WWW Wednesdays: 24 June 2020

It  has  been  a pretty good reading week so far.

I am enjoying my reading and the variety of the books that I have been picking up.

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WWW Wednesdays’ home is at Sam’s blog Taking On A World of Words. Check it out!

The three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you will read next?

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What am I currently reading?

I am reading Witch’s Jewel by Kater Cheek. The author kindly sent me the book in exchange for a review and though I do not accept urban fantasy books that often, as they can be VERY hit or miss, this one just sounded like fun. I am almost halfway and it’s a pretty easy read and I am liking it well enough so far. I don’t think I am quite the target audience, but there is nothing particularly wrong with it so far.

I have also started a new audio book. I decided to choose one that I have the paperback on my shelf of that I was not likely to pick up to read anytime soon. I went for A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson. I kind of felt like something light and fun and Bill Bryson should scratch that itch! I have listened to the first chapter and I know I will have fun with this one.

What did I recently finish reading?

I actually had a pretty good reading week. Since last week I have finished three physical books, which were Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore, which I really enjoyed (6/7*), English Animals by Laura Kaye, which was pretty good (5/7*) and I just finished Among The Boat People (Nhi Manh Chung) today, which was a really interesting read (6/7*). I also finally finished my audio book, which was Born To Run, Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography. That one was pretty fantastic as well (6/7*). All in all, the standard has been pretty high this week!

What do I think I will read next?

I will probably try and finish a series, so Our Dark Duet by V E Schwab is on the cards this month. I am also kind of feeling like picking up a random trash mystery of the Dick Francis variety for reading in the sunshine, as there is a bit of a heatwave going on the rest of the week. I even entertaining the idea of picking up a big book, like Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel. I haven’t really decided yet. Who knows what I will end up reading?!

WWW Wednesdays: 19 February 2020

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WWW Wednesdays’ home is at Sam’s blog Taking On A World of Words. Check it out!

The three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you will read next?

***

What am I currently reading?

I am currently reading Vixen by Rosie Garland. I am about halfway. It is a odd book set in the 1300s, but I kind of like it even if I am not blown away by it so far. I have also started Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, finally continuing my re-read of Harry Potter after a year to get to the final book, which I have never read for some reason!

Finally, I am listening to The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack The Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold. I saw someone on Booktube (Jeansbookishthoughts) talking about this and thought it sounded really intriguing. It was on sale on Audible, so decided to give it a listen. I am finding this one really interesting. It mainly talks about what life was like in Victorian London and I love listening to this one. It is a like a really fascinating history lesson! The narrator (Louise Brealey) is doing a fantastic job. I love that it is not actually focused on the crime, but on the women and their lives.

What did I recently finish reading?

Since last Wednesday I have finished Callanish by William Horwood (7/7 stars), Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie (5/7 stars) and H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald (6/7 stars). I consider that a good reading week! I liked all of those books quite a bit!

What do I think I will be reading next?

Not sure yet. The books I am reading may well take me to the end of the month – the Harry Potter book is huge! Apart from one NetGalley eARC I will be mood reading much of March – I like to call it Moody March. I will be using a TBR prompt game to narrow things down for myself, but more on that later in the month.

WWW Wednesdays: 29 January 2020

 

WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. Check out her blog!

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you will read next?

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What am I currently reading?

I am currently listening to the audio book of This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay. When I had to choose an audio book I decided to go for one I already owned a physical copy of. I am glad I decided to go with this audio book, because Adam Kay narrates it himself and I love hearing him tell these stories rather than reading it. It was a good choice, even if it is a rather quick easy audio book.

I am reading On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. I am about 50 pages in and it is beautifully written. It is quite unique as it is written from a son’s perspective to his mother. This is a book I picked up this month. One of my goals is to try and read books I buy sooner. But then… one of my other goals was not to buy books… Oooooops!

What did I recently finish reading?

Since last week I have finished The Gathering Storm (Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson), on audio book. I really enjoyed the story, but was not so keen on the narration of the audio book. I will read the next book physically I think.

I also read Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay, which was a good read, but ultimately did not quite hit the spot.

Finally, I finished Epic Solitude by Katherine Keith just yesterday. It was an emotional read and very worthy of my time. In the second half of this memoir I felt much more connected to the author than in the first, but overall it was a powerful read.

What do I think I will read next?

I will start reading book 13 of The Wheel of Time in a couple of days I think. This is Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. It’s a chunker at over 900 pages. I will likely also pick up something non-fantasy to read alongside. I am not sure what yet.

Sunday Summary – 26 January 2020

How has your week been? I have my reading mojo back! Wooohoooo!

READING

I finished my audio book yesterday (The Gathering Storm), so I picked a new one. Instead of going for something new, I decided to choose one of the non-fiction books already on my shelves and I went for This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay, narrated by the author. I much prefer non-fiction to fiction on audio. I think this is because I usually listen to audio books whilst I am doing chores, like tidying or mucking out the stables. Non-fiction tends to be less complicated to listen to somehow. Lighter fiction would work, but I prefer to read them. This particular book sounds perfect to listen to and I am enjoying it so far, though I am not in very far! When I lived in England I worked in the NHS, so it’s close to my heart!

I am reading Epic Solitude by Katherine Keith on my Kindle. It is one of the few NetGalley ARCs I requested. It lured me because of its bill as ‘A Story of Survival and a Quest for Meaning in the Far North’. I am about 30% in and that is exactly what it is. It talks about survival in so many different ways, physically and emotionally. Although I am finding the author’s life story pretty powerful and hard hitting, I am not quite sure about the way it is written.

LIFE

My reading slump appears to be over, so that is good. However, in general I am in winter hibernation mode. I am not in the mood for doing much of anything. I am feeling sluggish and unmotivated. I always am this time of year. I can’t wait for spring to start. I need blue skies and sunshine. I would be even be happy if it was frosty and cold – it’s just this dull weather I can’t stand. This greyness is taking over my soul! I don’t think we have even see one snowflake this winter. There is still time, I guess. I do like a bit of snow.

On the upside, all my ponies are finally fit and healthy. I went to visit my seven-month old foal Archie, who is stabled elsewhere now (an hour from my home), to grow and have fun with peers. Me and a friend took him and his year-older brother, Moon, (who I sold to her) for a walk. They were very well behaved for such youngsters.

I am trying to work and bond with my shetland pony and my gypsy mare a bit more and I suddenly feel very inexperienced! We will get there. I will ask some friends for assistance I think.

A couple of days ago we had a bit of drama with our dog Flo, who is a labrador/alsation cross.  She ate a hedgehog! I only realised because she threw bits of it back up, including guts and lots of spines! It was disgusting. I was worried about her still having spines inside her, as she threw up blood as well, so I took her to the vet, He checked her over and gave some advice. She seems ok now, luckily! Stupid dog…

Me and my husband are going to see some live music tonight, which should be fun. The week ahead is pretty busy, but I hope I will find a decent amount of time to read. It is the first time in a few months that I am actually excited about planning my reading for the month ahead! Bring on Feb!

HAVE A GREAT (READING) WEEK!

 

WWW Wednesdays: 22 January 2020

I am finally back into the reading habit and man, it feels gooooooood!

WWW Wednesdays is a meme hosted by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words.

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you will read next?

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What am I currently reading?

I am still listening to The Gathering Storm (book 12 of The Wheel of Time) by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

I am also reading Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay. I am only about 25 pages in, but I am intrigued to see where it is going!

What did I recently finish reading?

Since last Wednesday I have finished three books (!!!).  The first one was Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz, which I liked, but did not love. Then I read Tweet Cute by Emma Lord, which was just as cute as I expected. Finally, I read Botswana Time by Will Randall, which is a non-fiction book that documents the author’s time teaching in a little school in Botswana. The latter was definitely my favourite of the week!

 

What will I read next?

Well, I plan on reading Epic Solitude by Katherine Keith, which is a non-fiction book set in the wilds of Alaska – I am so excited about this one!

I will also start Towers of Midnight, book 13 of The Wheel of Time as soon as I have finished The Gathering Storm. I will read that one in physical form, as the audio book is not quite working for me for this type of fiction.

WWW Wednesdays: 9 October 2019

The start of October has been a struggle to be honest. Not just with reading, but with life overall. I am suffering with quite a lot of anxiety at the moment and I can’t quite pinpoint why. Maybe it is simply the change of the seasons. It simply means I am finding it hard to concentrate on anything, including books!

I already skipped last week, so let’s give it a go this week!

WWW Wednesdays is a meme hosted by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words.

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you will read next?

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What am I currently reading?

I am currently reading The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. It has only taken me many years to get to it! I am just over halfway and I am really enjoying it. It’s an excellent read. I had planned to finish it today, but considering that I have not read a single page yet today, I think it is pretty unlikely.

I am also still listening to The Iliad by Homer. I am 7 hours into the audio book with just under 15 hours still to go. I find with listening to it on audio book I don’t take in every single word, but I am getting the gist of it and the flow of the narrative well enough. I still prefer non-fiction audio books, but I do not think I would ever have gotten through The Iliad if I was physically reading it. I am confident I might finish it by the end of the month.

What did I recently finish reading?

The only thing I finished was The Death of Mrs Westaway by Ruth Ware, which I enjoyed quite a bit. It was not perfect, but it was definitely a good read for this time of the year.

What do I think I will be reading next?

I might start Solid State by Kenneth Womack tomorrow as I need to start something new on my Kindle. The subtitle is ‘The Story of Abbey Road and the End of the Beatles‘ which sounds right up my street. I got that one via NetGalley and I am so looking forward to it! It is due to be published on 15 October.

As for my next fiction read, I am not sure. I may go for The Corset by Laura Purcell. Does that one not have the most gorgeous cover?

WWW Wednesdays: 25 September 2019

It’s a bit late in the day, but better late than never!

WWW Wednesdays is a meme hosted by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words.

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you will read next?

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What am I currently reading?

I am 60 odd pages into Never Greener by Ruth Jones. Ruth Jones is a screenwriter and actress, particularly known for writing (and acting in the) comedy series Gavin & Stacy with James Corden. The book is ok so far. I liked the writing, but so far the plot makes me feel uncomfortable as there is a lot of cheating on spouses going on.

I am also listening to the audio book of The Iliad by Homer. I am about 4 hours in with 17 hours remaining, so it will take me a while. I wish I had a physical copy as well, so I could keep track of who the you-know-what they are talking about! I have been meaning to get to this one for ages, so I am happy to finally listen to it.

What did I recently finish reading?

Well, I finished Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan today, book 11 in The Wheel of Time series. It was pretty good. There are so many characters and the world is so well thought out that it is truly impressive. It moves slowly but surely forward. Three books in this series to go. It is a re-read. 🙂

I finished my audio book, which was Becoming by Michelle Obama, shortly after posting my last WWW. Nothing but love for that woman.

Finally, I finished Ramona Blue, by Julie Murphy, which I really enjoyed as well.

It’s been a tricky week and some days I hardly read at all, but hopefully I can catch up on my TBR in the week ahead.

What will I be reading next?

The books left on my September TBR are Drift by Clare Littlemore and Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie. I am unlikely to be able to read both of those before the end of the month, but I guess miracles exist.

WWW Wednesdays: 18 September 2019

Apologies for being a rubbish blogger at the moment, but life is sort of getting in the way! I hope to catch up with all of you over the next week or so. Fingers crossed I will have a bit more time on my hands.

WWW Wednesdays is a meme hosted by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words.

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you will read next?

***

What am I currently reading?

I am about to finish Becoming by Michelle Obama, which I have been listening to on audio. I have only an hour to go, so I hope I will finish it today. I loved it!

I am almost 500 pages into Knife of Dreams, book 11 in The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. This is a re-read. About 300 pages left.

Finally, I am reading Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy, which I am also loving!

I am very tired today (after a very broken night sleep due to mice gnawing away in my ceiling!), so I doubt I will read much today.

What did I recently finish reading?

Since last Wednesday I have finished A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby, which I did not really like that much, and Sleep by C L Taylor, which was really good bar a few minor flaws.

What do I think I will be reading next?

Next I will read either Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie or Never Greener by Ruth Jones.

Sunday Summary: 8 September 2019

It’s been a strange week somehow. It has been really autumnal whilst I was hoping for an Indian summer, so I am a bit bummed. Winter always seems to last forever when September is cold and rainy. Hopefully it warm up a bit soon for a last blast of summer.

READING

My reading has been really up and down. I have been listening to audio books, which is something I have not really done all year, so that is pretty awesome. I always prefer to listen to autobiographies read by the author. I find I can’t concentrate on audio fiction, though if you have really good recommendations I would love to hear them! I finished Walking Home by Clare Balding, which I really enjoyed, and I have started Becoming by Michelle Obama, wich I am loving so far. Very different women, but both very inspiring to me.

  

The first book I finished reading was Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan. That was such a fun read. It is a bit like reading a soap opera, but sometimes you need a good light read. That was exactly what it was. A fun time.

   

Finally I finished A Polar Affair by Lloyd Spencer Davis, which was such a fascinating non-fiction book about the race for the South Pole as well as the lives of Antarctic penguins. It was very well done and I liked that it had these dual subjects and how they were related.

I am currently reading book 11 of The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, which is Knife of Dreams. As more and more information is released about the upcoming Amazon adaptation I am getting more and more excited about it as well. The casting is looking so good!

   

I have also started reading Tin Man by Sarah Winman, which I plan to read a good chunk of today. It is one of the books I am reading for my 2019 TBR. I have been reading bitesized chunks of it, but I would really like to get my teeth into it today.

TV

I have watched very little TV this week. We watched a couple of the earliest episodes of The Big Bang Theory for the first time in ages and that was kind of fun!

OTHER

It was my daughter’s first week back at school and it feels like we are right back into the swing of things. We have always opened our Airbnb cottage again, after being closed for the month of August, and we have been having guests in it again.

It was my grandma’s 93rd birthday. She has early stages of dementia and can be a very tricky lady. She finds it hard to know which memories are real and which she has made up along the way. Everything is real to her, which leads to very difficult situations. More of my family is travelling down today to see her, so I am bringing some cake and we are having a small celebration for her.

We have some sort of creatures in our roof making a racket at night. We are trying to figure out what it could be, but we are not sure. First we thought woodboring beetles, but it is a proper gnawing sound, which sounds more like mice, but that too seems odd, so we are not quite sure. I might ring pest control tomorrow and discuss it with them, as it is so annoying!.

COMING UP

I am hoping it will be a quiet week, but I always hope that and it usually isn’t. I usually end up running around like a headless chicken and then at the end of the week I have no idea what I did to make it so busy.

My daughter’s tennis lessons are starting up again, as is my football (soccer) training, which I do just to keep fit. No actual competitions for me!

Apart from that, we will wing it this week and see where it goes. At least it looks like the weather will be slightly better.

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What have you been up to? What have you been reading? Watching? Doing? And what are you planning for the coming week?

 

WWW Wednesdays: 4 September 2019

WWW Wednesdays is a meme hosted by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words.

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you will read next?

***

What am I currently reading?

I am about 35% into A Polar Affair by Lloyd Spencer Davis. It’s a NetGalley ebook about polar exploration and penguins. It’s good, but slow going.

I have just started reading Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan, which is book 11 in The Wheel of Time series. Amazon is turning the series into a TV show, which should release in 2021. I can’t wait! So far, the casting looks good and Brandon Sanderson is involved, so I am confident I will love it!

Finally, I am listening to Walking Home by Clare Balding on audio. It’s basically a book about walking and it’s wonderfully quaint. I love Clare anyway and I listened to her previous book as well. She has a great voice to listen to. She is wonderful at describing the scenery and how it makes her feel. She goes off on tangeants as well about stuff that has nothing to do with walking and I can’t of enjoy that as well. I am listening now and she is going off on a story about Daphne Du Maurier!I am almost halfway now.

What did I recently finish reading?

Since last Wednesday I finished Eucalyptus (Murray Bail), which was wonderfully odd, and Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, which was the equivalent of a soap opera, but mighty enjoyable.

 

What do I think I will read next? 

Not sure. Knife of Dreams is a 800-page epic fantasy, so I may pick up something contemporary alongside it. Maybe Tin Man (Sarah Winman) or Home Fire (Kamila Shamsie).