cozy reading vlog - FINALLY reading this Brandon Sanderson book!
# A Reading Journey: Exploring Two Books Through Reflection and Progress
## Introduction: Starting a New Reading Vlog
Hello, readers! It’s Reagan here, kicking off another exciting reading vlog. This time around, I’m diving into two books that I’ve been eager to read but have somehow managed to procrastinate until now. The first is *Belcanto* by Anne Patchett, and the second is *Yumi and the Nightmare Painter* by Brandon Sanderson—a fantasy standalone novel that’s been on my secret projects list for quite some time.
I’m thrilled to finally be starting both of these books, as they promise to be engaging reads. I have a feeling they’ll keep me hooked from start to finish. Let’s dive into my reading journey and see how it unfolds!
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## Book 1: *Belcanto* by Anne Patchett
### Initial Impressions
I decided to start with *Belcanto*, even though it might not be the most talked-about book in Anne Patchett’s catalog. The synopsis spoke volumes about its unique premise—a hostage situation where relationships form between hostages and their captors. The idea of exploring such an intense, emotional scenario from multiple perspectives is fascinating.
I’ve read 40 pages so far, and I must say, Patchett’s writing style has already captivated me. Her ability to delve deep into the minds of her characters and explore themes with such nuance is impressive. The book follows a diverse cast of individuals caught in an isolated situation, and while it doesn’t lean into thriller territory, it keeps you hooked with its emotional depth.
### Themes and Style
One of the things I love about *Belcanto* is how it balances drama with the potential for connection. The characters come from all walks of life—a translator, a businessman, an opera singer, a waiter, and more—and their interactions are both unexpected and heartrending. Patchett’s prose is rich, painting vivid pictures of human resilience and vulnerability.
The book doesn’t shy away from the complexities of its characters or the situations they find themselves in. It’s a slow burn, but one that rewards patience with its emotional resonance. While I’ve only scratched the surface so far, I’m eager to see how this story unfolds.
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## Book 2: *Yumi and the Nightmare Painter* by Brandon Sanderson
### Initial Impressions
The second book on my reading list is *Yumi and the Nightmare Painter*, a standalone fantasy novel by Brandon Sanderson. This book has been on my radar for quite some time, and I’m finally diving into it with gusto.
From the get-go, this book delivered exactly what I love about Sanderson’s writing—clever world-building, engaging characters, and a touch of humor that makes the story enjoyable. The Freaky Friday-style premise where Yumi and the Nightmare Painter switch bodies is both unique and entertaining, set against the backdrop of two very different worlds.
### World-Building and Characters
Yumi lives on a planet bathed in light, where she’s a spiritual figure tasked with performing rituals to make spirits appear. Meanwhile, the Nightmare Painter exists in a darker, more urban setting, where his job involves neutralizing dangerous creatures known as nightmares. The contrast between these two worlds is stunning, and it adds depth to the story.
The characters are equally compelling. Yumi is sweet, kind, and torn between her duties and her desire for something more. Painter, on the other hand, is a self-declared loner, struggling with his purpose and connections. Their dynamic as they navigate each other’s lives is both funny and heartwarming.
### Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere Touch
While *Yumi and the Nightmare Painter* stands on its own, it also includes subtle nods to the broader Cosmere universe. The narrator, for instance, is a familiar character from *The Rithmatic of the Aral Sea*. These Easter eggs add an extra layer of intrigue for long-time fans of Sanderson’s work.
The book is also beautifully illustrated, with art playing a central role in the narrative—much like Painter’s profession suggests. The visuals are stunning and enhance the storytelling in ways that make this book feel special.
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## Reading Progress Updates
### Day 1: Setting the Tone
After diving into both books, I managed to read 40 pages of *Belcanto* and started *Yumi and the Nightmare Painter*. The contrast between the two reads has been a delight. While *Belcanto* immerses me in its emotional depth, *Yumi and the Nightmare Painter* keeps me entertained with its humor and whimsy.
### Day 2: Balancing Act
Life got a bit chaotic as I juggled reading, puzzle-solving, and watching TV shows like *The Traders*. However, I carved out time to read another 150 pages across both books. The progress was steady, and I found myself deeply invested in both stories.
### Day 3: Deep Dive
By the third day, I had read an additional 200 pages of *Yumi and the Nightmare Painter*, bringing my total for that book to over halfway. The characters’ relationship and their journey of self-discovery were truly endearing. Meanwhile, I also managed to read 40 more pages of *Belcanto*, further immersing myself in its complex narrative.
### Day 4: Reflections
As the days went on, I reflected on both books. *Yumi and the Nightmare Painter* was a delightful surprise, blending romance, humor, and adventure into a cohesive story that felt both light-hearted and meaningful. Brandon Sanderson’s signature storytelling shines through, making it an excellent entry point for readers new to his work.
For *Belcanto*, I appreciated Anne Patchett’s nuanced approach to her characters and their circumstances. While the plot hasn’t escalated yet, the emotional weight of the story keeps me engaged.
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## Life Updates: More Than Just Reading
Of course, reading isn’t the only thing on my mind. I’ve been enjoying a cozy setup at my desk while reading, with tea and snacks by my side. The arrival of a new *Stardew Valley* patch even tempted me to take a break and dive into some gaming.
On one evening, I indulged in a delicious homemade dinner of broccoli burgers and corn on the cob, paired with a movie night. Life has been a mix of productivity and relaxation, allowing me to fully immerse myself in my reading without feeling overwhelmed.
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## Conclusion: Reflecting on the Reading Journey
By the end of this vlog segment, I’ve managed to read almost 700 pages across both books—an achievement I’m proud of. *Yumi and the Nightmare Painter* was a standout for its charm and humor, while *Belcanto* continues to captivate me with its emotional depth.
Both books have taught me valuable lessons about storytelling—Patchett’s focus on character-driven narratives and Sanderson’s ability to weave humor and adventure into his tales. I’m excited to see how both stories will unfold as I continue reading.
Thank you for joining me on this reading journey! If you’ve read either of these books, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Stay tuned for more updates soon!
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhi guys it's Reagan and welcome to the start of another reading Vlog this reading vog I'm very excited about because I'm focusing on two books quite frankly I've been putting off but also two books that I feel like I'm going to love so much so it's going to be very satisfying that I'm W finally reading them and two because I think they're both going to be Five Star reads so without further Ado let's chat about the two books on my TBR all righty so my TBR is rather blue this time around um but I have two books honestly I'm hoping I can actually read from beginning to end the first is belcanto by Anne patchet I have gone on and on and on about how I've been wanting to read more Anne patchet books this year and I've yet to read any and it's already March so we're stopping that and we're starting a book by her um and I decided to start with b Kanto I feel like this maybe isn't the one that's most talked about but the synopsis just really called out to me it's basically about a hostage situation and about the relationships that form between the hostages and the host takers which sounds quite interesting to me and then I also really want to get to Yumi and the nightmare painter which I've been putting off for so long and I don't understand why at all this is a Brandon Sanderson secret project also a fantasy Standalone novel which I'm also looking forward to I love fantasy series but we love a staying alone as well that is my TBR I'm quite literally about to go make a cup of tea now and sit down and start I think B Kanto first and just kind of pivot back and forth between these two books because I'm a cha iotic reader like that I like to read more than one book at one time especially if they are different Vibes I'm at my desk because I'm downloading the new stardew Valley well I'm downloading stardew Valley on my computer cuz there was a new patch release today and I now want to try on my PC so my first PC run through coming soon but I did sit down and start belcanto I read 40 pages and I'm really liking this book so far this is my first experience with an patchet writing but I it to be very gripping and engrossing um we're following a lot of different characters in a very intense situation again this is like a hostage situation but but it doesn't have like a thriller lean I've only read 40 pages so I have more to read but we're just so kind of like deeply in people's minds and brains like before during this sort of situation and all I can say so far writing style has really captivated me con conep I just feel like is so strong in terms of exploring these themes and I'm looking forward to reading more my plan is just kind of like slowly read like 50 or so pages of this every day this week in betwix Reading Yi and the nightmare painter so far so good right Millie yes I've started a new puzzle it's book oriented it's like a book club puzzle hope I'll be further along later this week but I'm also going to sit down and watch the Traders which is like my show Obsession at the moment I've moved on to UK Traders cuz I've caught up on the American traders so should be a good night and then we're eating leftovers hi friends I have laundered and it is time for dinner lucky for us it's easy because it's already made we're just heating up some leftover chili which I'm so excited about and I think I'm going to maybe watch a docu series and just work on my puzzle tonight sounds relaxing and then I'm going to start you me the nightmare painter in bed which I'm pumped that I'm finally getting to it especially because she close my fridge especially because we're in a year of another cosmere release so I feel like it's important that I catch back up you know good morning friends I'm about to get up and ready for the day but I'm here just enjoying my cup of coffee and I have a reading update for Yumi o this book's heavy and the nightmare painter by Brandon Sanderson so far I'm really liking this book I'm reading it pretty quickly I'm on page 100 so I'm definitely hoping I'll continue to be able to make good progress on this today it's very much giving in a word Freaky Friday Vibes which is always one of my favorite tropes in media it's always so fun there's an element of humor a lot of humor if I'm being honest um but to take a step back this book follows our two main characters Yumi and the nightmare painter and we're first introduced to them and get a sense of their daily lives meeting them on their own separate planets this book's also narrated by one of our favorite characters the same narrator from Tres of the Aral Sea which which I also love and makes sense because this individual has traveled to a lot of places so it makes sense that we get to experience him as our narrator telling us this story about these two characters on their own planets but first we are introduced to painter who is a nightmare painter for a living his world is one of darkness and there's not a lot of light and there's not a lot of color and there are these things that basically can form called nightmares and it's his job to basically paint to neutralize their threat because they feed off of nightmares and they be and they can become more and more human the longer they're left to roam around this world they could be dangerous um painter is kind of a self-declared loner he's very emo he's very insecure he's Charming but young all of those things and he struggles with connections and he's kind of listless at his job like he doesn't know what he wants but he wants like a grander life but he doesn't really have the motiv to really put himself out there in that way then we're introduced to her main character Yumi who lives on a different planet but they can like see each other's Planet if that makes sense yumi's planet is one of a lot of light um it's very hot uh there's like floating plants and Yumi is like a really important spiritual figure she was basically picked as a baby um to serve the population as someone who performs kind of a ritualistic art to make Spirits appear and those Spirits are then sort of harvested for food and resources for communities but so much of yumi's life is structured from the moment she wakes up she has certain rituals she has to do she's always surrounded by people wanting Desiring anything besides the ritual of her life is very much frowned upon and Yumi is like a very sweet and kind person she doesn't want to make anyone's life difficult or be selfish but she also has an obvious desire to have something for herself so she's feeling a little torn because of that fast forward this book again it's Freaky Friday so they're sort of connected um through some type of Prophecy of needing to save the spirits of these two planets and they keep waking up in the other person's body I like how Brandon Sanderson has done this though they're waking up in other in each other's bodies but to them they look like they have their own body but the outside world interacts with them like it's the other person and then in kind of Spirit form the other person is there to kind of help them navigate and pass throughout their lives and it's just charming and funny and then in that in combination with our narrator who is also quite silly and he just has great humor too it's just like a really Charming situation but set in a really interesting World um Brandon sanderson's use of light and Magic between these two planets and art is really cool not to mention um because I have this beautiful beautiful Illustrated Edition there's art throughout this book which makes a lot of sense and sometimes it's kind of like waterc col which does make sense because of painter that is how he paints but also I have these like full color illustrations throughout it too which is just truly stunning so yeah I read a quick 100 Pages I'm excited to see how the rest of this book is going to play out I feel like it's going to be a good balance of like light-hearted but entertaining but we'll see I still have a lot to read and discover but now I need to get dressed and get on with my day um I procrastinated a bit but that's okay but anyway reading update I've read 150 pages so far for this Vlog which I am quite pleased with I got dressed today which feels like a minor miracle it's a cute outfit too I'm brewing afternoon coffee judgement free zone here and uh we're going to decide on my afternoon sweet treat together I'm already eating AR's egg but should I have peanut butter patties my last Girl Scout cookie package from this season I also have some chocolate covered popcorn which is like really good salty sweet H I think I'm going to go peanut butter patties I'm clearly in a bit of a peanut butter mood so we're going to we're going to make this and I'm going to sit down and do some reading and then balers gate or stardy Valley I'm so torn between my two loves at the moment balers gay the stard D Valley you know what a girl to go I have for the Girl Scout cookies and now I'm going to sit down and read more you me and the nightmare painter hello everyone it's the next day I apologize for not appropriately checking in I had a dentist appointment this morning no cavities happy to report feeling the high of not having to go back but I'm back on my reading game I've read 200 pages of Yi and the nightmare painter I'm reading this book so quickly I was not I didn't really know what to expect going into this but this book is so Charming so fun and funny it's giving me the same feeling I feel like I felt when I was reading Tres of the emerald sea these books are different but they definitely live within the same well literally they live in the same universe but they live in like the same collection like if this was like a bind up of two books or something um they go together in that way like fun characters Coming of Age funny we have a well-known narrator um who exists in both books there's just a like light-heartedness that is going alongside some serious themes that I'm appreciating so I've already described Yumi and painter they're kind of having a Freaky Friday moment between their Two Worlds and universe and there's just like so many things that I'm just like entertained by obviously we have their relationship within this book watching them begin to understand each other and what I really love to see is watching them like push each other because they are obviously coming in as an outsider to their life so they're kind of an impartial unbiased perspective on the decisions that they're making but also perhaps situations that they put up with and kind of an empathetic but challenging ear for each character which I like they're both also just 19 so they still have a lot of the world to experience and and I just like that element a lot particularly we have Yumi who has basically been living as this sort of spiritual ual entity her entire life she has no friend she's not allowed to have friends she's not allowed to have interest she's not allowed to have any of these things she wakes and prays and works for the betterment of her people it's a very Noble job it's an important job but she's also a 19-year-old girl and you see painter have to live through her do a terrible job so there's lots of situational humor happening within this book um but also question how some people treat her talk to her and like he challenges her to like be comfortable with accepting things for herself particularly when Yumi is living in his world kind of having for the first time certain experiences like shopping for clothes making friends and it's just like a really sweet situation to see alongside this just like fun back and forth that exists between our two main characters there is the mystery of like why do they switch places to begin with and there does appear to be some sort of spiritual Fantastical reason that they need to figure out to together um and I like that too it's just like very endearing and then I also appreciate the sprinkling of cosmere that Brandon Sanderson has included in this not only with our well-known narrator that we're encountering but there's also some other figures that we would know their abilities based on other books but it's very uniquely contained to this story it's not like you need to have read Stormlight Archive to like understand everything that's happening in this book but there are some nice Easter eggs if you have read the other books within the cosmere which I'm also enjoying but this book is just like I'm just Charmed I'm just Charmed aesthetically this book is also really pretty the two worlds are very different from a visual point of view painters from the sort of dark kind of futuristic Urban City kind of grim City setting where these nightmares stock and roam the streets whereas Yumi is from this bright kind of deser very hot um kind of beautiful aesthetic world that's just like they contrast each other quite a bit too so I like that as well there's like visual contrast character contrast cuz our characters kind of have different personalities mystery at play it's just I'm reading it fast because I just really like the characters and I'm curious to see what's going to happen next the illustrations throughout it are so lovely too and makes so much sense given that art is so Central stage in this but I'm having a great time I definitely feel like I'm going to be able to finish this book quickly cuz it just reads so fast fast so 200 Pages down and I've read 40 pages of belcanto I'm going to read more of that today almost 250 Pages read for the Vlog I'm pleased Brewing some delicious coffee I'm going to sit down now and read more Yumi in the night painter and have a cup of afternoon coffee and we're back to vlogging as planned normal I will not forget March Madness actually started today so some friends are coming over to watch our alma mater play in the first round so fing crossed and I think we're going to have some pizza which should be delicious isn't that right Matilda so uh that's also the plan but for now you me the night painter I'm reading this so fast it's so much cuter than I was expecting which is always such a fun surprise you know let's read pizza was very much consumed we have one lone slice left Matilda tried to call dibs on it from the other room I'm watching a little bit of basketball because UT played tonight and we somehow made it out of round one so there we go now I'm about to go put my pajamas on and I'm going to put the Traders UK on work on my puzzle for a little bit longer maybe have a bowl of ice cream and then I'm going to read more of Yumi and the nightmare painter I'm on page I'm officially like 2/3 of the way through that book and I'm having just such a wonderful time reading it I just really appreciate like how the characters lift each other up challenge each other like there is that core mystery at the heart of it but it's so much about characters pushing themselves outside of their own boundaries and reestablishing like what they feel like they're allowed to receive from people and from the world and it's just really heartwarming because of it and Incredibly excuse me entertaining so I'm definitely going to read more of that tonight and maybe a little more Bell Kanto too cuz I meant to read some of that yesterday and I want to read some of that today so I think I will pick up both of those books in bed and enjoy but for now it's puzzle and trador time so that's what we're going to do hello me and my rain sounds are reading I'm so sleepy the dentist really took it out of me today but I've just passed the 300 Page Mark and I love this book there's also so much training in learning I love the Freaky Friday element and all of the Just situational humor that's resulting from this book The unlikely friendships I'm just so endeared and I'm so curious about this mystery I feel like I'm on like the brink of figuring out but still I can't put together all the pieces which is also nice good morning morning and I should actually say good afternoon it's Friday and I have gotten caught up with a variety of things but I'm happy to be sitting down because I wanted to update y'all that I finished Yi and the nightmare painter this book is like 474 pages and I must say I feel like I read this book really quickly it was such a delightful combination of things I loved the narrator and the humor there I really enjoyed the characters and their individual and then journey together it was interesting to read a book that transparently was pretty romance forward for Brandon Sanderson but in a way that I really enjoyed and I appreciated that he did kind of a more First Love Coming of Age romance because it was endearing and you're really rooting for the characters the world itself was interesting it's cool because it really shows how the cosmere is in fact a universe so the types of planets and stories we can consume in this place are truly endless and not everything needs to be like the biggest most significant lot sequence to be enjoyable and entertaining and add to the cosmere I feel like Tres and this book both do like an excellent job like introducing us to really rootable protagonists giving us a story that is engaging and interesting like there's a mystery at play here but also like it's a contained story at the same time and there are heroes in so many different ways in everyday and ordinary life or just ordinary people doing extraordinary things which is like very much the heart of like both of these stories it was just like so endearing and like a classic tale in a lot of ways the world was beautifully constructed too like it was very visual while reading it and I felt like the twists of the plot worked well it very much gave Like Fable Vibes and I would say the same for tres of the emerald sea like it has a sort of central message that you can take something away with um and it was just like very endearing you know and I just I had a really good time reading this book and I'm really glad I finally picked it up because I love tress I didn't love The Frugal Wizards guide to surviving medieval England but I feel like I'm back and back being a fan of the secret projects with Yumi and the nightmare painter because this was just so sweet and it kind of fed I want I kind of I don't want Brandon Sanderson to write more romance necessarily but like there are some romantic plot lines of his that I've enjoyed in the past there's also one in particular in a certain Stormlight Archives that I'm really into that I would love more of so I'm just thinking about Stormlight 5 coming out later this year but I'm I'm happy to say I've read over 500 pages I'm planning to shift back now to B Kanto and read more of that today and tomorrow and obviously wrap this Vlog up but we've read and I'm also happy to say it's Friday clay went out to go get me my hyperfixation sandwich so things are looking great you guys already know the drill hyperfixation sandwich has been acquired oops and she's beautiful clay I split this though I have been known to eat an entire one as well it's a beautiful day and Miss Milda is enjoying the sunshine as she should and as she deserves y'all are about to witness the unleashing of Tilla let me set you up so you have a good Vantage Point 3 2 1 everyone where's your bowl Matilda where's your bowl now that Matilda has been fed I'm now going to pester clay outside hi friends let's make dinner together dinner will be fast and rather easy because we are making some there guys so I have some cheese I have some buns I'm going to steam some broccoli look how big this broccoli is on the side burger patties and then I also have some corn which should be delish so uh there we go I'm going to put this all together p and dinner is all done we got broccoli Burgers I got my cornal roasty toasty we're going to go watch summer house and dinner is served it's Saturday morning and I've decided I want to make some bread you know let's do this this thing the no need recipe this is actually really easy so I have my bowl red flour which I need to refill three cups flour one two three 2 teaspoon salt and then two teaspoons instant yeast no blooming over here folks water is 105° we're going to mix this in done I have truly been having the laziest Saturday morning ever and it's been great but I wanted to do an update because I am almost 50% of the way through bowan I've read 100 pages so not quite 50% maybe like 40% and I'm really liking this book the writing style is excellent and it's really it really pulls you in the setup and what I can really say about this book like hasn't changed much it's literally about a hostage situation at a birthday party um full of like unlikely people and you're reading this story from so many different perspectives and experiences the general of the people who took all these people hostage from a translator to a powerful businessman to an opera singer to a waiter to one of the young men who were part of this group that took the people hostage I know a very intense event play out but how a patchet is focusing on the emotions of things it's like you have empathy and understanding for people involved on all sides and it's just like not the expected approach for a story like this trans too because the emotions are so intense and like sometimes you pivot back and forth with those feelings similar to how the characters like something very intense will happen and like your anxiety will rise but then you'll settle back in to kind of the Cadence of living once more and people from all different backgrounds are a part of this situation too I don't know it's just been a really intriguing read so far like the back says it's a universe of its own and that feels so true because this is such an is olated situation all of these people are trapped together with no connection to the outside world for however long they're going to be in this home together and it's just interesting and it's just like not what you would expect again for a story like this um and I really appreciate sort of the dynamic approach mh's taking with the characters and the emotions and the connections that are beginning to form between characters it's so interesting also there is this if there's one consistent thing I would say like the love for music and Opera and how art like how people can have a passion for something and art from all over the world from so many different types of professions walks of life and like this thing can be appreciated and loved like no matter where you're from kind of like this great unifier of humanity too anyway I've been enjoying reading this quite a bit all right friends I'm down here because it's been 6 hours so it's time to cook the bread so let's turn this bad boy out here's what we're working with looking nice looking bubbly going to heavily flower my Surface hope for the best here and my loaf is done hi guys it's Reagan and welcome to the end of the Vlog the next day I just wanted to pop in and wrap up everything I was able to read over the course of this Vlog CU I actually read quite a lot if I do say so myself I read almost 700 Pages which I'm really pleased with obviously I read the entirety of Yumi and the nightmare painter this was so delightful I also think a really great place to start with Brandon Sanderson um it's a really approachable story it's a really heartwarming story but it still has like key elements to Brandon sanderson's writing in general I feel the same with tres of the Aral Sea like it's a great introductory book to kind of high fantasy but also kind of dip your toes into Brandon Sanderson to see if some of his concepts are for you but it's also a standalone it's really straightforward not too complicated but still like very engaging and interesting to read I want to say I'm surprised that I liked this as much as I did but I was just really unsure but after seeing so many positive reviews about it decided to give it a chance and I'm happy to report I was not disappointed by this book at all it just was really delightful and I'm excited to read the last secret project soon and then I also was able to read 200 pages of belcanto um I need to finish this book but I'm really liking this book too it's kind of a hard one to talk about because like in everything that's happened like not a lot has happened it's really about these like intimate and interesting relationships that would never be able to be formed but are beginning to form in this unusual circumstance that is this book we're following people from literally all around the world many of them can't communicate directly but you begin to see like unlikely bonds begin to form anyway or they communicate through unlikely ways like music or food um and it's just really intriguing I also know that this book is kind of a slower burn until it's not a slow burn at all and kind of where I'm at the plot is beginning to pick up but I do appreciate that a Pat has sort of taken her time in the beginning of this book it's not perfect I would say there's some kind of flat character representations but I'm still really drawn in by the writing style and just her approach to this story and I'm still like really captivated by every scene it has a level of drama but not for the reasons that you would expect like I feel like I'm hanging on to every interaction because of the possibility of connection less about the possibility of like losing your life if you will given the circumstances of this book so yeah I'm excited to finish this as well but these are the two books I was able to complete over the course of this Vlog I hope you guys enjoyed and I will see you soon with another video soon goodbyehi guys it's Reagan and welcome to the start of another reading Vlog this reading vog I'm very excited about because I'm focusing on two books quite frankly I've been putting off but also two books that I feel like I'm going to love so much so it's going to be very satisfying that I'm W finally reading them and two because I think they're both going to be Five Star reads so without further Ado let's chat about the two books on my TBR all righty so my TBR is rather blue this time around um but I have two books honestly I'm hoping I can actually read from beginning to end the first is belcanto by Anne patchet I have gone on and on and on about how I've been wanting to read more Anne patchet books this year and I've yet to read any and it's already March so we're stopping that and we're starting a book by her um and I decided to start with b Kanto I feel like this maybe isn't the one that's most talked about but the synopsis just really called out to me it's basically about a hostage situation and about the relationships that form between the hostages and the host takers which sounds quite interesting to me and then I also really want to get to Yumi and the nightmare painter which I've been putting off for so long and I don't understand why at all this is a Brandon Sanderson secret project also a fantasy Standalone novel which I'm also looking forward to I love fantasy series but we love a staying alone as well that is my TBR I'm quite literally about to go make a cup of tea now and sit down and start I think B Kanto first and just kind of pivot back and forth between these two books because I'm a cha iotic reader like that I like to read more than one book at one time especially if they are different Vibes I'm at my desk because I'm downloading the new stardew Valley well I'm downloading stardew Valley on my computer cuz there was a new patch release today and I now want to try on my PC so my first PC run through coming soon but I did sit down and start belcanto I read 40 pages and I'm really liking this book so far this is my first experience with an patchet writing but I it to be very gripping and engrossing um we're following a lot of different characters in a very intense situation again this is like a hostage situation but but it doesn't have like a thriller lean I've only read 40 pages so I have more to read but we're just so kind of like deeply in people's minds and brains like before during this sort of situation and all I can say so far writing style has really captivated me con conep I just feel like is so strong in terms of exploring these themes and I'm looking forward to reading more my plan is just kind of like slowly read like 50 or so pages of this every day this week in betwix Reading Yi and the nightmare painter so far so good right Millie yes I've started a new puzzle it's book oriented it's like a book club puzzle hope I'll be further along later this week but I'm also going to sit down and watch the Traders which is like my show Obsession at the moment I've moved on to UK Traders cuz I've caught up on the American traders so should be a good night and then we're eating leftovers hi friends I have laundered and it is time for dinner lucky for us it's easy because it's already made we're just heating up some leftover chili which I'm so excited about and I think I'm going to maybe watch a docu series and just work on my puzzle tonight sounds relaxing and then I'm going to start you me the nightmare painter in bed which I'm pumped that I'm finally getting to it especially because she close my fridge especially because we're in a year of another cosmere release so I feel like it's important that I catch back up you know good morning friends I'm about to get up and ready for the day but I'm here just enjoying my cup of coffee and I have a reading update for Yumi o this book's heavy and the nightmare painter by Brandon Sanderson so far I'm really liking this book I'm reading it pretty quickly I'm on page 100 so I'm definitely hoping I'll continue to be able to make good progress on this today it's very much giving in a word Freaky Friday Vibes which is always one of my favorite tropes in media it's always so fun there's an element of humor a lot of humor if I'm being honest um but to take a step back this book follows our two main characters Yumi and the nightmare painter and we're first introduced to them and get a sense of their daily lives meeting them on their own separate planets this book's also narrated by one of our favorite characters the same narrator from Tres of the Aral Sea which which I also love and makes sense because this individual has traveled to a lot of places so it makes sense that we get to experience him as our narrator telling us this story about these two characters on their own planets but first we are introduced to painter who is a nightmare painter for a living his world is one of darkness and there's not a lot of light and there's not a lot of color and there are these things that basically can form called nightmares and it's his job to basically paint to neutralize their threat because they feed off of nightmares and they be and they can become more and more human the longer they're left to roam around this world they could be dangerous um painter is kind of a self-declared loner he's very emo he's very insecure he's Charming but young all of those things and he struggles with connections and he's kind of listless at his job like he doesn't know what he wants but he wants like a grander life but he doesn't really have the motiv to really put himself out there in that way then we're introduced to her main character Yumi who lives on a different planet but they can like see each other's Planet if that makes sense yumi's planet is one of a lot of light um it's very hot uh there's like floating plants and Yumi is like a really important spiritual figure she was basically picked as a baby um to serve the population as someone who performs kind of a ritualistic art to make Spirits appear and those Spirits are then sort of harvested for food and resources for communities but so much of yumi's life is structured from the moment she wakes up she has certain rituals she has to do she's always surrounded by people wanting Desiring anything besides the ritual of her life is very much frowned upon and Yumi is like a very sweet and kind person she doesn't want to make anyone's life difficult or be selfish but she also has an obvious desire to have something for herself so she's feeling a little torn because of that fast forward this book again it's Freaky Friday so they're sort of connected um through some type of Prophecy of needing to save the spirits of these two planets and they keep waking up in the other person's body I like how Brandon Sanderson has done this though they're waking up in other in each other's bodies but to them they look like they have their own body but the outside world interacts with them like it's the other person and then in kind of Spirit form the other person is there to kind of help them navigate and pass throughout their lives and it's just charming and funny and then in that in combination with our narrator who is also quite silly and he just has great humor too it's just like a really Charming situation but set in a really interesting World um Brandon sanderson's use of light and Magic between these two planets and art is really cool not to mention um because I have this beautiful beautiful Illustrated Edition there's art throughout this book which makes a lot of sense and sometimes it's kind of like waterc col which does make sense because of painter that is how he paints but also I have these like full color illustrations throughout it too which is just truly stunning so yeah I read a quick 100 Pages I'm excited to see how the rest of this book is going to play out I feel like it's going to be a good balance of like light-hearted but entertaining but we'll see I still have a lot to read and discover but now I need to get dressed and get on with my day um I procrastinated a bit but that's okay but anyway reading update I've read 150 pages so far for this Vlog which I am quite pleased with I got dressed today which feels like a minor miracle it's a cute outfit too I'm brewing afternoon coffee judgement free zone here and uh we're going to decide on my afternoon sweet treat together I'm already eating AR's egg but should I have peanut butter patties my last Girl Scout cookie package from this season I also have some chocolate covered popcorn which is like really good salty sweet H I think I'm going to go peanut butter patties I'm clearly in a bit of a peanut butter mood so we're going to we're going to make this and I'm going to sit down and do some reading and then balers gate or stardy Valley I'm so torn between my two loves at the moment balers gay the stard D Valley you know what a girl to go I have for the Girl Scout cookies and now I'm going to sit down and read more you me and the nightmare painter hello everyone it's the next day I apologize for not appropriately checking in I had a dentist appointment this morning no cavities happy to report feeling the high of not having to go back but I'm back on my reading game I've read 200 pages of Yi and the nightmare painter I'm reading this book so quickly I was not I didn't really know what to expect going into this but this book is so Charming so fun and funny it's giving me the same feeling I feel like I felt when I was reading Tres of the emerald sea these books are different but they definitely live within the same well literally they live in the same universe but they live in like the same collection like if this was like a bind up of two books or something um they go together in that way like fun characters Coming of Age funny we have a well-known narrator um who exists in both books there's just a like light-heartedness that is going alongside some serious themes that I'm appreciating so I've already described Yumi and painter they're kind of having a Freaky Friday moment between their Two Worlds and universe and there's just like so many things that I'm just like entertained by obviously we have their relationship within this book watching them begin to understand each other and what I really love to see is watching them like push each other because they are obviously coming in as an outsider to their life so they're kind of an impartial unbiased perspective on the decisions that they're making but also perhaps situations that they put up with and kind of an empathetic but challenging ear for each character which I like they're both also just 19 so they still have a lot of the world to experience and and I just like that element a lot particularly we have Yumi who has basically been living as this sort of spiritual ual entity her entire life she has no friend she's not allowed to have friends she's not allowed to have interest she's not allowed to have any of these things she wakes and prays and works for the betterment of her people it's a very Noble job it's an important job but she's also a 19-year-old girl and you see painter have to live through her do a terrible job so there's lots of situational humor happening within this book um but also question how some people treat her talk to her and like he challenges her to like be comfortable with accepting things for herself particularly when Yumi is living in his world kind of having for the first time certain experiences like shopping for clothes making friends and it's just like a really sweet situation to see alongside this just like fun back and forth that exists between our two main characters there is the mystery of like why do they switch places to begin with and there does appear to be some sort of spiritual Fantastical reason that they need to figure out to together um and I like that too it's just like very endearing and then I also appreciate the sprinkling of cosmere that Brandon Sanderson has included in this not only with our well-known narrator that we're encountering but there's also some other figures that we would know their abilities based on other books but it's very uniquely contained to this story it's not like you need to have read Stormlight Archive to like understand everything that's happening in this book but there are some nice Easter eggs if you have read the other books within the cosmere which I'm also enjoying but this book is just like I'm just Charmed I'm just Charmed aesthetically this book is also really pretty the two worlds are very different from a visual point of view painters from the sort of dark kind of futuristic Urban City kind of grim City setting where these nightmares stock and roam the streets whereas Yumi is from this bright kind of deser very hot um kind of beautiful aesthetic world that's just like they contrast each other quite a bit too so I like that as well there's like visual contrast character contrast cuz our characters kind of have different personalities mystery at play it's just I'm reading it fast because I just really like the characters and I'm curious to see what's going to happen next the illustrations throughout it are so lovely too and makes so much sense given that art is so Central stage in this but I'm having a great time I definitely feel like I'm going to be able to finish this book quickly cuz it just reads so fast fast so 200 Pages down and I've read 40 pages of belcanto I'm going to read more of that today almost 250 Pages read for the Vlog I'm pleased Brewing some delicious coffee I'm going to sit down now and read more Yumi in the night painter and have a cup of afternoon coffee and we're back to vlogging as planned normal I will not forget March Madness actually started today so some friends are coming over to watch our alma mater play in the first round so fing crossed and I think we're going to have some pizza which should be delicious isn't that right Matilda so uh that's also the plan but for now you me the night painter I'm reading this so fast it's so much cuter than I was expecting which is always such a fun surprise you know let's read pizza was very much consumed we have one lone slice left Matilda tried to call dibs on it from the other room I'm watching a little bit of basketball because UT played tonight and we somehow made it out of round one so there we go now I'm about to go put my pajamas on and I'm going to put the Traders UK on work on my puzzle for a little bit longer maybe have a bowl of ice cream and then I'm going to read more of Yumi and the nightmare painter I'm on page I'm officially like 2/3 of the way through that book and I'm having just such a wonderful time reading it I just really appreciate like how the characters lift each other up challenge each other like there is that core mystery at the heart of it but it's so much about characters pushing themselves outside of their own boundaries and reestablishing like what they feel like they're allowed to receive from people and from the world and it's just really heartwarming because of it and Incredibly excuse me entertaining so I'm definitely going to read more of that tonight and maybe a little more Bell Kanto too cuz I meant to read some of that yesterday and I want to read some of that today so I think I will pick up both of those books in bed and enjoy but for now it's puzzle and trador time so that's what we're going to do hello me and my rain sounds are reading I'm so sleepy the dentist really took it out of me today but I've just passed the 300 Page Mark and I love this book there's also so much training in learning I love the Freaky Friday element and all of the Just situational humor that's resulting from this book The unlikely friendships I'm just so endeared and I'm so curious about this mystery I feel like I'm on like the brink of figuring out but still I can't put together all the pieces which is also nice good morning morning and I should actually say good afternoon it's Friday and I have gotten caught up with a variety of things but I'm happy to be sitting down because I wanted to update y'all that I finished Yi and the nightmare painter this book is like 474 pages and I must say I feel like I read this book really quickly it was such a delightful combination of things I loved the narrator and the humor there I really enjoyed the characters and their individual and then journey together it was interesting to read a book that transparently was pretty romance forward for Brandon Sanderson but in a way that I really enjoyed and I appreciated that he did kind of a more First Love Coming of Age romance because it was endearing and you're really rooting for the characters the world itself was interesting it's cool because it really shows how the cosmere is in fact a universe so the types of planets and stories we can consume in this place are truly endless and not everything needs to be like the biggest most significant lot sequence to be enjoyable and entertaining and add to the cosmere I feel like Tres and this book both do like an excellent job like introducing us to really rootable protagonists giving us a story that is engaging and interesting like there's a mystery at play here but also like it's a contained story at the same time and there are heroes in so many different ways in everyday and ordinary life or just ordinary people doing extraordinary things which is like very much the heart of like both of these stories it was just like so endearing and like a classic tale in a lot of ways the world was beautifully constructed too like it was very visual while reading it and I felt like the twists of the plot worked well it very much gave Like Fable Vibes and I would say the same for tres of the emerald sea like it has a sort of central message that you can take something away with um and it was just like very endearing you know and I just I had a really good time reading this book and I'm really glad I finally picked it up because I love tress I didn't love The Frugal Wizards guide to surviving medieval England but I feel like I'm back and back being a fan of the secret projects with Yumi and the nightmare painter because this was just so sweet and it kind of fed I want I kind of I don't want Brandon Sanderson to write more romance necessarily but like there are some romantic plot lines of his that I've enjoyed in the past there's also one in particular in a certain Stormlight Archives that I'm really into that I would love more of so I'm just thinking about Stormlight 5 coming out later this year but I'm I'm happy to say I've read over 500 pages I'm planning to shift back now to B Kanto and read more of that today and tomorrow and obviously wrap this Vlog up but we've read and I'm also happy to say it's Friday clay went out to go get me my hyperfixation sandwich so things are looking great you guys already know the drill hyperfixation sandwich has been acquired oops and she's beautiful clay I split this though I have been known to eat an entire one as well it's a beautiful day and Miss Milda is enjoying the sunshine as she should and as she deserves y'all are about to witness the unleashing of Tilla let me set you up so you have a good Vantage Point 3 2 1 everyone where's your bowl Matilda where's your bowl now that Matilda has been fed I'm now going to pester clay outside hi friends let's make dinner together dinner will be fast and rather easy because we are making some there guys so I have some cheese I have some buns I'm going to steam some broccoli look how big this broccoli is on the side burger patties and then I also have some corn which should be delish so uh there we go I'm going to put this all together p and dinner is all done we got broccoli Burgers I got my cornal roasty toasty we're going to go watch summer house and dinner is served it's Saturday morning and I've decided I want to make some bread you know let's do this this thing the no need recipe this is actually really easy so I have my bowl red flour which I need to refill three cups flour one two three 2 teaspoon salt and then two teaspoons instant yeast no blooming over here folks water is 105° we're going to mix this in done I have truly been having the laziest Saturday morning ever and it's been great but I wanted to do an update because I am almost 50% of the way through bowan I've read 100 pages so not quite 50% maybe like 40% and I'm really liking this book the writing style is excellent and it's really it really pulls you in the setup and what I can really say about this book like hasn't changed much it's literally about a hostage situation at a birthday party um full of like unlikely people and you're reading this story from so many different perspectives and experiences the general of the people who took all these people hostage from a translator to a powerful businessman to an opera singer to a waiter to one of the young men who were part of this group that took the people hostage I know a very intense event play out but how a patchet is focusing on the emotions of things it's like you have empathy and understanding for people involved on all sides and it's just like not the expected approach for a story like this trans too because the emotions are so intense and like sometimes you pivot back and forth with those feelings similar to how the characters like something very intense will happen and like your anxiety will rise but then you'll settle back in to kind of the Cadence of living once more and people from all different backgrounds are a part of this situation too I don't know it's just been a really intriguing read so far like the back says it's a universe of its own and that feels so true because this is such an is olated situation all of these people are trapped together with no connection to the outside world for however long they're going to be in this home together and it's just interesting and it's just like not what you would expect again for a story like this um and I really appreciate sort of the dynamic approach mh's taking with the characters and the emotions and the connections that are beginning to form between characters it's so interesting also there is this if there's one consistent thing I would say like the love for music and Opera and how art like how people can have a passion for something and art from all over the world from so many different types of professions walks of life and like this thing can be appreciated and loved like no matter where you're from kind of like this great unifier of humanity too anyway I've been enjoying reading this quite a bit all right friends I'm down here because it's been 6 hours so it's time to cook the bread so let's turn this bad boy out here's what we're working with looking nice looking bubbly going to heavily flower my Surface hope for the best here and my loaf is done hi guys it's Reagan and welcome to the end of the Vlog the next day I just wanted to pop in and wrap up everything I was able to read over the course of this Vlog CU I actually read quite a lot if I do say so myself I read almost 700 Pages which I'm really pleased with obviously I read the entirety of Yumi and the nightmare painter this was so delightful I also think a really great place to start with Brandon Sanderson um it's a really approachable story it's a really heartwarming story but it still has like key elements to Brandon sanderson's writing in general I feel the same with tres of the Aral Sea like it's a great introductory book to kind of high fantasy but also kind of dip your toes into Brandon Sanderson to see if some of his concepts are for you but it's also a standalone it's really straightforward not too complicated but still like very engaging and interesting to read I want to say I'm surprised that I liked this as much as I did but I was just really unsure but after seeing so many positive reviews about it decided to give it a chance and I'm happy to report I was not disappointed by this book at all it just was really delightful and I'm excited to read the last secret project soon and then I also was able to read 200 pages of belcanto um I need to finish this book but I'm really liking this book too it's kind of a hard one to talk about because like in everything that's happened like not a lot has happened it's really about these like intimate and interesting relationships that would never be able to be formed but are beginning to form in this unusual circumstance that is this book we're following people from literally all around the world many of them can't communicate directly but you begin to see like unlikely bonds begin to form anyway or they communicate through unlikely ways like music or food um and it's just really intriguing I also know that this book is kind of a slower burn until it's not a slow burn at all and kind of where I'm at the plot is beginning to pick up but I do appreciate that a Pat has sort of taken her time in the beginning of this book it's not perfect I would say there's some kind of flat character representations but I'm still really drawn in by the writing style and just her approach to this story and I'm still like really captivated by every scene it has a level of drama but not for the reasons that you would expect like I feel like I'm hanging on to every interaction because of the possibility of connection less about the possibility of like losing your life if you will given the circumstances of this book so yeah I'm excited to finish this as well but these are the two books I was able to complete over the course of this Vlog I hope you guys enjoyed and I will see you soon with another video soon goodbye\n"