Tag: Reading update

“Eshonai had always told her sister that she was certain something wonderful lay over the next hill.”

First line in Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

Hi, guys. I hope you’re all doing great. Today I’m back to using WWW Wednesday after a 2-weeks-break to give you a reading update. WWW Wednesday a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words, and it’s meant to give you all a little insight into my reading this week. I’ll answer the 3 questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish?
• What do you think you’ll read next

What did you recently finish?

Yes, I’m back because I finished Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson and ended up giving it 4 stars. I already talked about it in my July Wrap Up and my spoiler-filled review of it so I’m not going to spend much time on it here. I had a few issues with it but overall, it was a great reading experience.

What are you currently reading?

I’m still slowly making my way through Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (reread). I’m currently at 44% and it’s not something I have a need to rush through. Sometimes it’s just a nice break from the other book I’m reading at the moment.

That other book is Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez (it’s a mouthful). It’s a rare non-fiction read for me but it’s really good! It’s basically showing all the ways the world can somehow forget that women exist. So. Many. Ways. It’s such an important book but I’m reading it a bit slower than expected because I have to let out a scream of frustration every 10 minutes. But yeah, I have about 100 pages left so should be done with it soon.

What do you think you’ll read next?

I know I’m already reading 2 books but I’m actually starting another one today (Wednesday), because I need an ebook. I’m traveling to Copenhagen for four days of vacation so it’s easier to bring an iPad to read on. I’ll be starting (and hopefully finishing) Firestarter by Tara Sim.

“It was the middle of an autumn downpour when Tobias first met Henry Silver.”

First line in Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

Hi, guys. I hope you’re all doing great. Today I’m using WWW Wednesday as usual to give you a reading update. WWW Wednesday a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words, and it’s meant to give you all a little insight into my reading this week. I’ll answer the 3 questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish?
• What do you think you’ll read next

What did you recently finish?

I picked up Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh as something to read during the weekend. That plan was completely ruined when I had already finished it Saturday morning. It was just so incredible that I couldn’t pace myself. It’s truly a beautiful and heartwarming story, even though it’s short. Of course, I would have loved for it to be even longer, but I really think it works as a novella. Also, really just a must-read if you love nature themes in your fantasy stories.
Side note: the author just liked and retweeted my tweet about the book. That’s never happened to me before so I’m kinda freaking out!

I also finished A History of Madness by Rebecca Crunden which I gave 3 stars. It is book 2 in the Outlands Pentalogy. I still think the writing is great but about halfway through, I realized that I didn’t like the main POV character. Something about being in his head the entire time made me find him quite annoying. There was a short change in POV towards the end and that was definitely my favorite part of the book.

What are you currently reading?

I’ve started my reread of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I’m about 25% through but I’m putting it down for now. You see, I finally got Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson from my library so for the next few weeks, I’m devoting all my attention to getting through those 1,200 pages. So far I’m 8% into it so don’t really have an opinion yet other that it’s great to read about Kaladin again. I’ve missed him.

What do you think you’ll read next?

It’ll be a long while before I start something again, but the next one in line is Firestarter by Tara Sim. I really want to finish that Timekeeper trilogy. But not until I’ve caught up with The Stormlight Archive. I probably won’t be doing these WWW Wednesdays until I’ve finished Oathbringer. Not much to update you on until then. So happy reading!

“Lucie Herondale was ten years old when she first met the boy in the forest.”

First line in Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare

Hi, guys. I hope you’re all doing great. Today I’m using WWW Wednesday as usual to give you a reading update. WWW Wednesday a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words, and it’s meant to give you all a little insight into my reading this week. I’ll answer the 3 questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish?
• What do you think you’ll read next

What did you recently finish?

2 entire books! I finally made my way all the way through The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins. It ended up with a 3.5 rating. I did find it interesting following Snow and his thought processes. I don’t remember reading from a character like him before so I guess that was part of the appeal. However, the book didn’t need to be that long. I already have a full review up for this one if you’re interested in more of my thoughts.

Just before writing this, I finished Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare, which I rated 4 stars. However, if I were to rate it based on my enjoyment alone, it would be a 5 star. I think it might be the time for me to realize that I’ve fallen back in love with the Shadowhunter world. I mean, I know these books aren’t perfect, but following these characters and their romantic troubles just does something for me. I need the next book immediately.

What are you currently reading?

Well, since I just finished the book I was reading (Chain of Gold), I have nothing for this section today.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Finishing Chain of Gold that fast kind of screwed with my planning. I’m first in line at my library for the e-book of Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson so really hoping to get that one within the following week. Will be starting it immediately.

In the meantime, I figured I would pick up something short that I hope to finish before Oathbringer arrives. So I’ll be reading A History of Madness by Rebecca Crunden which is book 2 in The Outlands Pentalogy. I should probably continue with the series before I forget everything from book 1.

“The night before he went to London, Richard Mayhew was not enjoying himself.”

First line in Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Hi, guys. I hope you’re all doing great. Today I’m using WWW Wednesday as usual to give you a reading update. WWW Wednesday a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words, and it’s meant to give you all a little insight into my reading this week. I’ll answer the 3 questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish?
• What do you think you’ll read next

What did you recently finish?

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, which I gave 4.5 stars! Bloody amazing! The underground world of London was so fascinating. It had so many details and not everything made sense which was great. It reminded me a little of The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern due to this imaginative world the main character just happens to stumble upon. Apparently that’s a favorite trope now.

What are you currently reading?

I’ve just started my next commute book which is Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare. Only 68 pages in so I’m still drowning in new characters and getting to know everyone. I feel like everybody is somebody’s cousin and I’m trying to keep family trees in my head (it’s like watching Dark on Netflix all over again).

Also still reading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins. Currently at 76% and I’m determined to finish it this week. I have no idea how this is going to end so I’m excited to read it.

What do you think you’ll read next?

I actually don’t think I’ll be starting anything within the next week. When I finish Songbirds and Snakes, I’ll focus only on Chain of Gold because that’s a big one.

“As she woke up in the pod, she remembered three things.”

First line in The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Hi, guys. I hope you’re all doing great. Today I’m using WWW Wednesday as usual to give you a reading update. WWW Wednesday a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words, and it’s meant to give you all a little insight into my reading this week. I’ll answer the 3 questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish?
• What do you think you’ll read next

What did you recently finish?

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers which I gave 3 stars. It was the kind of book where I’m totally aware of the fact that I’m the problem here. It was really well-written and had a great mix of characters. I just didn’t care about anything. I didn’t really latch on to any of the characters so I just felt more like a neutral observer of the story. It’s also a book that’s very optimistic and hopeful and those very rarely do it for me. I need something more hardhitting.

What are you currently reading?

My current commute book is Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, but I’m only 17% in. It’s still a great start though. I really like how Gaiman sort of tricks the reader and circumvent their expectations. It makes everything a little more interesting.

Still reading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins and now at 52%. I’m taking my time with it so I’ll probably also be reading it next week. I like it when I’m reading it but it’s not one I’m itching to pick back up if you know what I mean.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare. I have a weird relationship with Clare’s books as I’m only really excited about them the moment I hold them in my hands. I also know I’m going to be reading those 600 pages really fast.

“For my kind, the first sign our world was ending came on October 24, 1946.”

First line in The Hanged Man by K. D. Edwards

Hi, guys. I hope you’re all doing great. Today I’m using WWW Wednesday as usual to give you a reading update. WWW Wednesday a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words, and it’s meant to give you all a little insight into my reading this week. I’ll answer the 3 questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish?
• What do you think you’ll read next

What did you recently finish?

The Hanged Man by K. D. Edwards which I gave 5 stars! This is the sequel to The Last Sun which I read last month and really enjoyed. The Hanged Man was even better. The world was fleshed out a lot more so that the confusion I’d felt reading the first one was gone. I still feel a great love for the characters in this and I already miss them.

Oh, and I DNF’d a book… which I never do! That alone should tell you how much I didn’t like Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin. I made it 70% of the way through and had to realize that it wasn’t getting any better. It’s clearly more of a romance book than a fantasy book, which is not my thing because it often means that the fantasy elements are underdeveloped. That includes the characters as well. I must also say that this book was trying so hard to be a “feminist read” that I actually found it kind of sexist towards men. I felt like the men were only there to be used as plot-devices to prove how great the women were. Not really my cup of tea.

What are you currently reading?

My commute book is The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers which I’m 31% into. My feelings towards it at the moment are pretty neutral. It’s okay. I’m not used to reading sci-fi so I spend some energy trying to keep the science explained straight in my head. People also seem to praise this series for its characters but so far none of them has really captured me. Not that I hate them, I’m just… neutral.

I’m also reading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins, which I’m 29% into. I’m conflicted because I’m enjoying it but god, I wish it would pick up the pace. It doesn’t need to be this slow. But yeah, still like what the book is doing when portraying Snow. It’s interesting enough for me to keep reading.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.

“Pedron Niall’s aged gaze wandered about his private audience chamber, but his dark eyes hazed with thought saw nothing.”

First line in The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan

Hi, guys. I hope you’re all doing great. Today I’m using WWW Wednesday as usual to give you a reading update. WWW Wednesday a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words, and it’s meant to give you all a little insight into my reading this week. I’ll answer the 3 questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish?
• What do you think you’ll read next

What did you recently finish?

The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan. I just finished it before writing this, and I’m realizing that I can’t possibly give it more than 2 stars. What was the point? I read 674 pages, and I’m not sure why I needed to read so many pages to get the important events of this book. There were so few of them! I dislike the book even more because it’s making me make the choice of whether to continue with the series or not.

What are you currently reading?

Now that I’ve finished The Dragon Reborn, my next commute book will be Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin. I was also currently reading this one last week, but I actually decided to take a break from it shortly after I wrote last week’s post. I wasn’t really feeling it which meant that I was reading two books I didn’t really like. I needed a break from one of them. It means that my progress is the same as last week: 32%.

Instead of reading Serpent and Dove, I needed something I knew I would love so I picked up The Hanged Man by K. D. Edwards, the sequel to The Last Sun. And thank you, K. D. Edwards, for preventing a reading slump. This one is even better than the first because it very early on fixed some of the issues I had with the world-building. The characters are still great. I find myself thinking about them even when I’m not reading. I’m 64% in and dreading reaching the end.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Last week, I said I would start A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins… which didn’t happen obviously. I finally got my copy so I might start it even though I don’t exactly have the time for it. You see, I also need to start The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers because that is a library book.

“Not for the first time, an argument had broken out over breakfast at number four, Privet Drive.”

First line in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling

Hi, guys. We made it to June (or did we?). I just want to take a second to talk about something other than books. Even though I’m not American, I still admire the bravery and resilience shown by everyone fighting for basic human rights for Black people. It shouldn’t have to be this hard. I will continue to have genuine conversations with people around me to hopefully change their beliefs and make them realize that racism isn’t acceptable.

About the books I’ve been reading, I’m using WWW Wednesday as usual. WWW Wednesday a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words, and it’s meant to give you all a little insight into my reading this week. I’ll answer the 3 questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish?
• What do you think you’ll read next

What did you recently finish?

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Even though I’ve probably read this about 20 times, I still discovered something new, and it was a really wholesome thing that I can’t get out of my head now. I love this series.

What are you currently reading?

I’m reading two books, and I’m sadly feeling kind of ‘meh’ about both of them. My commute book is still The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan, and oh my god, nothing is happening! I’m at 65% and still feel like I’m being introduced to the plot. It’s also focusing a lot more on the side characters in this one, meaning we’ve barely seen Rand. As he is the only character I like, I’m struggling.

I’m also working my way through Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin which I’m 32% into. It’s one of those books that’s marketed as fantasy but it’s actually romance. I don’t mind romance in fantasy books. If it’s done well, it’s probably my favorite thing about the book. In this case, however, the build-up to the romance has taken over everything, so the fantasy elements are so far seriously under-developed. I also already know I’m not going to like the romance but I guess I’m hoping for a surprise.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Not really sure about this one. My copy of A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins will be delivered on Tuesday, so I might just have managed to start that one before next week’s post.