical events and mythological elements to create a rich tapestry of storytelling.

**The Thrilling World of Skyward**

Next up was Brandon Sanderson's "Skyward", which quickly became my next obsession. This science fiction novel is set in a world where humans have colonized other planets, and the stakes are high – an alien species threatens their very existence. The protagonist, Spensa, is a young woman who dreams of becoming a pilot despite being ostracized by her community due to her father's past mistakes. As she trains at the prestigious Skyward Academy, she uncovers secrets that challenge everything she thought she knew about her world.

What I loved most about "Skyward" was its breakneck pace and intricate plot twists. The author seamlessly weaves together complex scientific concepts with action-packed sequences, making for an exhilarating reading experience. The character dynamics are also noteworthy, as Spensa navigates the challenges of being a young woman in a society where bravery and tenacity are highly valued.

But what truly sets "Skyward" apart is its dark and mysterious plotline, which keeps you guessing until the very end. Sanderson masterfully crafts a narrative that's both thrilling and thought-provoking, leaving you with more questions than answers. I'm eagerly anticipating the next installment in this series, as it left me breathless and eager for more.

**The Power of Fantasy**

As someone who loves fantasy and magic, I was drawn to books that explore these themes in depth. Two books that stood out were "The All Souls Trilogy" by Deborah Harkness (not mentioned in the transcription) and a fantasy novel series that explores gods, folklore, and science (also not mentioned). These books offer a rich tapestry of storytelling, where magic is woven into everyday life.

I must admit that I'm always on the lookout for books that celebrate tenacity and bravery, and these two series did just that. The authors' world-building is meticulous, creating immersive environments that draw you in and refuse to let go. I loved watching the characters grow and evolve as they navigated complex moral dilemmas and fantastical challenges.

**The Joy of Reading**

Reading is a special experience, one that allows us to touch the hearts of characters and transform objects with our thoughts. It's an art form that combines creativity, imagination, and storytelling, making each book a unique journey worth taking. Whether you're into mythology, folklore, science fiction, or historical fiction, there's something out there for everyone.

As I reflect on my reading experience this winter, I'm reminded of the power of stories to inspire, educate, and entertain us. These five books were just a few of many that captured my attention, but they stood out because of their unique charm, captivating storylines, and memorable characters. If you're looking for your next great read, I highly recommend exploring these genres and finding the books that resonate with you.

**Conclusion**

In conclusion, this winter was one to remember – filled with fantastic books that transported me to different worlds and left me breathless. From mythology and folklore to science fiction and historical fiction, each book offered a unique reading experience that will stay with me for a long time. If you're looking for recommendations or want to share your own favorite books, I'd love to hear about them!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhi guys it's reagan and today i'm here with the top five books i read this winter this is my reading and review video where i basically reflect on all the books i read in the previous season show you them all and then select my top five from that group the months i'm going to be talking about are december january and february all in all i read a total of 17 books this was a very solid reading season for me i think it was because of the cold weather i don't know but i also read some really incredible books to be very difficult to narrow down if you guys are wanting all the information about all of the books i'm going to be showing off in this video i will also link all of my wrap ups from the past three months down below as well but anyway without further ado let's jump into the books i've read starting with december first book i completed was bands of mourning by brandon sanderson and i gave this book a 5 out of 5 stars next was queen of air and darkness by cassandra clare which i also gave a 5 out of 5 stars next is the keepers of the lost cities by shannon messenger the first book to the keeper of the lost cities series which i have been flying through and i gave this first one a 3.5 out of 5 stars next up i have skyward by brandon sanderson which i gave a 5 out of 5 stars and i read a winter's promise by christelle davos which i also gave a 5 out of 5 stars december january february again very strong months for books and then lastly i read foundry side by robert jackson minute which i also gave it five out of five stars obsessed with this novel oh my goodness moving on to january the first book i completed was the assassination of bragawan spurge by mt anderson and eugene yelchin which i gave a three 3.5 out of five stars next up i completed crazy rich asians by kevin kwan um which i gave a five out of five stars to then i completed the final empire by brian sanderson book one to the mistborn trilogy which i gave it five out of five stars this was a reread for me next up i completed keemer of the last city's exile which is book two to the keeper series by shade of messenger i gave this second book a 4.5 out of five stars then i read renegades by marissa mayer which i gave a 2.75 out of 5 stars and then lastly for the month of january i completed the wicked king by holly black which i gave a 4.5 out of 5 stars alrighty and then moving into the final month of the season i completed the well of ascension by brandon sanderson another reread 5 out of 5 stars should be no surprise next up was the winter of the witch by kathryn arden which i gave a 5 out of 5 stars to then i completed the vanishing stair by maureen johnson which is a sequel to truly devious which i gave a 4.5 out of 5 stars then i completed crown of feathers by nikki predo which i gave a 4.5 out of 5 stars and then lastly i read keeper of the lost cities ever blaze by shannon messenger which i gave a 5 out of 5 stars to so those are all the books i completed for the entirety of the winter season again i'll have all of my wrap ups linked down below but let's go ahead and move into my top five books of this of winter of winter i am going to keep this top five exclusively first time round books i'm not gonna include the final empire in my top five though that is one of my favorite uh books i have read in the past three months it's an incredible reread i already knew i loved this series it wasn't like a surprise reread it was a very known thing that i would love it so i'm gonna try to keep it to new novels to talk about the first one um is queen of air and darkness by cassandra clare i just say over and over again that the dark artifices series just surprised me i thought it was the strongest series that cassandra clare has yet to put out it has great characters great angst lots of amazing magic and really interesting plots that will keep you on the edge of your seat i also just feel like cassandra clare constantly up the ante in her own world at the new layers of complexities i would not have seen coming i also think she's able to integrate a lot of current political threads and storylines into a fantastical setting um to not only provide some realism but also realize that yes it might be werewolves and it might be shadowhunters it might be demons but a lot of the things that they're struggling with are not fantastical it is politics that are very present in our world today and i just thought it was a really interesting storyline emma and the blackthorne family are just my faves and i just really enjoy this concluding novel it's huge i flew through it though i read it on a cruise in december and it was a great time i cried in public it was well it was a wonderful it was wonderful next up i have crazy rich asians by kevin kwan this was a surprise for me in a way and this is an incredibly popular series and movie but it's so out there from a genre selection i just something i don't often read this is often described as a modern day pride and prejudice and it follows our main character rachel's been dating this guy nicholas young for a few years now they live together in new york city and nicholas invites rachel back to his hometown and to stay with him and his family for the summer in singapore little does rachel know though that nicholas young is filthy rich she arrives and she's basically transported and put in the middle of this whole new world of family drama family politics and family money that she has never experienced before this book is laugh out loud funny you read from lots of different perspectives different people involved in the family with different opinions it's so great i loved every second of this story it was hilarious and romantic and fun and vibrant and it also has all these footnotes throughout it so you're also learning like a lot about personally anyway i learned a lot about like singapore and singaporean history and it was great i just had so many great elements to this that kept me on the edge of my seat i also loved the movie so this was just such a surprise i'm so happy i read it i'm going to be continuing on with the rest of the series but it was great loved it next up is probably my favorite book out of the stack it is the first book to a new series that i am in love with and i feel like the series itself has potential to be one of my favorite series of all time depending how the rest of the books pan out but that is foundry side by robert jackson bennett this is an incredible story it has kind of a complicated plot but it has such a cool setting great characters and really interesting magic it's set in a world that i would kind of describe as like venetian inspired there are merchant families that are very powerful and control about 80 of all of the land in this world and they're essentially compounds people do not leave these compounds they work live and serve within the parameters of the merchant families and then the 20 of the land that remains is called foundry side and this land is entirely lawless no one does anything to stop crime or solve crime or anything like that our main character lives in foundry side and is a fantastic thief and in the beginning of the story she steals an artifact uh that gets her wrapped in and put in the middle of a bunch of trouble in political like maneuverings our main character also has a special set of skills that makes her a really good thief basically the magic system in this world is centered around writing if you understand and know the language of the object that you are writing in you can transform its purpose you can either make it stronger or weaker so make a brick wall indestructible or you can make it crumble apart if you know the words to do so makes our main character so special is she's basically able to touch things around her and she immediately gets a deeper understanding of their makeup and therefore it just makes her a fantastic thief i love this series so much the mystery and the magic is so great it has some surprising humor great romance that's female female and also just like so many twists and turns it combines like gods and folklore and like science it's so great i loved every second of it it's very very very dark but it was incredible i loved it so much if you're gonna read one book from the five i'm talking about read this one next up i have the winter of the witch by katherine arden this is the third book to the bear in the nightingale series which was just a joy to read from beginning to end this is a series i talk about a lot on my channel but it's a historical fantasy series set in russia we follow our main character vasya and we literally watch her grow up from book one to book three she is a child in the first novel just encountering her magic for the first time trying to save her family and throughout this series and into the third novel we watch her become an incredibly strong woman trying to save not just her family not just russia but the whole world and it's amazing vasya is an inspiring main character she's headstrong she's confident and honestly just like seeing her tackle the obstacles in front of her with such tenacity is just awe inspiring i love her so much i also love the historical setting of this series it has such great historical influences and it really informs the characters and how they work within this world it's very realistic which i just applaud kathryn arden again and again for it really adds different layers of historical stakes and as well as just an element of realism to an otherwise fantastical story that i just loved it also has such great elements of folklore magic there's romance there's friendship there's everything you want in this series it's so good again the third novel was amazing i read it in february and i'm sad it's over but it was so good so i'm happy i have been able to experience it and the very last book i'm going to talk about is by brandon sanderson and that is skyward this is a science fiction novel that i thought was just so much fun basically it's a school that's mostly set within a pilot school and you're constantly reading about people like flying spaceships and fighting and it's a grand old time but this follows our main character spencer for her whole life she has wanted to be a pilot she and the rest of people that live in her city have basically colonized this new planet that's constantly under attack by an alien species so to survive they basically have burrowed underground and trained pilots to fight uh the invaders back this particular city really uh celebrates tenacity and uh bravery almost to an extreme showing any type of cowardice is not only looked down upon but can get you ostracized from society at large which is something that spenza has experienced because her father was a celebrated pilot that basically fled and abandoned his co-pilots during a really important fight therefore even though spencer has great piloting skills she always wants to be one they don't want to allow her to be one until one day she uncovers a secret thing in this cave that kind of transforms her track in life forever again this book is just so fast-paced it has an incredible science fiction plot and the fighting is so cool the majority of this book does take place within pilot school so you get some really cool classroom settings like character dynamics and i love just learning how to be a pilot it also has um diagrams throughout it that explains a lot of the maneuverings they're learning in class but overall this book has this really really uh dark and deep mystery that is hanging throughout the entirety of the plot it's like always in the back of your mind you're trying to figure out what who where why and how and you're slowly giving pieces throughout the story by brandon sanderson but needless to say i can't wait for the next uh three books in this series i believe it's going to be four books because guys it this book left me breathless kept me turning the pages i read it in like one day it was so good i loved it so much alrighty guys those are the top five books i read this winter leave it down below some books you've read recently and loved as i would love to know and i'll see you guys soon with another video soon goodbyehi guys it's reagan and today i'm here with the top five books i read this winter this is my reading and review video where i basically reflect on all the books i read in the previous season show you them all and then select my top five from that group the months i'm going to be talking about are december january and february all in all i read a total of 17 books this was a very solid reading season for me i think it was because of the cold weather i don't know but i also read some really incredible books to be very difficult to narrow down if you guys are wanting all the information about all of the books i'm going to be showing off in this video i will also link all of my wrap ups from the past three months down below as well but anyway without further ado let's jump into the books i've read starting with december first book i completed was bands of mourning by brandon sanderson and i gave this book a 5 out of 5 stars next was queen of air and darkness by cassandra clare which i also gave a 5 out of 5 stars next is the keepers of the lost cities by shannon messenger the first book to the keeper of the lost cities series which i have been flying through and i gave this first one a 3.5 out of 5 stars next up i have skyward by brandon sanderson which i gave a 5 out of 5 stars and i read a winter's promise by christelle davos which i also gave a 5 out of 5 stars december january february again very strong months for books and then lastly i read foundry side by robert jackson minute which i also gave it five out of five stars obsessed with this novel oh my goodness moving on to january the first book i completed was the assassination of bragawan spurge by mt anderson and eugene yelchin which i gave a three 3.5 out of five stars next up i completed crazy rich asians by kevin kwan um which i gave a five out of five stars to then i completed the final empire by brian sanderson book one to the mistborn trilogy which i gave it five out of five stars this was a reread for me next up i completed keemer of the last city's exile which is book two to the keeper series by shade of messenger i gave this second book a 4.5 out of five stars then i read renegades by marissa mayer which i gave a 2.75 out of 5 stars and then lastly for the month of january i completed the wicked king by holly black which i gave a 4.5 out of 5 stars alrighty and then moving into the final month of the season i completed the well of ascension by brandon sanderson another reread 5 out of 5 stars should be no surprise next up was the winter of the witch by kathryn arden which i gave a 5 out of 5 stars to then i completed the vanishing stair by maureen johnson which is a sequel to truly devious which i gave a 4.5 out of 5 stars then i completed crown of feathers by nikki predo which i gave a 4.5 out of 5 stars and then lastly i read keeper of the lost cities ever blaze by shannon messenger which i gave a 5 out of 5 stars to so those are all the books i completed for the entirety of the winter season again i'll have all of my wrap ups linked down below but let's go ahead and move into my top five books of this of winter of winter i am going to keep this top five exclusively first time round books i'm not gonna include the final empire in my top five though that is one of my favorite uh books i have read in the past three months it's an incredible reread i already knew i loved this series it wasn't like a surprise reread it was a very known thing that i would love it so i'm gonna try to keep it to new novels to talk about the first one um is queen of air and darkness by cassandra clare i just say over and over again that the dark artifices series just surprised me i thought it was the strongest series that cassandra clare has yet to put out it has great characters great angst lots of amazing magic and really interesting plots that will keep you on the edge of your seat i also just feel like cassandra clare constantly up the ante in her own world at the new layers of complexities i would not have seen coming i also think she's able to integrate a lot of current political threads and storylines into a fantastical setting um to not only provide some realism but also realize that yes it might be werewolves and it might be shadowhunters it might be demons but a lot of the things that they're struggling with are not fantastical it is politics that are very present in our world today and i just thought it was a really interesting storyline emma and the blackthorne family are just my faves and i just really enjoy this concluding novel it's huge i flew through it though i read it on a cruise in december and it was a great time i cried in public it was well it was a wonderful it was wonderful next up i have crazy rich asians by kevin kwan this was a surprise for me in a way and this is an incredibly popular series and movie but it's so out there from a genre selection i just something i don't often read this is often described as a modern day pride and prejudice and it follows our main character rachel's been dating this guy nicholas young for a few years now they live together in new york city and nicholas invites rachel back to his hometown and to stay with him and his family for the summer in singapore little does rachel know though that nicholas young is filthy rich she arrives and she's basically transported and put in the middle of this whole new world of family drama family politics and family money that she has never experienced before this book is laugh out loud funny you read from lots of different perspectives different people involved in the family with different opinions it's so great i loved every second of this story it was hilarious and romantic and fun and vibrant and it also has all these footnotes throughout it so you're also learning like a lot about personally anyway i learned a lot about like singapore and singaporean history and it was great i just had so many great elements to this that kept me on the edge of my seat i also loved the movie so this was just such a surprise i'm so happy i read it i'm going to be continuing on with the rest of the series but it was great loved it next up is probably my favorite book out of the stack it is the first book to a new series that i am in love with and i feel like the series itself has potential to be one of my favorite series of all time depending how the rest of the books pan out but that is foundry side by robert jackson bennett this is an incredible story it has kind of a complicated plot but it has such a cool setting great characters and really interesting magic it's set in a world that i would kind of describe as like venetian inspired there are merchant families that are very powerful and control about 80 of all of the land in this world and they're essentially compounds people do not leave these compounds they work live and serve within the parameters of the merchant families and then the 20 of the land that remains is called foundry side and this land is entirely lawless no one does anything to stop crime or solve crime or anything like that our main character lives in foundry side and is a fantastic thief and in the beginning of the story she steals an artifact uh that gets her wrapped in and put in the middle of a bunch of trouble in political like maneuverings our main character also has a special set of skills that makes her a really good thief basically the magic system in this world is centered around writing if you understand and know the language of the object that you are writing in you can transform its purpose you can either make it stronger or weaker so make a brick wall indestructible or you can make it crumble apart if you know the words to do so makes our main character so special is she's basically able to touch things around her and she immediately gets a deeper understanding of their makeup and therefore it just makes her a fantastic thief i love this series so much the mystery and the magic is so great it has some surprising humor great romance that's female female and also just like so many twists and turns it combines like gods and folklore and like science it's so great i loved every second of it it's very very very dark but it was incredible i loved it so much if you're gonna read one book from the five i'm talking about read this one next up i have the winter of the witch by katherine arden this is the third book to the bear in the nightingale series which was just a joy to read from beginning to end this is a series i talk about a lot on my channel but it's a historical fantasy series set in russia we follow our main character vasya and we literally watch her grow up from book one to book three she is a child in the first novel just encountering her magic for the first time trying to save her family and throughout this series and into the third novel we watch her become an incredibly strong woman trying to save not just her family not just russia but the whole world and it's amazing vasya is an inspiring main character she's headstrong she's confident and honestly just like seeing her tackle the obstacles in front of her with such tenacity is just awe inspiring i love her so much i also love the historical setting of this series it has such great historical influences and it really informs the characters and how they work within this world it's very realistic which i just applaud kathryn arden again and again for it really adds different layers of historical stakes and as well as just an element of realism to an otherwise fantastical story that i just loved it also has such great elements of folklore magic there's romance there's friendship there's everything you want in this series it's so good again the third novel was amazing i read it in february and i'm sad it's over but it was so good so i'm happy i have been able to experience it and the very last book i'm going to talk about is by brandon sanderson and that is skyward this is a science fiction novel that i thought was just so much fun basically it's a school that's mostly set within a pilot school and you're constantly reading about people like flying spaceships and fighting and it's a grand old time but this follows our main character spencer for her whole life she has wanted to be a pilot she and the rest of people that live in her city have basically colonized this new planet that's constantly under attack by an alien species so to survive they basically have burrowed underground and trained pilots to fight uh the invaders back this particular city really uh celebrates tenacity and uh bravery almost to an extreme showing any type of cowardice is not only looked down upon but can get you ostracized from society at large which is something that spenza has experienced because her father was a celebrated pilot that basically fled and abandoned his co-pilots during a really important fight therefore even though spencer has great piloting skills she always wants to be one they don't want to allow her to be one until one day she uncovers a secret thing in this cave that kind of transforms her track in life forever again this book is just so fast-paced it has an incredible science fiction plot and the fighting is so cool the majority of this book does take place within pilot school so you get some really cool classroom settings like character dynamics and i love just learning how to be a pilot it also has um diagrams throughout it that explains a lot of the maneuverings they're learning in class but overall this book has this really really uh dark and deep mystery that is hanging throughout the entirety of the plot it's like always in the back of your mind you're trying to figure out what who where why and how and you're slowly giving pieces throughout the story by brandon sanderson but needless to say i can't wait for the next uh three books in this series i believe it's going to be four books because guys it this book left me breathless kept me turning the pages i read it in like one day it was so good i loved it so much alrighty guys those are the top five books i read this winter leave it down below some books you've read recently and loved as i would love to know and i'll see you guys soon with another video soon goodbye\n"