classic literature reading vlog🍃📖 cozy day reading east of eden for the first time

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:00]East of Eden by John Steinbeck. It's a classic FOR A REASON. There's so many times in this book that I've been sobbing. Is it because my period is on the way? Maybe. But the writing insane.

[00:00:11]I knew going in that this was not a book that you turn your brain off. There is duality and everything. Who's Joe?

[00:00:19]Was Daddy Steinbeck not who we thought he was? How did we get here? What just happened there? I don't like it. Did I mention that I don't like it? as I was saying. So lyrical, baby. So lyrical.

[00:00:31]And look what came in the mail. We all just live so many different lives. I want you to feel that I want to be here and love being here.

[00:00:42]You picking up what I'm putting down? Am I my brother's keeper?

[00:00:55]Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Hey friends, how has your spring been going? Because your girl has been in a slump. Not just reading slump, but low-key life slump.

[00:01:06]I'm trying to do everything that I can to pull myself out of it. Okay. I have been reading East of Eden by John Steinbeck.

[00:01:15]Now, this is my first ever Steinbeck book. Okay, and I must admit, I am obsessed. Okay, as you can see, this is all I have left of the book and I want to finish it with you because this is the most introspective I felt while reading a book in a very long time. Like literally the writing in this is so vivid. It's just I don't even know how to explain it. It's like the emotions, the feelings that I have been getting is just so visceral. I feel so captivated by this book. I have been on the verge of tears. Is it because my period is on the way? Maybe. But the writing insane.

[00:01:55]If you don't know what East of Eden by John Steinbeck is about, it's about two families. Okay. The Tr and the Hamiltons. Now, the Tr there's two brothers, Charles and Adam, and one is like good and the other is bad. And you get like a Cain and Abel kind of retelling throughout the story. And then as the time goes on, you see like the different generations and how these same themes kind of show up. And then you have the Hamiltons who like Samuel Hamilton, he's a guy who comes up with so many different ideas and inventions, but he can never strike it big. But he's a good guy. He has good intentions, good ideas, you know, the big dreamer type of person. and he always just has so much like faith in other people of like, oh, it's okay. You can pay me back later.

[00:02:51]Like that kind of vibe. And so you kind of see that one family seems like nice and one family seems bad. And ultimately what I'm gathering from this book is that we all really have choices. It's kind of like a retelling of a lot of stuff in Genesis in general. And just the overall themes of it all feel very biblical, but it really all comes back to the free will that we were given and that we can ultimately make our own choices in life and we don't have to succumb to what we think is predestined for us, you know. And like I said, so many things happen in this book that I'm like, I can't believe that this is a classic. like that. This was written almost a hundred years ago. Like this book is a classic for a reason. I was going to say it's it's going to stand the test of time. But yeah, duh. That's why it's a classic. But one thing I will say though is I think there are definitely some moments where you're like, is this just a sign of the time?

[00:03:57]Cuz I think this was written in like 50.

[00:04:00]This was published in 52. So, you can assume that he wrote it prior to 1952 since that was when it was published.

[00:04:07]But there's definitely some racial slurs in here that are not not the best. Not the best. But overall, the writing and just the overall themes of this book is just there's so many times in this book that I've been sobbing, sobbing, sobbing, sobbing. And I don't know that this is the book to make me feel better, but I'm I'm fearing that it's probably going to be five stars. Yeah, I'm actually in one of my friends Takaja's book club on Fable, and we're all reading this book, and the amount of just thoughtful annotations that everybody has been putting in to the chapters on Fable, and here I am just like doing memes. But I just don't know how to articulate myself because it's just too good. Yeah, we're going to finish this together. I have literally 100 pages. We're finishing this today. I have to know how this ends because I've already been destroyed multiple times throughout.

[00:05:05]Yeah. But first, I need some matcha.

[00:05:11]So, lately, I've been making a protein strawberry matcha, but like the easy way. So, what I've been doing is using a pre-bottled strawberry protein shake and mixing it with my good Japanese matcha.

[00:05:24]For me, it's been coming out pretty good. Like, I think it tastes good, especially if you get the right protein shake. I will either use the Fair Life Core Power Strawberry, which is 42 g of protein. I normally will do half of the bottle and then the rest of the cup I'll put fat-ree Fair Life just regular milk.

[00:05:43]Or I will use pretty much all of the regular core power, which is 26 grams of protein. And that one is strawberry banana. Okay. So, you're feeling the spring matcha vibes. I was previously making my matcha with the banana milk, but then I was like, you know what? Let me start working on my protein because I'm trying to start working out and stuff again. And I've been trying to be consistent. So, I'm like, let me add a little protein in my matcha. Let me add a little protein. Oh, and also apparently you're supposed to put your matcha whisk in warm water and let that sit before you whisk your matcha up. I guess it like softens the bamboo or something. I don't know. I was just watching hella matcha making tutorial Tik Toks. And you're supposed to I think mix it around first. Then you do like W movements fast so it makes the bubbles.

[00:06:39]I don't know, child. I know it tastes all right.

[00:06:42]I was told I need to watch my caffeine because, you know, your girl drinks tons of Alanis and coffee. So, I'm trying to do better. We're trying to do better.

[00:06:54]Okay. Comment down below your at home matcha tips, what I may be doing wrong, and what could make my matcha experience even better. I'm always open to learning.

[00:07:22]Mhm. The strawberry just hits the spots, I must say. I must say. But I was just thinking, I totally forgot. I ordered something cute and whimsy from my girl Brienne on Tik Tok. She has like a cute like craft business where she does crochet stuff. It's my crafty cutie. Let me support her. It's so cute. I need it.

[00:07:47]Oh my gosh. Honestly, Brienne is one of the most cutesy aesthetic girls that I follow on Tik Tok. And honestly, I don't expect anything less. It says BRB bestie counting stitches.

[00:08:01]Thank you, Taran, for supporting my small business. A cute. She has a couple items on her shop, but when I seen this, I was like, "Oh, I need it." It's like a little cozy for your cups. And I was like, "Okay, that's for my matcha." Can you see this? I cannot. This is literally perfect. Wow. I never seen a more beautiful thing. And then the other thing that I got is like a little charm, a little bag charm, and it's crochet little flowers.

[00:08:32]Isn't it amazing how just like little things like this can just make you so happy? Like look at this. So adorable.

[00:08:38]And I just love stuff like this because you know that it's just handmade.

[00:08:42]Someone took the time to make this. But let's um read the rest of Issa Eden.

[00:08:48]Please. Thank you. I'm lowkey so scared to finish this book. For real. This book has been reading me for filth. the way that this book can be so confronting when it comes to human emotions and just everything like it's so good. Like I I am struggling with the words to say. I think that I went into this book really intimidated by it. And yes, the writing is super lyrical and there's been moments where I've reread chapters or I will immersive read. I knew going in that this was not a book that you turn your brain off. I knew that. I knew that. But I didn't expect to be in such deep thought while reading this book. And I'm actually very excited because this book is being turned into a show on Netflix and apparently it's done filming and everything and it's supposed to come out this year. And I just need to see how they bring these characters to life because they're all just so complex. We all are kind of either just acting out on emotion. What we know, what our family members have shown us is possible. It's just so many things to it to my point where I was talking about like we all have free will and like we have the option to choose and thou may thou may not. Also that we can be two things at once. You know, there are some people who only see the bad in everything and don't see the good in anything. and some people who just look at everything like it's all good and and don't realize that someone could be harming them and and stuff like that, but there's duality in everything. And just this book has just really just made an imprint on me and I know that like by the end of this I'm going to be crying.

[00:10:39]Also, there's definitely some triggers here that I didn't expect. I don't know if there's any such thing as trigger warnings in this time outside of like the violent moments. There is a lot of grief in this story and also self unalivvening and stuff like that. Okay. So, I didn't expect that and that is something that hits me personally. I was sobbing.

[00:11:04]That's all I'm going to say. And I think that stuff like that should definitely be a warning. Some people say trigger warnings is like a spoiler. But in my opinion, if I'm going to read that in a book, I kind of low-key want to know ahead of time because once I got to it in the in a point in this book, I was like, "Are you kidding me?" Like, I was literally just like, and if you are somebody who has gone through things like that or someone close to you has done that, that can really be triggering and jarring to read. So, I must say if that's something that bothers you, be prepared. But overall, this book is really, really good. It really just makes you think about the human condition and just like, wow, I have literally a hundred pages. I'm supposed to be picking up a order and it's already like 5:00. That tells you I have not done anything that I need to do for myself today. And soon my husband and my baby will be home. I've been working all day. But let's let's let's try to read some of this book.

[00:12:09]And it's like this is what I mean. Like the way that he writes this book is just so like you feel these characters so much. Just how he describes everything is just insane to me. Hate cannot live alone. It must have love as a trigger, a goat or a stimulant. Joe early developed a gentle, protective love for Joe. He comforted and flattered and cherished Joe. He set up walls to save Joe from a hostile world. And gradually Joe became proof against wrong. If Joe got into trouble, it was because the world was an angry conspiracy against him. And if Joe attacked the world, it was revenge. And they damn well deserved it. The sons of Joe lavished every care on his love. And he perfected a lonely set of rules which might have gone like this one. Don't believe nobody. The bastards are after you. Two, keep your mouth shut. Don't stick your neck out. Three, keep your ears open. When they make a slip, grab onto it and wait. Like, it's literally just so many different characters in this book cuz like Joe, who's Joe? I don't remember who Joe is because this might this might be Oh, you know what? I remember who Joe is.

[00:13:28]No, but I but it's just literally so many characters and you get to see just who they are. I just feel like all the characters are surviving in their own way and doing what they think is right to survive. It's like uh it just it's just literally so many things in this book that just has me thinking like I got to I got to do better. Low key, I'm like dang. It's like it makes me think about wanting to make positive marks on people's lives. That's what I'm thinking about while reading this book of like one I just want to be able to live and be honest and true to myself, to my family, to who I am as a person, but then also like making a positive impact on others. Like being there for other people, showing up for them, being a villager in the village, you know? It's just all about choices, man. And it's all about choices. This book is so good.

[00:14:25]Whoever said classics was boring, they never read this book.

[00:14:35]I'm waiting for my BJ's order. And I was like, let me read some more cuz now I'm on chapter 48. Oh, of course now they're here. Hold on, hold on, hold on. Thank you so much.

[00:14:48]Okay, sorry about that. But as I was saying, literally I will be praising this book saying this is so good and then I will read something and I'm like was Daddy Steinbeck not who we thought he was or not who we would hope he was because it's like one minute I'm singing the book's praises and then I read a sentence that's like late in November the n-word died and was buried in black austerity as her will demanded and then a couple sends down her little black husband crouched like a cat by her right shoulder. Like I don't know, man. Cuz it's like in my in my mind it's like how come you can say in some points like the little black man or the small black man crouched back in the corner and stuff like that but then choose to say the nword in in another sentence. It's like why not just say black the whole time?

[00:15:49]I don't like it. I don't like it.

[00:15:53]But then it's like also the times that this is in. I get that that's what they was saying, but I just I just don't like it. I just don't like it. I don't like it. I don't like it.

[00:16:09]Did I mention that I don't like it? And I seen a girl in the Fable book club say like, "I love this book, but I can't say how much I love this book because of the words and slurs that are used in this book. It makes me a little uneasy." And I feel that exactly like I'm like this feels like a five-st star book, but then something in my soul is like because you'll read like 200 pages of just greatness and then randomly read a sentence and be like, "How did we get here? What just happened there?" You know?

[00:16:46]But overall, some of the best writing that I've ever read in my life. So lyrical, baby. So lyrical. He had a way with words, I must say. Let me know what you think about stuff like this because I will say like now it's hard for me to separate the art from the artists in this day and age, especially when it comes to like current authors. In my opinion, I just feel like if you're an author and you're saying stuff now and in recent years, I feel like I can't overlook that. I can't overlook it.

[00:17:18]Like, no. Absolutely not. Like you shouldn't be saying stuff like that. Not not at all. Okay. But I feel like with classics, you give these authors a little bit more grace, but then it's like, should we?

[00:17:34]Should we? I don't know. Please let me know what y'all think of that because I'm conflicted because I'm really loving this book, but then I I'm having those moments of like cringe. Like, what is happening? Should I not love this as much as I love it?

[00:17:53]I'm back home and look what came in the mail.

[00:17:58]I got the Kodak Charmra keychain digital camera. And this is like a little mini literally keychain camera that is like a blind box at the same time. I don't know. It has like little cool photo filters. The quality is not good, but like that's the point, you know? It's giving old vintage camera vibes and I want to open it. Let's open this Kodak Charmera digital camera together. So, they have seven different camera options and I know they have like a clear one and I would be fine with probably any of them to be honest.

[00:18:41]They're all cool in their own right. The only one I probably wouldn't want out of these is the blue one. That one's really basic to me. I wouldn't be mad at the yellow one cuz yellow's my favorite color. The black with the rainbow's cute, but I know there's a clear one. I don't know if the clear one is the secret one, but that's lowkey the one that I want. Now, which one will we get?

[00:19:02]I don't know. Let's see. I'm not the biggest blind box girly, but this I I had to see what was up. This was $30 and I just think it's something cute. I don't mind a old vintagey vibe.

[00:19:19]Oh, this is cute. Okay. Okay. I'm not mad at the one I got. And it has the primary colors.

[00:19:26]Very cute. But I love this. I think I have a micro SD, a extra one. Oh, look the little screen. I love little cameras and stuff. Like I in another life was a photographer and a videographer back when I was in my like young teens, early 20s. I literally used to make like videos for people and their brands. Like I went on tour with my friend Callie. I was her first videographer and now she's a huge pop star.

[00:20:01]But it's just crazy. Like we all just live so many different lives. Like I went from being a like photographer, videographer to like a workout girly to now a book girly. Like our interests and hobbies really just change over time.

[00:20:19]And low key, you still have love for a lot of those hobbies even when you find new ones. You know what I mean? Because obviously I still like making videos.

[00:20:30]Obviously, I still like taking photos. I think that what made me kind of like fall out of love with it then was because at a point I was like, "All right, I'm doing this and I'm making some money from it, but I'm like creating things that I don't care about creating." Like, I was getting paid to like take pictures for people's brands and stuff like that. Like, not like huge brands or anything, just like local brands. And people would pay me to do stuff. And I'm like I would take forever to edit it and stuff like that because I'm like this is not you know I think when you start doing something to a point that like it's sucking the fun out of it. You know what I mean? And I think that's what happened with me with that. And this I'm like I'm trying not to ever let like myself lose the love that I have for making like my YouTube videos and stuff like that because sometimes I'm like I need to put myself on a strict schedule. But then I also think about like I am a human and there's es and flows and I you know always enjoy showing up here for like my YouTube community because I'm someone who loves watching YouTubers and and I feel connected to different you know YouTubers that I share interest with and I love when they post videos and I hope you know some people look at me in that way too as like a place of comfort and to just like unwind and relate. about books and just just feel cozy when watching my videos or relatable like I said. And so that's why I'm like I want to always show up here, but I don't want to ever force myself to do things. You know what I mean? Like I want I want you to realize that I want to be here. I want you to feel that I want to be here and love being here. Like I don't want to ever like, you know, I don't I don't want it to feel like a job if God willing it ever becomes a job because I'm like, you know, I wouldn't I wouldn't mind reading all day and getting paid to to make reading content.

[00:22:38]But then it's also like, let me just shut up. But we have made so much progress on the book. I literally have maybe like 50 pages left and I'm finishing that book tonight. I'm finishing that book tonight.

[00:23:02]Yummy, yummy, yummy.

[00:23:03]>> Baby llama wants a drink. Mama's at the kitchen sink.

[00:23:11]>> Run, run, run. Yeah.

[00:23:20]We got 50 pages left. It's like 9:00 at night, but I cannot let myself go to sleep with only 50 5 pages of this book left. So, what I'm thinking is I only got 5,000 steps today and I've been telling myself I'm going to try to get 10,000 steps every day. I'm like, if I read this last 50 pages, that'll be about 50 minutes on the treadmill so I can get the rest of my steps in.

[00:23:50]You picking up what I'm putting down?

[00:23:52]So, we're going to finish East of Eden on the treadmill.

[00:23:57]Multitasking.

[00:24:09]This is definitely given the Bible because Adam the father is asking, "Do you know where your brother is?" And he says a couple sentences down, "Am I supposed to look after him?" Like in the Bible, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Yes, you are. You are. Ah, I left my tabs upstairs. I need it. It's too good not to tab.

[00:24:56]Oh my god.

[00:25:34]cow.

[00:25:34]I'm done. This book made me cry way too many times. Now I'm like, I need to look and see what people were saying at the end of the in the book club for the final chapters. Like, wo. Somebody put bye.

[00:25:50]I'm going to go stare at the wall now.

[00:25:52]Yes, I need 5 to 10 business days. No, for real. Wo.

[00:25:58]So, I want to like get give a final wrap-up of this book, but I feel like this is one that I'm going to have to like marinate on for a little while, but offh hand five stars.

[00:26:12]Like I I knew in my mind that it was a five star halfway through the book despite, you know, the racial slurs. But then I was also thinking it's like it's like 1910 during the setting of this book too cuz I know I was saying like oh 1952 is when he published the book but the the setting of the book is that time. Not saying it's right. Not saying it's right. But yeah this book really just makes you think so much about like love and acceptance and just the choices that you make in your life. And like if you feel loved and seen by other people, this joint got me.

[00:26:59]It's so good. And like the last like words, I can't. Yeah.

[00:27:08]Wow. Thank you for spending the day with me. Like, wow. This will be one you have to reread. I I like this is a book where you finish it and you want to start it over immediately. Wow.

[00:27:24]I'm shook right now. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I don't know how and why this book has impacted me so much.

[00:27:36]I'm a hot mess. That's crazy. Anyh who, like I said, thank you for spending this this day with me and finishing the book with me. Please let me know if you've read this book. If you haven't, definitely read it. Wow.

[00:27:53]Yeah.

[00:27:55]Anyways, I'll see you sooner than you think. Bye.