The next item of business today is the member's business debate on motion number 12297 in the name of George Adam on fair trade fortnight 2015. This debate will be concluded without any questions being put and I would be grateful if those members who wish to speak in the debate could press the request to speak buttons now please. I call on George Adam to open the debate around seven minutes Mr Adam. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Once again, it is with great pride that I lead this debate during fair trade fortnight and sum up some of the work that we have done within the cross-party group on fair trade, which co-chair with James Kelly as well. We said last year during this debate that Scotland becoming a fair trade nation two years ago was not a destination, it was not the end. It was the start of the process for our counties, our communities, our towns, who all became part of fair trade towns and counties. That was not the end, it was only the beginning. There is so much more that we can do. There is so much work that still needs to be done. The fair trade premium provides the opportunity for education, fair pay and opportunities for families and communities throughout the world. Some of that has already been explained to us at the various events that we have had this year. The cross-party group on fair trade has met with and discussed many issues regarding fair trade in the past year. Issues such as the recently launched balasports goods are not aware, but balasports goods produce footballs and rugby balls in Pakistan, along where a lot of large manufacturers do as well. Many of you will be aware of my love of our national game and my support for sport football club, but I believe that there is still so much that we can do in sport. I think that sport is a perfect example of giving access to young people and everyone else to get involved in the fair trade movement with sports kits and sports equipment, all being produced in countries that would benefit from the fair trade premium. This year, we met with Bala and Bala explained to us what their name actually means. In Spanish, it means bullet, in Punjabi it means strength and in Gaelic it means ball. I would assume that in Punjabi the strength means that working together we can make a difference. The Spanish bullet would come from the skillful feet of a Spanish player, obviously not a Scottish one. In Scotland, we just call a ball a ball. It is our way and it is our lot in life, but Bala is a brand-new co-operative organisation that has set up to expand the availability and use of ethical-produced fair trade sports balls. In Pakistan, about 70 per cent of the world's hand-stitched balls are made there. In Bala, there are an estimated 40,000 workers involved as well. The whole idea is to make sure that we can, at every level in Scotland, ensure that they can get those types of sports equipment there. They have equipment that FIFA has proved. One of the most important things that we should look at is to make sure that we can encourage our football clubs, whether they be amateur, junior or professional, to take up the idea of using some of those balls. It can be difficult, because we are all aware that the SPFL will have sponsorship deals already, but we have to look at what is ethically the correct thing to do. If we are truly a fair trade nation, we have to look at how we do those things as well. Bala is also looking for a share offer available at the moment. It is looking for a funding target to be able to mainstream their equipment in sports and recreation throughout Scotland. Their target is £150,000. A share investment can be as little as £50, with a maximum per individual of 25, and a minimum age of a shareholder can be 11 years old. That is a perfect example of how we can make fair trade relevant to young people and people throughout Scotland as well. However, some of the things that we have heard over the years are difficult stories, and there is still a lot of work to be done. Last night, I hosted an event for the Scottish Fair Trade Foundation that was attended by the Cabinet Secretary Fiona Hyslop and visitors from nations of different stages in fair trade development. One of those individuals was Pamela Linteligent from Mauritius. She is a 44-year-old woman who has worked in manufacturing since her early teens. She started at the age of 13 and worked for three to four years as a helper before being trained as a sewing machine and started as a machinist. Her problem was that some of the equipment that was used, some of the processes that were used, were making it very difficult for her health. The fair trade premium for her was to ensure that she worked in an ethical environment and that there was protective equipment for her to use as well. She worked with Craft Aid, a non-profit-making organisation dedicated to the welfare of disabled people. The company was established in 1982. Her main objective is to provide paid employment for disabled and rehabilitate them for society. Fair trade cotton is one of the things that is a very big issue. Since 2005, fair trade cotton has been made available in the UK. Cotton products, licences and fair trade are on sale in the high street and online, but less than 1 per cent of cotton products in the UK carry the fair trade cotton mark. The potential for growth of fair trade cotton is considerable. When you meet people like Pamela Linteligent, you understand how much of a difference it makes to their lives that the fair trade premium is. We also met Charles Chavie, who is employed by the Cassithula Caingroes Association and Malawi. He has worked with them for seven years and he is a trust administrator, ensuring that everything that is adhered to with the fair trade side of things in the business. He explained to us how much of a difference it can make in their communities in making sure that access to education, making sure that young people are getting that opportunity to do something different and increasing literacy levels in low-poverty areas is making a difference in their lives. Only when you hear those stories do you know that there is a difference that fair trade can make. We also had some visitors from Palestine. Tazir and Mohammed told us that they are just farmers. They are not politicians. They have to deal with the fair trade and get their product abroad as well, but they have other issues that they have to deal with as well that are not of their making. That explained to me the difference that fair trade has made. They were just farmers, they were not politicians. Our commitment continues on this journey with fair trade, creating the type of world that we all want to live in and in the fair world and one foot of opportunity. There are many challenges, but together we can work towards that future, not just because it is right, not because it is the right thing to do, but also because we want to do ourselves an injustice and that of future generations by not giving this a try and making this opportunity. Nelson Mandela said that overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity, it is an act of justice. In closing, I would say, let us remember the words of Nelson Mandela and see what we can do to make the world a better place. Many thanks. We now turn to the open debate and its speeches of around four minutes, please. I call on Patricia Ferguson to be followed by Gordon MacDonald. Thank you, Presiding Officer. May I congratulate George Adams for securing this evening's debate and for hosting the reception that we all enjoyed so much last night, particularly on this issue, which is one where there is such consensus across the chamber. If we ever needed evidence of the fragility of farms and farming in the developing world, we only need to look at the situation in Malawi following the recent devastating flooding that occurred there. Many farmers lost their homes and are struggling to bring their land back into use. With the planting season almost over, those farmers face a precarious future, not knowing if they will be able to plant crops this year or if those crops, if planted, will flourish. That, however, is the risk for farmers throughout the developing world. It makes the fair trade premium even more important to them, and our support for the principle of fair trade is absolutely vital. It is two years since we became a fair trade nation, but that did not happen overnight, nor should it have done. It was due to the work and commitment of volunteers over the years that led churches, schools, universities, towns, cities and workplaces being recognised as supporters of fair trade and taking the issue forward. I must admit that, when I first suggested the idea of Scotland becoming a fair trade nation to the then First Minister Jack McConnell in 2005, I had some doubts as to whether it was a realistic proposition. By the time that the Fair Trade Forum was launched with Scottish executive funding in 2007, I was sure that we could collectively do it. However, the experience of farmers in Malawi tells us that we cannot rest on our laurels, and I am glad and delighted that the current Scottish Government has committed itself to the cause over the years of its time in office and has continued that funding. Over the years, the number of items carrying the fair trade logo has increased significantly, and it is now commonplace to find florist-soffering fair trade roses and other flowers, and even jewellers selling items crafted from fairly traded gold. In the Fair Trade debate in 2014, I informed the chamber of the Malawi rice challenge launched by the Lord Provost of Glasgow. This project operated on the basis that for every 90 kilos of rice sold, a rice farmer in Malawi would be able to send their child to secondary school for a year, and I reported to them that the target set by the Lord Provost was to sell enough rice to send 12 young people to school. Due to the generosity of the staff and members of the City Council and the Allios, I can advise colleagues that not 12 but 24 children in Malawi were able to be supported through school—a real achievement. This year, Glasgow City Council is continuing its promotion of Malawi rice, but it is now going further. The City Council is going to focus on fair trade footballs, and George Adams has quite rightly drawn Bala to our attention, and is combining its promotion of fair trade and healthy living and the continuing legacy of the Commonwealth Games. As we have heard, the footballs in question made by Bala are hand-stitched in factories in Pakistan and are made to FIFA international standards. No child labour is involved, and the fair trade credentials are certified by a third party. Unfortunately, I understand that the SFA is already engaged in a commercial deal that means that it cannot currently use Bala, but, hopefully, it might do in the future. The City Council will purchase and has purchased 100 of those footballs, which are branded with the logos of fair trade, the Commonwealth Games legacy, and Glasgow's 2015 green year. The balls will be used at sporting events across the city, many of them in schools, and will also be used in the Glasgow Malawi Cup to be held in June.  A supply of non-branded balls will also be available for purchase, and I should say that they are very competitively priced. The footballs have been sourced from Bala that George Adams spoke about, and that is a co-operative organisation that has had start-up assistance from the Council's co-operative Glasgow development fund, and was officially launched at Hamden stadium last week. Last year, I suggested that the Parliament shop needed to consider whether it should do more to promote fair trade, and I am very pleased to be able to note that the situation has improved. New fair trade chocolate has been commissioned, as have some other interesting items, but I do think that we still could go a little bit further. Presiding Officer, I would like to once again thank George Adams for organising the debate today, and I look forward to supporting fair trade for many years to come. Many thanks, and I now call Gordon MacDonald to be followed by Annabelle Goldie. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I also take this opportunity to thank my colleague George Adams in securing this debate. In my constituency, there are a number of communities, schools and churches that have achieved fair trade status, and I would like to take this opportunity to highlight a number of those who have achieved that fair trade status. Like Steinhouse primary school, who achieved fair trade status in 2010, since the formation of the school's fair trade committee, they have introduced healthy fair trade snacks to their tuck shop, introduced fair trade tea and coffee at the staff room, organised fair trade coffee mornings and produced awareness-raising posters in and around the school. Then is Juniper Green Community Council, who recently received a certificate of appreciation from the one-world shop in acknowledgement of the sales of fair trade products at their monthly community market. The market on Saturday had the local primary school children displaying their project on fair trade, with many of the children taking part in the community council bookmark competition to promote the subject. In Belerno, we have the Paris Church and St Mungo's Church being recognised as fair trade churches. The three schools in the village, Dean Park Primary, Harmony and Belerno High, are fair trade schools, as is a number of retailers, including Scott Mid, who was the first Scottish retailer to stock fair trade products. The Belerno Fair Trade Group have, for a number of years, organised an annual craft and coffee morning, with this year's event taking place this Saturday in St Joseph's and the Augustine hall. In previous years, the craft stalls have included wall hangings from Africa, jewellery from Columbia, rice from Malawi, bags from Nepal and embroidery from Palestine. However, my own personal favourite is the opportunity to taste fair trade wine. The hard work of all the organisations in Belerno and promoting fair trade in the community resulted in Belerno being recognised as a fair trade village in 2013 by the Fair Trade Foundation. Why is promoting fair trade important? In developing countries, independent small farmers working their own land and marketing their produce through a local cooperative are paid a price that covers the cost of sustainable production and are also paid a premium that producers can invest in development. By being able to exceed their cost of production, it allows them to improve their lives through more nutritious food, better education and access to healthcare. Then there are the fair trade producers. For example, most fair trade tea is grown in estates and the primary concern is for workers employed on tea plantations for fair wages and decent working conditions. If producers agree to pay decent wages, guarantee the right to join trade unions and provide good housing where relevant, also have health and safety as well as environmental standards and where no child or forced labour can occur. In return, they will be awarded contracts that allow for long-term planning and sustainable production practices where they can receive partial advance payments when requested. As a result, fair trade benefits workers and communities by spreading profits more equitably and stimulating the local economy. Profits are often reinvested into community projects such as health clinics, childcare and education. All of us can help the fair trade movement not only by supporting local organisations during fair trade for tonight but by stimulating demand by asking for fair trade products in shops, cafes and restaurants. We can also spread the fair trade message among our family, friends and colleagues as well as a result in assisting in small way in supporting communities in developed countries. Edinburgh is a fair trade city and Scotland has been recognised as one of the first fair trade nations, highlighting that we, the people of Scotland, share a vision of being a good global citizen and being committed to playing our part in addressing poverty. Many thanks. I now call Annabelle Goldie to be followed by David Torrance. Deputy Presiding Officer, I am delighted to be able to speak in this debate and I too thank George Adam for putting down this motion. Fair trade is unusual in that it works both in theory and in practice. It pledges fair prices for producers in developing countries and it gives power back to both producers and consumers. Many of the farmers and workers supplying necessities like food and clothing, things that we take for granted, are often themselves left without those self-same necessities. When the producers, farmers and workers, repeatedly work for poor wages, when they can be badly treated, when workers can be fired for dating to complain, fair trade offers vital protection and support. Indeed, some producers have said that it would be impossible to continue farming without fair trade. Fair trade is what it says on the tin. It is about making trade fair, ensuring decent wages and working conditions for producers and workers. That is a win-win situation for producers and workers. All that means that they can control their futures and lead a life with the dignity and respect to which everyone is entitled. Consumers have a vital role to play. Fair trade consumers have the power to change and influence communities around the world every day. I am delighted that our own Parliament shop is stocking some fair trade products. I have here a bar of Scottish Parliament fair trade chocolate, which, Deputy Presiding Officer, to save me from myself, I shall donate to Mr Adam in a gesture of fair trade solidarity. How many of us know where the fair trade products in our stores are and do we always remember to buy them? I could do a lot better and I suspect that I am not alone. I thought that George Adam had some very interesting suggestions for expanding awareness of fair trade through sport and involving young people. Young people are so important in that. I am delighted that, in the gallery, we have some pupils from St Patrick's primary in Coatbridge. It is lovely to have them here. I hope that they are enjoying the debate and finding it interesting. In my own area, Renfrewshire achieved fair trade zone status in February 2009, after a campaign led by the Renfrewshire Council, by local fair trade groups, by schools, churches and businesses. Renfrewshire also has a fair trade steering group that is set up to increase awareness of fair trade across Renfrewshire, and Rainbow Turtle is an important retailer of fair trade products. Even before that, in May 2007, my home village of Bishopton was the first village in Renfrewshire to be awarded fair trade village status. I think that not even Mr Adam can try and eclipse that in terms of a local achievement. However, that achievement recognises the hard work and commitment of local people to do what they can to help. Paisley, Renfrew, Johnston, Lochwinnock and Cobarken all in Renfrewshire have achieved fair trade status. That is a very useful indicator and a very useful encouragement to other communities as to what can be achieved when the will is there and the desire to support this tremendous initiative. As Patricia Ferguson and others have said, in February 2013 Scotland became a fair trade nation. As we are all consumers, everyone can do something to support fair trade. Fair trade fortnight is an ideal opportunity to show our support to the producers and workers around the world. We can all play a part, and we can get involved in fair trade fortnight by buying or consuming fair trade products. Safe in the knowledge that every fair trade product purchased goes towards helping farmers and workers in some of the poorest parts of the world, giving real support, real encouragement and real guidance and help for a more positive and sustainable future. Many thanks and I now call David Torrance to be followed by James Kelly. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I would like to thank George Adam for bringing his motion to Parliament and for hosting the fair trade reception last night. I welcome his opportunity to speak about fair trade and the fair trade fortnight 2015. Celebrating Scotland's second anniversary of a fair trade nation, I want to highlight some of the work that has been done in Scotland and in my constituency of Kirkcaldy. In promoting fair trade and encouraging public bodies, business families and individuals to purchase their fair trade products. According to a world trade organisation, world trade has grown by a yearly average of 5.3 per cent over the past 20 years. Flourishing global trade has also led to an increase in metrodise being imported from developing countries such as bananas, sugar, coffee and cocoa. Today, we consume these items on a daily basis. However, as a responsible citizen and consumer, we need to ask where those products come from, who produced them and under what conditions. By fostering the relationship between the consumer and the developed world and the producers in developing countries, fair trade aims to spread this message. The fair trade mark indicates that a product includes ingredients that are produced by mostly small-scale farming organisations. They must also apply fair trade to social, economic and environmental standards set out by the fair trade labouring organisation international. Compliance with ease regulations is checked on a regular basis. What is the standard of such a great importance? Ensure that farmers are paid enough to sustain a living for them and their families. In regions such as many African countries, small-holder food producers are a backbone of the agriculture sector, growing 70 per cent of all produce. By securing a decent livelihood for them is essential. Apart from income stability, fair trade promotes workers' rights, environmental sustainability and demographic governance among co-operators. As was mentioned by George Adam in the Scottish Fair Trade Forum, engaged with the public and their country on the issue of fair trade. Established in 2007 by campaigners, Scotland-based non-government organisations and the Scottish Government, the Scottish Fair Trade Forum campaign has been a great success. Fair trade town groups in Scotland are continuously growing. From shoppers across Scotland to school child who wears a fair trade cotton uniform and many of the fair trade town groups, I believe that their work has made an incredible impact. Before concluding, I also want to highlight some fair trade initiatives in my constituency of Kirkcaldy. One of our local high schools, St Andrew's RC Kirkcaldy High School, has established a fair trade committee. Speaking out against unequivocal clothing, people have decided to launch a fair trade cotton hoodies project. They are leading that they have the ability to make a change. Young people for St Andrew's High School sourced hoodies from opponent clothing, a company that has helped over 4,000 farmers guarantee a fair and adequate price for their cotton. For students in eekerness to engage with the fair trade effers, it is truly inspiring for a more informed generation of consumers. Greener Kirkcaldy, a local community organisation in my area, has also been extremely active in promoting fair trade. In the rico shop located in Kirkcaldy High Street hub, Greener Kirkcaldy sells fair trade samples, including tea, coffee, sugar and chocolate, along with other fair trade products. Celebrating this year's fair trade fortnight, Greener Kirkcaldy is offering refreshments to curious consumers who would like to try some of the fair trade products. In conjunction, they are providing information and trying to convince other local businesses and organisations to switch to fair trade. From tomorrow, they are also organising a free screening of the film Fair Trade Matters in their High Street hub. While the examples mentioned show how far we have come as a fair trade nation, a lot still needs to be done, recognising that only 1 per cent of cotton produced in the UK carry a fair trade mark and the on-going price wars have seen a 40 per cent decrease in the UK retail banana prices. Further awareness needs to be created, paying for the full value of these products and further enhancing working conditions need to remain a priority. Lastly, despite those challenges, I am certain that Scotland will continue to be a leading advocate in the fair trade campaign and to educate partishers across the country to make simple changes by buying fair trade produce. I am delighted to participate in this afternoon's member's debate. I congratulate George Adam, my convener of the cross-party group on fair trade in bringing the debate to the chamber. There can be no doubt that, if the test or the measure of what you are seeking to achieve in life as in politics is making a difference, fair trade is something that can be demonstrated as a real tangible success. If you look at the impact of fair trade, whether you are a farmer, producer or worker in the countries that produce fair trade products, it has made a real difference and it has really grown since the concept took off. I suppose that the test for us here in Scotland is examining the difference that we have made in encouraging that trade to those countries. I think that the driver for a lot of that success has been the Scottish Fair Trade Forum, which was initiated in January 2007. I think that tribute goes to those involved in those initial discussions, including my colleague Patricia Ferguson. If you look just now at the work that the director Martin Rhodes carries out in terms of educating people on fair trade and also launching successful campaigns, they really have made a difference. Part of that has been working really closely with the cross-party group in the Parliament that George Adam has mentioned. George Adam and Patricia Ferguson mentioned the Ball of Football campaign, which was the focus of a recent discussion at the cross-party group in fair trade. Hopefully, those discussions have helped raise the profile of that campaign. Patricia Ferguson gave a practical example of that in the way in which that campaign has been marketed and supported within Glasgow City Council. We have also had a number of challenging discussions at the cross-party group in fair trade. David Torrance had mentioned trademarks, which is a big issue in terms of getting trademarks established and accrediting people to use the trademarks. I remember one very interesting discussion at the cross-party group where we were challenged as to whether that was all being handled properly. I suppose that the test in Scotland, as Annabelle Goldie said, how can we make a difference in our own local areas? Like others, I want to pay tribute to those who have made a real difference in local communities. In Rutherglen and Cambuslang, I am delighted to say that they have been accredited with fair trade status. That goes down to the work of the local fair trade group and the local churches and schools that participate in that. I particularly want to highlight the work of Stonewall High School, one of the most successful fair trade groups in the country, which started off with £100 grant, but has raised more than £180,000 for fair trade products. That goes to Isabel Gilchrist, the teacher who has been with the group since the start. The group recently has been recognised twice in the past year with getting community awards and awards at a national level. That shows the difference in promoting that at a local level and selling that £185,000 worth of fair trade goods. The work that local people are doing and how that links in to helping the farmers, producers and workers of the countries that are participating in the schemes. I congratulate George Adam again on bringing the motion to the chamber and giving great credit to all the local groups, not only in my constituency, but throughout Scotland, who work tirelessly on behalf of fair trade. Can I now invite Fergus Ewing to respond to the debate, minister? Seven minutes or so, please. Presiding Officer, thank you very much. I congratulate George Adam on bringing forward this motion today, as he did indeed do so before on this topic a year ago. For the work that he and his colleagues do on the cross-party group on fair trade to which James Kelly has quite rightly alluded, which plays a major part in this Parliament's proceedings. Mr Adam is therefore to be congratulated in his work on this issue, as are all other members who are taking it forward. He is also, of course, a denizen of Paisley and an enthusiastic supporter of all matters relating to Paisley, including its football team. I was slightly surprised to notice that it took him as long as one minute and twenty-four seconds before alluding to Saint Mirren, and I am sure that he will be cheered by the fact that he will next be able to consume courtesy of Ms Goldie in the gift of a bar of chocolate when he is supporting them on the terraces at their next outing. On 25 February 2013, the minister for Europe and international development announced that Scotland had achieved fair trade nation status. That followed the report, Can Scotland Call itself a Fair Trade Nation, which was submitted by the Scottish Fair Trade Forum and considered by an independent panel of experts. The forum had been awarded a total of £787,000 since 2007 from the Scottish Government to take forward the campaign, with a further £442,000 up to and including 2017, in order to build support for fair trade across all sections of Scottish society. We were prompted to action by the Fair Trade Forum quite rightly. I think that, as a Government, as a Parliament, we have responded to that call. The question should be asked, what does fair trade nation status actually mean for Scotland? Being awarded the status demonstrates our commitment to playing our part in making a real difference to some of the world's most vulnerable people, as various members have quite rightly described. I think that the people of Scotland have shown in supporting the fair trade campaign that we are a caring nation determined to do what we can to see that workers in the developing world are paid a fair price for their goods, so that they can shape their futures and those of their families for the better. Many members have referred to the local achievement of status of a fair trade town. Over the past 12 months, I have advised that that has been achieved by Ciri Muirstone, Haven, Wishaw, Aberlawer-based N, will Guy Elgin, Oddingston, Fault House and my apologies to any that I have inadvertently omitted. I think that this is therefore a cause that has gained traction across the whole country and indeed most communities positively engaging with that. Indeed, also, references have been made, Presiding Officer, to a school from your own constituency, St Patrick's, who quite rightly chose to leave before this part of the proceedings. However, there have been around 200 schools that have participated. I think that this is really perhaps the crux of matters so far, as I can see in possession of a six-year-old child that children are instinctively keen on learning more about the world than those who are less fortunate than ourselves. Therefore, the work that is done in schools by their teachers with the support of their parents is to be commended and is perhaps the most important thing of all. However, the work of the churches, too, should be recognised. It is important to say that, over the past eight years, awareness of fair trade has grown amongst people in Scotland to 87 per cent in 2013. Where 87 per cent of people are aware of something, that is a very high level of awareness. It is proof positive that this is not just a paper theoretical cause, it is something that has ignited a spark of interest based on a sense of decency throughout the country. We have, to respond to Patricia Ferguson's point about the Malawi floods, provided some funding £150,000 for the Malawi floods response. I understand that Mr Yusif, to respond to Mr Adam's rather prolonged reference to footballs during his speech, we have met with, Mr Yusif has met with Bala, and we understand that 100 fair trade rugby balls have been purchased for Bala for the Milan Expo event on 27 March. That is positive. Lots of specific events and constituencies have been referred to quite rightly in this debate by a number of members participating. In my constituency, the Inverness fair trade group has been working extremely hard during fair trade fortnight to promote fair trade in our area, organising and supporting events, including coffee mornings and other activities. In closing, perhaps I should say that what we do yesterday has been good, but it is what we do tomorrow that counts. The fact that there has been such an excellent support across the chamber for this cause demonstrates that it is in good hands. It is not a cause that has been neglected but one that has been taken up actively by, as all irrespective of our viewpoints on matters, we all agree that the cause of fair trade is one that we can all support, unite in and use the powers, the resources and the opportunities that we have in Scotland to try, indeed, to make the world a fairer place. Many thanks minister. That concludes George Adam's debate on fair trade fortnight 2015, and I now suspend this meeting of Parliament until 2.30pm.


I don't know what this channel needs. More metamistries. Hello friends, how are we doing? Today I'm gonna be doing a vlog that I do every single year around this time and that is reading metamistries for a week. I love metamistries, you love metamistries, we all love metamistries. And metamistries are so autumnal to me. So this is a video I do every year around October and November time where I just spend a week reading three metamistries that I'm very excited to read. So that's all we're gonna be doing. I'm determined that we're gonna get a five-star in this video because A, I want more five-stars in my life and B, metamistries are just the most fun to read ever and I love them and they're amazing and they're the best subgenre ever to exist. So shall we just get into what we're gonna be reading? First book is one that I am ridiculously excited to read. You have not probably heard anything about this because it's not out yet. It comes out in February next year but I am not waiting any longer to read it and that is the Antique Hunters Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller. This is an arc I very kindly got sent. There we go, that's the title in the back. And I spoke about this on my end of year book tag that I just did, but if you don't know me, I love Bargain Hunt, which is a show about antiques. No, I don't think you understand. I'm up for that. It's like my favorite show. I watch it every day at lunchtime. It's my lunchtime, turn my brain off viewing and I love it. And this is a metamistry set around antiques. It says, what antique would you kill for? Oh my God. I love like antique collectors, killing people for antiques. Oh my God, I love it. I'm so excited. This feels like a book that was written for me. This is my number one five star prediction for this video because it just feels like the author sat down and was like, I need to write a book for Megan. I need to write a book for Megan. I sat down with the president of Disney Channel and I said, I wanna make history. And that's what this is. So we're gonna be reading this in this vlog and I just literally cannot wait. It is a debut, but the author is a daughter of one of the most famous experts on the show, Antiques Roadshow. So I just have great beliefs for this. I think I'm gonna love it. I am so excited. That is our first book. Then we have a book I wasn't planning on starting any time soon. If you watched October's TBR Cludeau, you'll see that out of the TBR jar, I picked the Marlowe Murder Club by Robert Thurgood and I tried to get out of it.  No, I'm not allowed. I know I'm not allowed. It's not allowed. I have to read. You all guys, you all told me in the comments. I have to read the Marlowe Murder Club by Robert Thurgood. So we're gonna be reading in this vlog, which I'm very excited for. We're following 77-year-old Judith Potts, who lives a happy life. One evening while out swimming in the Thames, Judith witnesses a brutal murder. The local police don't believe her story, so we recruit two friends to look into it with her. And I have heard really good things about this. I've heard it's funny.  There's this genre of books of murder mysteries here in the UK, especially, of old characters solving murder mysteries that have sprung up after the Thursday Murder Club had its success. So I am always a bit wary of these that came out after Thursday Murder Club, but I am very excited. I'm very excited. I've heard a lot of good things about this one. And then since we are starting a new series, let's not even talk about that. I don't even wanna know how bad the situation is right now, but I am gonna make progress in another series to kind of balance the scales. And I'm gonna be reading A Very Lively Murder by Katie Watson. I love the color for this. I think it's so cute. If you don't know, this is the sequel to The Three Darlias, where it's this book about these three women who have played this famous detective, this famous female detective over time. And the first book is set a fan convention at the author's estate and murder starts happening. And in this one, one of the women, in the first book she'd just been cast to play this detective. And I think she is at her first movie as this famous detective. And murder starts happening on the set of the movie and the other women go and try and help her. But I am very excited. I mean, look at it. Look at the house. I'm so excited. I really loved The Three Darlias. The book just felt like a love language to the murder mystery genre. It was obviously written by someone who loves murder mysteries. And so I'm really excited to continue on with this series because I loved it. So those are the three books we are gonna be reading in this vlog. Three murder mysteries. And I'm so excited to get started. And we are gonna find a five star. I'm determined. I'm determined that we're gonna find a five star in this video. I am gonna start with the antique hunters guide to murder. I cannot wait any longer to read this. I am so excited. Please pray for me that I love this as much as I am hoping that I will. Because I just think the amount of buzzwords will get into the plot a little bit once I've read a little bit. But the amount of buzzwords for me in this book is crazy. So let's go ahead and start it. I have got a strong king headache. You know, you just, I think I've been looking at screens too long today. It's like bear with if I'm not talking the best. But I really wanna tell you about this book. So I am 60 pages in, but the font in this arc is tinnitus. It's so small, it's like a bit of fun. I don't know if you can tell. This is like quite a large book. It's larger than your average paperback. And it's just tiny font. So I reckon even though this is only 240 pages, the arc, I reckon the physical will be like 300, 320, something around that. Cause the font, maybe even longer cause the font is so small in this. So what we need to know about this is a fine character who's mentor, who she has like, you know, they fell out. Her antiques mentor is, he dies and her aunt, who still lives in the town that he was best friends with him still, is like babes. There's something sus going on here and they find a note from him to them giving them clues to find out what's happened. And like, I think someone's trying to do this to me or whatever. And like, so it's clear who's made it. And he's giving them clues to like solve what was happening rather than just telling them straight up cause he's like, the letter could fall into the wrong hand. So there's a bit of drama and it's set in a quaint English town and I'm really enjoying it. It's a debut.  You know what I mean? There's just moments where the writing feels like they've gone on a writing course and they're like, hee hee, look at my great descriptors. You know what I mean? But for the most part, I'm really enjoying it. The main character isn't the most fleshed out but like, I don't need that. The setting is nice, the plot is moving along fast, good pace, I mean, treat by the mystery and I'm just loving the antiques element of it. Like, I'm loving it. As a bargain hunt super fan, super fan, I'm like, it mentions like G-plan tables or G-plan chairs. I'm like, G-plan, yeah, that old thing, child's play. Excuse me, I'm a genius. Or when there's like antiques that I don't know mentioned, there were like these bird sculptures mentioned and I like was like looking them up on Google, like, oh yeah. Like doing my antiques research. I don't know, I'm really enjoying that element of it so I knew I would. But I just think it's, I love it.  I think it's been set up really well initially. Listen, I've only read 60 pages but I do think this is my kind of thing. It seems like a really nice mystery. I'm not like getting five star, five star, five star flashing alarm bells yet. But I am getting, yeah, I'm really enjoying this and this is easy to read and I'm having fun and this is an enjoyable read alarm bells. Those famous alarm bells. And I get, it says meets Indiana Jones. I should have like predicted maybe we're gonna go, maybe we're gonna be jet-setters, I don't know. There seems to be dimensions of Cairo, stuff happening in Cairo with the antiques. It's very intriguing. So yeah, I'm enjoying it and not like, oh my God, I'm gonna die, it's amazing. But who knows, there's already 60 pages in and I think for a debut, so far the pace and the plot, the characters, the mystery, the intrigue, the setting is all pretty good. I've read a little bit more of the anti-cunters guide to murder but I thought before we get any further into the video I wanna chat to you about the sponsor of today's video which is Serious Readers. You guys know, I love my Serious Light, you just saw me using it in the previous clip and I, for those of you who haven't heard me talk about this before, I can't tell you how much I love it. I use it every single night if I am reading without fail. It now doesn't feel right if it's a dark outside. Even if it's like, it's like, what time is it right now? It's three o'clock when I'm feeling this. It's still kind of gloomy and dark outside now the autumn is here. So I've got a ring light on me but I would still use it like at this time of the day as well. Last night I was actually on reading sprints at my desk with my patrons and I had to take it from the side of my bed to over by my desk. So I was sitting there like, this isn't right. I need a Serious Light. 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I always say with murder mysteries, like if a character has a strong, like is portraying a strong archetype in a murder mystery, like the rich granddad, oh do you know what I mean? Like there's certain roles that come up again and again in murder mysteries. And I always say like, if they're portraying that, I don't mind if they don't have much depth. God, where is the depth? Where is the depth? Where is the depth? I don't know who any of them are. I don't have any feelings towards any of them. I don't care about any of them. Ha. Oh no, this has now gone downhill. I'm really sad. This is supposed to be a five star. What is going on? Like I don't, and I think it's so, it's kind of just Blair. Like I don't really have many thoughts cause I'm reading it and I'm just like, okay. Like it's fine. It's, I don't think it's terrible. There is some issues. You know, I mentioned the writing feeling a bit debu-y. There is some issues with the writing that are persisting. It just feels a little bit metadramatic. Like at the end of every chapter there's like a, I swallow the fear and tampon it down and emerge strong. Or like just so dramatic, over dramatic language. Like at the end of every chapter and I'm over it. I am over it. Like where, let me try and find an example. But Arthur's clues and their connections to the past were making that day crash into me over and over again. Girl. I'm just not loving. I'm not loving it. I'm not loving it. And I like, I only want to talk about it cause this was supposed to be a five-star prediction and I don't know what I'm supposed to do with myself. I literally could not care less around what happens to the mystery. Like the mystery was all in this town and then it moved to the manor house and they were like, the murderer's here. All the clues are here. Everything we need to know is here. It just felt a bit like disingenuous. It didn't feel like the plot rose at its natural course, if you know what I mean. So, yes, I'll check on you once I finished it. But right now I'm feeling pretty disappointed. I don't even know, I don't even know what to say. I don't want to talk about it, guys. I wish that I could just disappear. I actually don't know how to move on from this. I don't know how to live my life. I don't know how to exist. I don't know how to like proceed forward in my life because I thought this would be five stars. I thought it was a book. I've been saying for weeks, for months. Oh, this is a book written for me, written for me. Oh, it was written with me in mind with the antiques and the murder mystery. It's been the worst week of my life actually. Oh, I'm so sorry. I think I would have been better off if I had never known this book existed. And I think this is gonna be a really big release next year if I had to predict, but I'm giving it two stars. In terms of the way that the mystery unfolded, it was simultaneously very convenient, very convenient things happening, like them realizing some obscure clue at the perfect moment in a way that didn't feel earned. Or, yeah, things happened conveniently, but also incredibly complex. I could not follow the layers of this mystery. I think actually it wasn't even that it was complex. It was, but it wasn't. I mean, I had like complex mysteries with layers, et cetera, but it was explained in a way where I could not follow what was going on. Like it was not written well. The explanations were so convoluted and like tripping up over themselves. I really don't think that the explanations for like why everything was the way it was and how it was related to the past and how this act, this person is related to that. And this person happened to that. And like it was too, it wasn't explained well.  Oh my God. I don't know how to explain it, although then it was so difficult to wrap your head around what was happening and why it was happening and keep track of it.   It's the truth. As to like why that was the explanation. Like nothing in this felt exciting. No reveal felt exciting. And it felt like nothing happened. Like I read some reviews. There's quite a lot of good early reviews for this. And I read some reviews and they were like, oh, the pacing's really good. Nothing happens. We're in this one house for like after the 100 page mark and it's not even interesting. It's nothing. I'm not invested in any character. I don't think any of the characters were done well. Like they are all so forgettable. Like we are just in this one house and nothing happens. I don't understand. I think I looked it up. The like final copy of this is 380 pages. This is a fairly unmodified mystery and I felt it. It dragged, it dragged. Also just a little thing that I think bothered me. It's difficult with this kind of thing to tell. But the majority of the book we follow Freya's perspective and her perspective talking first person. But we do get into some other character's perspectives here and there. And they're always in third person. And I just think that switch sometimes was a bit jarring like subconsciously. I didn't necessarily notice it consciously but I just don't think that switch was done well. I don't know. I don't mind it. Like for example, I think I'm right in saying in the Thursday matter club most of it's in third person but Joyce's director is in first person. Like that's okay. But like, I just don't know. It's something about it in this one didn't work for me. I didn't love the writing. I'm devastated. I actually like, what is the point anymore? I have been pushed to the limit with this. I will not also, turns out, I discovered this on Sprint so my page runs the other night. Turns out this is a series on the last page introduced to book two, which I felt a little bit betrayed by because at that point I was still thinking like, oh, I'm gonna love this. And I thought I was reading a standalone.  Not everything has to be a series. Not everything has to be a series. Like get over yourselves. Not everything has to be a series. So I need to say I won't be continuing on with this series. The last page is like book two.  But next I am going to start the Marlowe Matter Club by Robert Thorogood. And I have higher hopes for this one and the rest of the vlog because so many of you have told me that you've read and loved this and that you think I'll love it because I love Thursday Matter Club. Even though I'm a little bit like side-eyed over like, you know, the Marlowe Matter Club, the Thursday Matter Club. Like, you know, we need some originality up in here but I'll put it aside. And then a very lovely murder. Obviously I really enjoyed the three dahlia.  I actually like can't get over it. Anyways. You guys are gonna be infinitely pleased to know I am having such a better luck with the Marlowe Matter Club. I am loving it. I am loving it. I can look past the fact that it is, you know, it's one of the books that sprung up in the UK, these cozy murder mysteries following elderly characters in a quaint English village that sprung up after the success of Thursday Matter Club. I can look past it. I can forgive it, it sins. Do you know what? The fact that it's got like, I mean, it's got a red cover. So color-wise it's very, I mean, look at it. It's very similar to the first book. But like decisions like this, like the title and the fact that the covers look similar is down to the publisher. Because the publisher, people publish it all the time, right? People are gonna see this. This is more when this just come out and this has just come out. People will see this and think it's the Thursday Murder Club because it's got such a similar name and title that go, oh, is that the book everyone's talking about? Oh, I should pick it up. It's a conspiracy theory that I'm actually interested in. The same thing I remember for ages. Did you guys remember the covers of The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer? Because Marissa Meyer and Stephanie Meyer like will be next to each other in the, in the, in the, although they wouldn't be in the same section, would they? Would Twilight be in the way? I'm not sure. But like the covers were literally like it had an apple. So again, people may confuse it, you know? Publishers do this all the time. So I can forgive it. So basically all you need to know is that we're following a 77-year-old Judith Potts who she's a bit eccentric, right, Judith? She's like, everyone knows her. She likes to wear a cape as she's cycling. Everyone knows her in the town. She's a bit eccentric. And she witnesses a murder happen of her neighbor in the River Thames which like they're swimming in the River Thames. I get, they're not in London. They're like on the outskirts of London. But like, I don't know. But to be fair, where near where I live is the estuary. Like where the Thames feeds into the sea and people swim there. But like that's not as bad. Like I can't imagine swimming in like in the centre of London Thames. But I don't know what the Thames in Marlowe would be like. I was like. Anyways, yeah. So she witnesses a murder and she is like, girlies, we need to solve this. In the story so far, she has kind of banded up with these two very unlikely friends. One is the vicar's wife, Bex, who is a character that I am really glad to see in another mystery. You have a lot of these characters. Like Judith, we've seen some of the characters where it's like an eccentric old lady or we have Susie who's a bit like just chaos follows. But Bex is like, you know, she shops in John Lewis like middle class mum.  But more to that, she reminds me of my friend's mum's growing up who like she has Emma Bridgewater, kettle, mugs, plates. Like I don't know. I don't even translate if you're not from the UK. But she's like middle class mum, right? Who like drives a four by four and whatever. And I just think it's fun seeing a character like that in a murder mystery. But this book is very funny. It's very funny and so much has happened, right? My problem really with the anti-counters guide to murder was like, we were having the same conversations over and over again. And just like nothing was happening. These conversations just kept happening. I'm hearing the same conversation over and over and over again. And it meant that there was no plot. The book has taken up with like literally word for word some conversations happen like three times. Whereas I feel like so much has already happened in this book. I feel like in a cozy-ish murder mystery in a quaint English town unless it's like the one location is really playing up on the isolation and like we're trapped here and whatever. I think it's a bit, which it isn't in the anti-counters guide to murder. I think it's a bit boring to like just be in one setting whereas in this we're going to this house and we're going to church and we're going to this park. I don't know if we have, but like we're going around the town. And I think that variety, it adds a bit of light and shade, right? I feel like in terms of plot, variety, anti-counters guide to murder didn't have any light and shade. It was one note, Gally's, it was very one note. Yeah, I'm finding this so easy to read. I'm loving the writing style and loving the characters. It's an intriguing murder mystery. It is very similar to this. So I think if you have enjoyed this, you will enjoy this. I'm like, this could get a five star from me. It's going to be a four or five. It's not going to be anything less than a four. It can be a four, four point five or a five. I think this author wrote a TV show. I don't know. It just reads very like you can imagine the settings. Like I feel like it's very doing a good job of like creating imagery without overwrought descriptions or stuff. And it's funny. I'm having a great time reading it. Oh, and the audio book is great. I'm listening to it. I've read most of this via the audio book so far and the audio book is wonderful. I've really, really been enjoying the audio book. I was like, I was stuck in traffic for like an hour this morning. Let me tell you the audio book made it okay. I was like sitting there. Everyone has to probably like so angry at this traffic. I'm like, Ms. Judith out and about. So anyways, I'm going to go ahead and finish it and I'll check in with you once I have. But yeah, the vlog is, we're much more on a successful path now. There's a guy just like right outside the window. I'm hoping he hasn't looked. Finished the Marlowe Meta Club by Robert Tharagud and it's not a five star, it's a four star. It's a strong, solid, very recommendable four star but it's not a five star. I hate to say it, I'm sorry. I really enjoyed this. I thought the end reveal of like who the murderer is was actually, it's really clever. I thought it was done really, really well. I think there is an element of this reveal that it's kind of like what you are thinking like underneath like in your subconscious the whole time. Like it doesn't feel, well elements of it felt surprising, but elements of it felt like, okay, that's what I was thinking all along which is I think a satisfying ending for a murder mystery because you're kind of like, you feel like, oh, you figured something out, also you feel shocked. But I think, you know, if you enjoy Thursday Meta Club, this is very, very similar. It's along with similar lines. It's got similar writing styles, got similar characters, it's got a similar vibe to it. For what? I'm you. But it's not the Thursday Meta Club. But if you're wanting more of that vibe, I think out of everything I've read that's like murder mystery following early characters that I, you know, that have sprung up since Thursday Meta Club. This is the best one I've read of that. I think the writing is great. I think our main characters are great. I think it's really compelling individual storylines that make me excited to read the next one. So I am going to continue with this series. I'm like, yeah, I think I just got to murder. So we are adding a book to my series list, but I knew, I mean this one I knew. Whereas the other one was a shock, I was duped. The kind of like reveal, it was very dramatic, right? In a storm and it was a well done storm. I read another, what was it? Oh, the golden spoon and that storm was not a good storm because there was no storm, but there was a storm. Whereas this one, it felt like very high stakes. Drama was great. I really enjoyed it. I really, really enjoyed it. Really good layering of the mystery, really good like, you know, different mysteries or kind of come together at the end, which I enjoy. And again, like the pacing was great. So much happened, right? Like I said, I don't want to keep comparing it, but like I will. The anti-kindness guy to murder. Like, I feel like there was five scenes throughout that book. Whereas I couldn't even begin to tell you all the different moments and little scenes that we had in this book, which really made it for me. So I would really recommend this. Like I said, the best version of a Therese medical profile. Is that mean? I think that's about mean, but the best version of that that I've read. So onto our final book now, which is A Very Lively Murdered by Katie Watson. Like I said, this is the sequel to The Three Darliers, which was a four star, but like it was a very strong four star. Like a 4.25, 4.5 for me. I really, really loved it. Where I will get into the plot, but we're following three characters who have played Lady Detective Dahlia Lively. And I think we're following Posey in this one who is on her first Dahlia Lively movie and murder starts occurring on set, which I think is a very fun idea. Like deaths. I mean, shortly after the first death, it would get shut down. Oh, let's be realistic. I'm not sure how like the realisticness of this is gonna work, but yeah. No, I'm very excited to dive back into this world. I'm, you know, when the first book of the series has been a four star, I never predict the next one will be a five star, but sometimes that does happen because you get more into the world and into the characters. So we'll see.  I just want more four, five stars. Gosh, let's play a violin. Anyways, yeah, I'm gonna go start this and I'll check on you probably when I'm halfway because it is a second in a series. I probably won't have as much that I can say that isn't a bit spoilery. But that is a good thing about murder mysteries, like murder mystery series, is that you never really can spoil the first one because you're following just the same characters on a new murder mystery. It's not like a fantasy series where like, you know, you'd spoil everything in the first one, but I'll see you when I'm halfway through. I only hear about my appearance. It's like, I'm debating whether I take my hair down, but it might actually, okay, then we're just gonna try it.  It's been a long day, I've been for a walk, done yoga, and you know, we went for a walk in the cold and the wind. Right, let's talk about the book, shall we? Anyways, I just want you to ignore how I look. So I am halfway through a very lively murder and I'm really enjoying it, guys. There's something about this series that is so comforting. Like I always did with the first one. I don't think this is gonna be a five star. The first one wasn't a five star. I didn't think many people would read it and go, oh, if you have a high five star threshold as me would read it and be like, oh, that's a five star. But it does what it's trying to do so well and it's just lovely. This book, you could really read it as a standalone. There's references to the first book and what happened, but they don't spoil the resolution of the mystery.  There's characters who are in the first one, but it doesn't spoil who did it. And this, Posey and Rosalind, who are the youngest and oldest of the Dalias, are in the new Dalia Lively film in which Posey is, this is her first one, is Dalia Lively. And weird stuff starts occurring. So first you have a casting director who like disappears on the first day of doing a tail droid and she walks into a cupboard almost and people see her go in and no one sees the door like her leave that room. But then when they look in there, she's not in there.  But people are like, I know it's a bit, that's setting off my alarm bells. That's suspicious. That's weird. Anyone suddenly who disappears and he's posting pictures of a desert, but like she's not in them. I'm like, hmm, says that. And then Rosalind starts getting threatening messages and things start happening that make them think that her life is in danger. So the camera light falls on her and like almost, she almost dies, almost gets brain from that. And then one day a real knife is been swapped out with a prop knife. And so they call up the other Dahlia and then she comes and meets them on set. And I'm loving the setting. Oh, and then there's a girl dies in like a hit and run. Another one of the actresses dies in a hit and run. So we've got all these kinds of elements of the mystery converging. And you're wondering, is the same person behind them? Is different people behind them? And I think the setting is great. It's set in like this rural town in Wales and they're using this manor house to film. And the film set is I think an interesting set if you're into that. Some people are into that, but I think it's done really well. The way that the casting, like the director would act and like all these different people would act and like the intricacies of a film set I think has been really interesting as a setting. And like I said, I think the writing, this is lovely. Oh, another thing in the three Dahlia's we had their three perspectives but they each made up like a third of the book. So the first third was like posy or whatever. At the end, they're like switching between perspectives. We're switching between perspectives the whole time in this. So it's not like it's the whole third of the book with posy perspective. Mid chapter, we switch between perspectives. And I think that the perspectives are done well. I think they've got just enough difference in narrative voice to me not to complain. It's not a massive one. It's more a difference in what the themes that the character thinks about and like the slant that they put on the mystery. Each of them have different personal circumstances that mean they look at it in a slightly different way. But I love these girlies. I love that we're following three women from like three different generations kind of uniting as friends to uncover this mystery. I think the setting is great. I think the pacing is great. I'm going to keep comparing everything to and you can't do that to me. Because again, so much has happened. And like, I don't know. Sometimes multi-perspectives can be an issue for me but that's when we're following different storylines. They're all following the same storyline. I think the addition of the character has been great. Like the little inn and tavern and like the place they're staying at is a very vivid setting. And like the, I can imagine where they're staying and the town they're ever in and the people that live in the town. There's just something about the writing that feels very comforting in this and very cozy and very lovely. And there's definitely, I think it's going to be a comfort series for me. So this could, I don't think it would be a five but it may be a 4.5 in that this series might become greater than some of its parts for me, if that makes sense. Where like the individual books are like always like a four-ish but like I view the series as a whole very, very fondly. So you know, I always say if you love metamistries this does feel like a love letter. The first one more so, but a love letter to the genre. And I just really like these characters. I'm really enjoying it. I'm going to finish it tonight and let you know what I think. So I've seen this came out a couple of months ago and it's only got 200 ratings on Goodreads.  It's like weekend read. Do you know what I mean? I think it's very, very lovely. So yeah, I'll check in with you in the morning once I finished it. Good morning. I finished a very lovely murder by Katie Watson and I'm going to give this four stars, right? I really enjoyed it. It's a kind of four-star way for like, oh, I have no notes. I just had like a fun time reading it, you know? At this point, I don't have anything to talk about. There's nothing that I want to say. Like, it was fun. It was a good time. I'm glad I've made progress in the series. It kind of feels to me like the Lady Hardcastle mysteries. Those are a bit cozier than this. This isn't, this is like cozy, but I mean that's like uber cozy. It's like the coziest I'll go in Lady Hardcastle mysteries. But you know, it does feel like just a nice read but it's not doing anything groundbreaking. And I do feel like more and more nowadays. I mean, as we know this year, I've had like incredibly high bar for five stars. Like, I haven't been giving a lot of five stars out. I just feel like increasingly a book has to do something new and innovative and like surprise me to get a five star. Do you know what I mean? I don't know. So anyways, I really enjoyed this. I also feel like I was leaning at some points to like a 4.5 or whatever, but I settled on a four because the ending, like the resolution, it wasn't a resolution that felt unsatisfying. Like it was fine, but it didn't feel particularly satisfying afterwards. It was just like, okay, that's the resolution. Like in terms of who the murderer was, like that's wrapped up. Okay, but I do think this series deserves a lot more praise and attention. Like I haven't really heard anyone read this. Like anyone I follow, anyone, I haven't heard anyone I follow read this. And I do think it deserves a lot more love. And I know already there's a third one confirmed. And I'm interested to see where the story goes. I do think though, I don't know if this series would benefit from being like, I feel like there's a lot of mystery series now that are gonna go on forever. Like there's no metal clubs gonna go on forever, right? I'm not sure these characters and their storylines would benefit from that. I do want this to be wrapped up. I'd say max four books. Like I only really want two more books in this series. I don't want it to go on forever. And I don't think their characters would benefit from that, you know? And I feel like it is starting to lean that way. Like, oh, they just have a mystery. They investigate every single, you know, every single book is a different mystery and it could go on forever. I don't think that's what the characters need. I feel like they do need a bit of like an end resolution at some point, but we haven't picked this series up. If you like, there's a metal club. If you like, Janice Halle, if you like, like if you like mysteries, you know, that kind of genre of mysteries, I would recommend giving this a go because it is a lovely read and I had a great time reading it. So one sec, let me get the other books. In this vlog, we had two solid four stars and one incredibly disappointing two stars. I don't even wanna like begin to talk about a guy who's just watching me as he walked past the window. That's nice. We don't even need to talk about this. It was like beyond disappointing. Like I'm heartbroken, like anyways. But yeah, I really enjoyed both of these and this was a series a lot of you've been telling me to start for a long time. So I'm excited to make progress. But yeah, I hope you guys enjoyed this vlog of me reading Mademistries for a week. Let me know some of your favorite Mademistries that you've read lately if you've read any because like I said, I'm always looking for rex. I'm always looking for recommendations. So let me know. But thank you guys so much for watching this video and I'll see you soon in another one.


Hey everyone, welcome back for more exo series content, today's video we're going to discuss the top heroes and PVP teams as of November 1, 2020, but before that if you want to see more exo series content, please hit the subscribe button down below. So this, this tier of heroes and PVP is again as of November 1, so this is per their usage rate. Again, for the number one spot, we have FC Iris at 92% usage, so Iris has never left the top spot. And for number two, we have FC Gini who has 74% usage, so she has jumped from I think from 10 up to 2, so that's plus 8 in terms of movement. And now for our number three, we have FC Annie at 60% usage, so she also dropped plus 5 in terms of her top 10 standing. For our number four, we have a new entry, we have FC Deva who has a 30% usage in the top PVP. For number five, we have FC Garf who is at 28%, so he or he is a minus three, so FC Garf before was at the number two spot in terms of usage. For our sixth spot, we have FC Brooke, so she is at 28% as well, so she is minus one, so she used to be at number five. For number seven, we have FC Tantalo at 26%, and a big drop at negative four, so she, I think he used to be at number three. Yeah, number three. At number eight, we have FC Ramji at 22%, he is a new entry in the top 10. We also have a new entry for number nine, which is FC Bathory, so 22% as well, so new entry. And for the number 10 spot, we have FC Adams at 20%, also a new entry. So again, I actually expected this to happen, especially with the increase of usage of Jenai, because way back October 4th, when I made the first top tier heroes in PVP, Jenai was actually at the tenth or ninth spot, so she is plus eight, so she was climbing up the ladder. So also for FC Annie, I think people would appreciate her better because of her passive, that is why she is also climbed up the top three. But for number nine, this is not actually a surprise, because before we ended, what do you call this, the cutoff for PVP for this week, Bathory's signature force actually came out. So a lot of players already tried to use Bathory in terms of team compositions, and you'll be surprised later on what is the top team for PVP as of November 1. So actually, I have another video for the result for October 4th, I'll put it here in the link so you can reference it if you want to watch that video. So as you can see in the top tier teams in PVP, so this is actually again the top 50 teams in PVP in the Asian server, so that is where I am playing my team. So again, this is a bit of a, I don't know if it's a surprise or if it's meant to be, but FC Bathory and FC Rera are back on the top in terms of usage. So the top team is FC Iris, FC Jenai, FC Annie, FC Bathory and FC Rera with eight teams in the top 50. So they are the top number of teams in the top 50. The second team is FC Iris, FC Jenai, FC Annie, FC Deva and FC Adam. So four teams are using them in the top 50. And for the number three spot, we have FC Iris, FC Jenai, FC Annie, FC Deva, FC Garp, so three teams used in the top 50. For our fourth spot, we have FC Iris, FC Jenai, FC Annie, FC Deva and FC Tantalos, also three teams being used in the top 50. With four teams tied with two times usage, I couldn't put them here because I think I would add four more, but so far here's the top four teams that are being used in PVP for the Asian server as of November 1, 2020. So if you see the list of teams, if you will notice a trend in terms of usage, so if you can see the first first three heroes haven't changed from FC Iris, FC Jenai and FC Annie. So for me, they are, they I think will be a staple in PVP in the months to come. Our fourth one is FC Deva. She actually has climbed up to the usage in terms of PVP team. So from the top four, she is the fourth being used three times out of four and the others are just one, one, one times like Garth, Adams, FC Adams and FC Tantalos. So again, now you see or now we see a trend in terms of PVP on the top heroes that are coming up and I'm sure we'll be expecting more usage from FC Iris, FC Jenai and FC Annie and FC Deva as well. I'm actually curious if we'll see more play from the FC Bathory and FC Rera combo aside from the top team here on the top level that you see with eight teams being used. I'm not sure if we're going to see another team comp. So this team comp is actually very fast with a lot of AoE. Iris being on the front row and the rest like FC Jenai and FC Annie, FC Bathory and FC Rera at the back. So this is a fast team with high AoE damage. So what do you think guys of the top PVP teams as of November 1, 2020? I'd like to go back to the first one in terms of the top heroes. So again, based on the teams that you've seen, so you've seen the top four again here. So FC Iris, FC Jenai, FC Annie and FC Deva have the highest usage again in terms of heroes. So I'll let you be the judge on which teams would you want to bring in PVP. Now you know which heroes are being used and now you know how to develop them. My next episode for this one I think would be again a month from now. So we'll see what changes there will be in the top heroes in the top teams as well in the next month or so. So anyway guys, if you have any comments, suggestions on how I present the top PVP teams and the top heroes in PVP, please write them in the comments below. That concludes my video guys. You all stay safe and I'll see you in the next video. Warden out.