Tag: Reading update

“Of course the Parshendi wanted to play their drums. “

First line in Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson

Hi, guys. Hope you’re all doing well. 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 reason I haven’t done a WWW Wednesday post since Christmas: Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson. I ended up rating it 4 stars, and overall, I really enjoyed it. Had the entire book been just like Part 1 and 2, it would have a clear 5 star and probably also a new favorite in the series. Those parts were so fast paced and I was incredibly intrigued by the issues they introduced. Then Part 3 and 4 happened and it was like running straight into a brick wall. The story started to drag and became quite repetitive, so I really felt like I had to trudge through those parts. The feeling of disappointment was also magnified by how good the beginning of the book was, and because I felt like it hadn’t needed to slow down so much. The potential was there but it was wasted.

What are you currently reading?

I am 75% into Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman. And it’s so weird! I don’t have many thoughts about it other than that. I think I’m enjoying it, although not head-over-heels in love. Gaiman has a very significant style that seems rooted in some very dark humor, which creates some quite unique sentences sometimes. And I think that’s what I love about the book. The story itself and the characters aren’t doing much for me, but it’s a pleasant enough reading experience.

I’ve also started my reread of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which I’m 27% into. I’m reading it in Danish for the sake of my Lost in Translation posts, and it’s actually only the second time in my life I’m reading this one in my native language. It’s a different experience because I don’t have as much nostalgia connected to this particular edition as I had with the first six books in the series. And my paperback still looks new! My editions of the other books can’t relate.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

The Archive of the Forgotten by A. J. Hackwith, the sequel to The Library of the Unwritten which made it onto my list of favorites in 2020. It’s been out for months, and I should have read by now.

“Dawn was coming. “

First line in The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

Merry Christmas, guys! Hope you’re all doing well. 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?

Two months later and I’ve finally completed The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss! Sadly, I couldn’t give it more than 2 stars as I was especially disappointed with the last third. Kvothe grew even more worthy of being slapped, which I hadn’t thought possible, but here we are. I would have been able to see past something like that if the book had other things going for it, but you really have to look hard to find it. The plot is basically non-existent at this point, and there aren’t other characters to distract me from Kvothe’s enormous self-love.

What are you currently reading?

I am so very close to being done with The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab. I’m only missing about 60 pages. It still hasn’t made me all excited, though. I had hoped a shift midway through the book would help, but it didn’t. With the way the story is going at the moment, I also cannot foresee this ending in a way I’m going to like. Now it’s more a question of it ending in a way that’s going to make me mad or indifferent, although it’s difficult to talk about spoiler-free. I should say that I don’t hate the book so far. I just find it highly unremarkable.

…I’m also reading Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson, and that was definitely not planned. My library decided to give me the e-book 4 weeks early, which royally screwed with my reading plans. I considered postponing it, but then again… it’s Rhythm of War! So I’m an entire 7% into that beast of a book. I had heard it had a very action-packed beginning, but I have to say that I wasn’t prepared for that. I almost had a heart attack. Twice!

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Well, it’s going to be while, but it’s still going to be Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, which I mentioned last week too.

“It was nearing midnight and the Prime Minister was sitting alone in his office, reading a long memo that was slipping through his brain without leaving the slightest trace of meaning behind. “

First line in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling

Hi, guys. Hope you’re all doing well. 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 finished my reread of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It’s far from my favorite one in the series, but it still has some good and iconic moments. Nevertheless, my Lost in Translation post for it is already up if you’re interested in knowing why Slughorn is German in the Danish translation of the book.

What are you currently reading?

Well, I bet some of you can guess one of the books I’m reading because I’ve been reading it for so long now. Yes, The Wise Man’s Fear is still my commute book, and I’ve now made it to 78%. Since last week, I’ve read a very weird part that I very much wish I could forget. So still bored, but now I’m also somewhere between appalled and disgusted. Yeah, I’m sorry, I do not like this book, but I’m determined to finish it before Christmas!

I’m also reading The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab, which I’m 45% into. Sad to say that it hasn’t been my kind of book so far. I didn’t know this was a book with such a heavy use of flashbacks because knowing that would have lowered my expectations significantly. They’re just lazy info-dumps, and I don’t like them. It breaks up the present-day storyline too much, which in itself is already incredibly slow because 90% of it is Addie walking aimlessly around thinking up metaphors. I’ve also been reminded how much Schwab loves the “not like other girls”-trope, which is the one trope I have a hard time ignoring. Really sorry to be this negative about this book. However, the last half could still turn it around for me if it’s really strong, so crossing my fingers.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

I very much doubt I’ll start anything new within the next week, but if I do, it’s going to be Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman.

“Unlike others who claim to be well-informed, I am an eyewitness to the events I describe, and I write this history so that future scholars will not have to rely, as do so many staring into the past in my day, on secondhand memories passed down over the years, details worn away by time and retelling. “

First line in Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Hi, guys. Hope you’re all doing well. 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 finished Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner, and I gave it 4 stars. I’m kind of sad because this was the last book in the The Queen’s Thief series, but I also think it was a very satisfying conclusion. There were only a few questions still left unanswered but I think the author did that intentionally to have to reader think up their own answers. Other than that it’s a book where we spend a lot of time waiting. That’s very normal for books in this series but we’ve also been taught that there’s a payoff worth waiting for in the end. This was no exception. And Turner continues to be an expert in writing characters I would die for.

What are you currently reading?

I’ve picked up The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss again, and I’m 57% in. Do I have thoughts about this? Other than I’m so bored, no, not really.

I’m almost done with my reread of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I have about 100 pages left, so I hope to have my Lost in Translation post for it up this weekend.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Guys, it’s time. I’m going to start The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab. This book has gotten so much hype already that I’m honestly a little afraid to read it, but crossing my fingers I actually share the popular opinion this time.

“One swift act.”

First line in The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson

Hi, guys. Hope you’re all doing well. 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 finished The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson, which I gave 2 stars. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a book suffer this much from middle book syndrome. It was like the whole book was just one long wait for something. When the event finally occurred, I realized it wasn’t all that important and the true purpose of the book was to set up the third and final one. That left me feeling incredibly bored through the whole thing. While reading book 1, I was hoping for some more world-building, which I guess we did get here in the second one. It just wasn’t very good or interesting, which is a shame because I felt that the world had so much potential. Now I just feel like all places and characters were reduced to something one-dimensional.

What are you currently reading?

I’ve picked up one of my most anticipated reads of the year: Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner! It’s the sixth and final book in The Queen’s Thief series, and I’m only 20% into it, although it is very short. It’s difficult to update you on my feelings towards it so far because of the way these books are structured. They are known for their big plot twists at the end, and those really change how you view the book. At the moment I’m just desperately trying to pick up on little clues along the way because I’m determined to guess the plot twist this time.

I’m also about a third of the way into my reread of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Not exactly starting a new book but I’m continuing by read of The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. I took a break after reading the first half, although I hadn’t planned for the break to be this long. The library did a sneak attack on me and ruined my plans as usual, but I think I have time to squeeze it in now.

“The Golem’s life began in the hold of a steamship.”

First line in The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

Hi, guys. Hope you’re all doing well. 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 Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker, which I gave 4 stars. I liked the last 100 pages a lot. It was satisfying to see all the puzzle pieces fit together since we had spent most of the book getting to know each piece. There were also some great plot twists that I hadn’t seen coming, and that finally had me hooked. I hadn’t felt that way through first 300 pages where I was more or less just mildly interested. It had been very slow and for me the writing wasn’t anything special, although not bad.
Upon finishing it, I also learned that it’s getting a sequel next year. I was so sure it was a standalone, and it works perfectly that way too, so I’m a bit hesitant about the continuation.

And then 10 minutes before writing this, I finished The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley, and excuse me but my mind is just incoherent screaming at the moment. It’s obviously 5 stars. I love these characters. And I love the very unique premise of this duology which I won’t spoil, but it allows the author to tell a story you’ve probably heard before, just with a twist. I’m so sad it’s over. I plan on doing a full review of this duology some time soon, hopefully when I’m a little more coherent. Probably not going to stop screaming about it anytime soon.

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What are you currently reading?

I’m down to reading one book at the moment, which is The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson, book 2 in The Remnant Chronicles. There was a long wait at the library to get this one, but I’m finally ready to continue this series. I’m only 15% into it, so I don’t exactly have any thoughts yet.

What do you think you’ll read next?

I’m finally going to continue my Harry Potter reread and pick up Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

“The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend.

First line in The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan

Hi, guys. It’s been a while but I’m back with a WWW Wednesday post again after taking a month-long break from them. I haven’t had much to update you on so they seemed kind of redundant until now. 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 spent an entire month working my way through The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan, book 4 in The Wheel of Time, and sadly ended up rating it 2.5 stars. It wasn’t as painful for me to get through as book 3 as the stuff happening felt semi-important, at least. However, I would often find myself reading and noticing how the book didn’t spark any emotions in me. No joy, no hate. Just such a bland reading experience. Of course, that leaves the question whether to continue with a series that after 4 books has yet to impress me. People seem to quit after book 4, which makes me want to be a rebel and read at least one more, lol. However, I did read some Goodreads reviews for book 5, and it honestly sounded exactly like it is book 4 all over again.

What are you currently reading?

I’m currently 61% into The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker, and I think I like it? It’s not what I expected and it hasn’t captivated me in the way I had hoped it would, but it’s still good. It had some very info-dumpy first 100 pages, and I’m still waiting for some of that info to turn relevant. It’s the kind of story where I expect the ending to have a major influence on my overall opinion. My favorite thing about it so far is its portrayal of a multi-cultural New York around 1900. We follow so many immigrants with vastly different cultures which create such an interesting backdrop for the story.

What do you think you’ll read next?

The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley, the sequel to The Watchmaker of Filigree Street. I am beyond excited to start this because Watchmaker was one of my favorite books of the year. This is also the last book by Pulley I have left to read, so I might have to join some kind of support group when I’m done.

It was Felling night, and the usual crowd had gathered at the Waystone Inn.

First line in The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Hi, guys. I hope you’re all doing great. Today I’m using WWW Wednesday 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?

Absolutely nothing. Here’s a cute dog instead:

What are you currently reading?

I’m still working on the beast called The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss because for all of my efforts, I’m only 36% in. There has been a shift in the story which I’m grateful for. Not that it has gotten incredibly exciting, but at least we’re doing something new. Since last week’s update, I’ve experienced being immensely frustrated with Kvothe as a storyteller a couple of times. Whenever we seem to be getting close to some exciting events, we jump forward and barely dedicate a page to those events. WHAT?!? We have to hear about every single menial thing of his everyday life, and when something finally happens, HE SKIPS IT?? I’m sorry, I just don’t understand. But well, the writing is still great so it isn’t difficult for me to continue reading. But it’s going very slowly.

The second big book of the week is still Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, but I only have about 150 pages left of that one. Those are going to go by quickly, I expect.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

It’s crazy, but I finally got The Shadow Rising from the library! The timing is horrible because I’m really not feeling another huge book right now. But I’m going to start it and see how it goes.

The Home Office telegraphy department always smelled of tea.

First line in The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley

Hi, guys. I hope you’re all doing great. Today I’m using WWW Wednesday 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?

My first read of October turned out to be a contender for best book I’ve read in 2020. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley turned out to be a book that just worked for me on so many levels, so I naturally rated it 5 stars. It takes place in the same literary universe as her other novel, The Bedlam Stacks, which I also recently read. In Watchmaker, we’re following characters in a Victorian London, but it’s mixed with quite a lot Japanese culture with some flashbacks even taking place in Japan. It felt quite unique to me and added a lot of color to the story. However, my favorite thing about the book is the writing style. Pulley counts on her reader to catch onto hints and figure stuff out on their own. Characters “say” a lot outside of dialogue, and I love interpreting these little signs along the way.

It’s funnily enough also a book I could find quite a few flaws in if I decided to be really critical, which I can only assume is the reason behind its preposterously low rating on Goodreads (3.73). What can I say? I loved reading it and have been thinking about it every day for the past week.

What are you currently reading?

My commute book is The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss, book 2 in the Kingkiller Chronicle. I feel like I’ve been reading a lot, but I’m only 17% in. It’s such a big book! So far it’s fine. It’s incredibly meandering and I think it’s only getting worse. It’s interesting enough, but it’s all going in circles, so I’m really hoping for a change of scenery soon.

I’m also still working on my reread of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and I’m currently at 43%. In case you noticed then, yes, the two books I’m reading are both over 900 pages, and yes, I’ve made a mistake.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

I’m paying for that previously mentioned mistake, so I doubt I’ll be starting anything new within the next week. I do plan on taking a break from The Wise Man’s Fear at some point, but I really want to get a good chunk of it done first. It shouldn’t be a secret, though, that I’ve been eyeing the sequel to The Watchmaker of Filigree Street for a few days now… but I should wait. Probably.

I’m halfway to the nurse’s office when I hear the gunshots.

First line in The Nephilim Protocol by J. D. Kloosterman

Hi, guys. I hope you’re all doing great. Today I’m using WWW Wednesday 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 recently finished The Nephilim Protocol by J. D. Kloosterman, which I rated 2 stars. You can find my review of it in my September wrap up.

What are you currently reading?

My commute book is The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley, which I’m 62% into. This is the second book I’m reading from this author after I really enjoyed The Bedlam Stacks last month, and I think I’ve found a new author to add to my list of favorites. I’m loving this book so much! It’s a beautiful story so far, with characters (and an octopus) I would already die for. It also takes place in a beautifully described Victorian London, which is just always a win. I try to read it slowly so savor this amazing atmosphere, but I’ll probably finish in a few days.

I’ve also been working on my reread of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, so now I’m at 23%.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

I’m positive my library hates me. They’re not giving me any of the books I’ve been waiting for, even though I’ve been first in line for almost two months for some of them. It’s making it very hard to plan my reading. I can get ebooks though, so I’ll finally be starting The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss.