WWW Wednesday | June 5, 2019

WWW Wednesday is hosted by Taking On a World of Words. Every Wednesday, the posters discuss 3 Ws:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

Happy June! I can’t believe 2019 is already half over… it seems like we were just celebrating the new year, and it’s summer already. Here in Phoenix, we are getting into that 100 degree (F) weather, which I am NOT looking forward to. I will not be going outside for the next few months. At all. I hope the weather is better where you are!

What are you currently reading?

1. The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong: I am loving this book! I just started it yesterday, and I’m planning on finishing it later today. First Nations, skin walkers, cougars, oh my!
2. The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski: I really do like this book, but for whatever reason my reading speed sloooows whenever short stories are involved.
3. Blood and Money by Thomas Thompson: I haven’t touched this in a while… oops.
4. Perfect Murder, Perfect Town by Lawrence Schiller: Same.
5. The Butterfly Mosque by G. Willow Wilson: Same 😦

What did you recently finish reading? 

1. On Immunity by Eula Biss: Finally finished this quick kindle book. I would never recommend this to anyone! Read my full review here.
2. Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher: I listed to the audiobook for this one – it was only about 3 hours long, and read by the author. I love Carrie Fisher so much; her snarkiness is delightful. RIP!
3. All the Rage by Courtney Summers: Mixed feelings about this one! Read my full review here.
4. I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott: Meh. I enjoyed this memoir/essay collection, but it’s nothing special. Read my review here.
5. The Widow by Fiona Barton: Again, kind of meh, but I did enjoy reading this one. Review to come!

What do you think you’ll read next?

1. If I’m Being Honest by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka: A retelling of The Taming of the Shrew? I’m in!
2. The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf: I promise I’ll actually get to this one this week.
3. Uprooted by Naomi Novik: Same!
4. My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing: I hope this book doesn’t end up being another 2019 thriller disappointment (I’m looking at you, The Silent Patient).

Last week, I added my own fourth category, and I think I need it again this week.

What did you DNF?

1. Playing Big by Tara Mohr: I read the first two chapters of this book a few months ago and was not impressed. In a halfhearted attempt to finally finish it, I tried reading the next chapter… until I saw Mohr cite Marianne Williamson, Oprah’s spiritual guru who is now one of the 23 Democrats veeing for the 2020 nomination. Um, no thanks.

Happy reading! See you all next week!

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WWW Wednesday | May 29, 2019

WWW Wednesday is hosted by Taking On a World of Words. Every Wednesday, the posters discuss 3 Ws:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

Good afternoon! How was your Memorial Day holiday weekend (if you’re American)? Mine was wonderful; I read a few books, caught up on sleep, and visited Saguaro National Park. The weather here in Arizona has been unseasonably beautiful. I believe it was actually cooler here last week than it was in places like Michigan.

This is my third week participating in WWW Wednesday. I believe I’ve made more progress on my reading goals this week than I had in the previous two weeks (although I am a day late posting. Again). I am really enjoying using this weekly post to keep track of my reading. It’s nice to glance back and see what changed in regard to what I was currently reading and what I was thinking about reading. Well, let’s get started!

What are you currently reading?

1. I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott: I’m about halfway through with this book, and I’m not sure how I feel. It’s a collection of short memoirs/observations, and some chapters are better than others. Much of Philpott’s musings are about motherhood, which I just can’t relate to.
2. Blood and Money by Thomas Thompson: I haven’t made any progress on this book.
3. On Immunity by Eula Biss: Still reading this one sporadically at work.
4. The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski: I already ordered the second book in this series, and I’m ready to dive in once I finish this one! I also saw that there is  a Witcher series coming to Netflix, which is pretty exciting.
5. Perfect Murder, Perfect Town by Lawrence Schiller: Maybe it’s time to officially DNF this one.
6. Playing Big by Tara Mohr: Ditto.
7. The Butterfly Mosque by G. Willow Wilson: Dammit, I WILL finish this book soon!

Me: I’ve made so much progress this week!

Also me: Has made no progress on my currently reading list.

What did you recently finish reading?

1. In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire: I LOVED this book. It very well might be my favorite book in the series. Read my full review here!
2. Ice by Sarah Beth Durst: So… this book was WEIRD. But I loved it. It was magical and kind of creepy. Full review to come!
3. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson: I somehow never read this book as a kid, and it’s on my list of books that I should read. I was disappointed in this “children’s classic.” Read my full review here!
4. The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert: I almost didn’t read this book. Several of my Goodreads friends gave this book a one-star rating and wrote very critical reviews that addressed troubling issues with the book. But then I turned my copy of the book over and saw the rave reviews, including one from Seanan McGuire. I’m so glad I read this book anyway – I loved it, and I think the accusations I read on Goodreads were unfair. Full review to come!
5. Love Hina, vol. 2 by Ken Akamatsu: I love this manga. I first read it in high school, and I’m so glad I picked it up again. It’s such a fun read.
6. Horimiya, vol. 3 by Hero: I randomly saw this manga at my library, and I’m really enjoying it so far. It’s absolutely adorable.

What do you think you’ll read next?

1. The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf: The reviews for this book are AMAZING. Another library book I can’t wait to read!
2. Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant: I have seen this book all over Goodreads, and I’m feeling left out! It looks really creepy. Can’t wait to dive in!
3. The Widow by Fiona Barton: I haven’t read a thriller in a while! I was planning on picking up Barton’s The Child, but then I realized it was the second book in a series. And I must start from the beginning! 
4. Uprooted by Naomi Novik: I see Novik’s recent book Spinning Silver everywhere. I decided to read her older book first. I’ll probably read it this weekend.

I need a fourth category this week…

What did you DNF?

1. The Demonologist by Gerald Brittle: I read a couple chapters of this book before deciding to bring it back to the library. To be fair, this book was published in the 1980s, and is a product of its times. It’s not an “objective” evaluation of the paranormal, but instead a weirdly worshipful account of the Warren’s lives. I’m not interesting in reading a biased version of what exactly the Warrens were up to… I want to read a journalist’s fact-based findings and conclusions. This book is just not for me.

I’m writing this at work, and now all I want to do is go home and read! I hope you enjoy the rest of your week. Happy reading!

WWW Wednesday | May 22, 2019

WWW Wednesday is hosted by Taking On a World of Words. Every Wednesday, the posters discuss 3 Ws:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

This is my second time participating in WWW Wednesday, and I’m excited to compare the post I wrote last week with this week’s post. I did start writing on Wednesday, but didn’t quite have the time to finish, so I’m posting a day late this time.

This week is my second week at my new job. I’m very excited to be working in this position, but I’ve been so tired at the end of the day that I haven’t been reading. Instead, I’ve been watching reality tv on Hulu, which I’m ashamed to say is my guilty pleasure. But I’m planning on reading the entire holiday weekend. I can’t wait!

What are you currently reading?

1. Blood and Money by Thomas Thompson: I left my kindle at my parents’ house in Texas, so I’ve been kindle-less (at least without my physical kindle…) for over a week now… but my wonderful parents mailed my kindle back to me, so I’ll be diving back into this one soon! Unfortunately, I haven’t touched it since last week.
2. On Immunity by Eula Biss: I’ve been reading this book sporadically at work, on the kindle app for my computer. This book is… interesting. I’m almost certain it originated as a dissertation on Dracula and modern medicine that somehow was expanded into a 200-page book. I’ll probably finish it soon, and I already have a LOT to say in my review.
3. The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski: I already ordered the second book in this series, and I’m ready to dive in once I finish this one! I also saw that there is  a Witcher series coming to Netflix, which is pretty exciting.
4. Perfect Murder, Perfect Town by Lawrence Schiller: Maybe it’s time to officially DNF this one.
5. Playing Big by Tara Mohr: Ditto.
6. The Butterfly Mosque by G. Willow Wilson: Dammit, I WILL finish this book soon!

What did you recently finish reading?

1. Saga, Volume 8 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples: God, I love this series. I’ll admit that this book wasn’t my favorite Saga installment, but it’s still a 5-star read for me.
2. Saga, Volume 9 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples: And this one broke my heart! I cannot believe that Saga is on hiatus… what am I supposed to do in the meantime?? And that ending?? I just can’t.
3. The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan: I was hesitant about this book after reading some reviews giving it very mediocre ratings (I highly recommend checking out Vicky Who Reads’ review), but I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It’s about a gay Bangladeshi-American girl who gets caught kissing her girlfriend and her parents scheme to marry her off to a nice Bangladeshi boy. It does have a feel-good happy ending (that is probably pretty unrealistic) and I understand the criticism, but it’s YA so I didn’t have as much of a problem with the ending. Full review to come!
4. The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani: Huuuuuuge disappointment. I wasn’t impressed with the story, the characters, or the writing style. I’m very surprised that the New York Times Book Review praised this book as one of the best of 2018. Read my full review here!

What do you think you’ll read next?

1. In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire: I love the Wayward Children series, but I’m been low-key dreading reading this book because I didn’t love the last book in the series. We’ll see.
2. The Demonologist by Gerald Brittle: I’ve been dying to read this book. I love horror movies, and The Conjuring is such a fun movie… I can’t wait to read about the real couple who inspired the film! The reviews are mixed, which worries me, but I’m staying positive!
3. The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf: The reviews for this book are AMAZING. Another library book I can’t wait to read!
4. I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott: Just picked this one up from the library yesterday. I haven’t heard much about it, but it looks fun.

I didn’t make much progress since last week, but hopefully that changes the next time I check in. I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your week, and enjoy the holiday weekend if you’re American 🙂

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