WWW Wednesdays: 25 November 2020

This reading week has been kind of slow, but I don’t think I mind too much.

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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 about halfway through The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss. I am reading quite slowly right now, but I am enjoying it. It’s a light read so far and it’s fun. I love that there are characters from all sorts of classic (monster) literature in there.

I have also started listening to Black and British by David Olusoga. I am a couple of chapters in and it’s so interesting. This is a long audio book (25 hours!) and it may be interrupted by something else, so I may be in it for the long haul. However, I really like it so far. So much information on a subject I sadly know too little about.

I did also pick up Lab Girl by Hope Jahren, but I have not read on yet, favouring fiction for actual reading right now. I will probably pick it back up in the coming week.

What have I recently finished reading?

I finished my previous audio book, which was I Wanna Be Yours by John Cooper Clarke. I loved that one. He is such good storyteller and his voice is so distinctive. I would highly recommend the audio book. I will be diving into some of his work soon.

I also finished In Lucia’s Eyes by Arthur Japin almost a week ago. It was an enjoyable read, but to be honest it did not really stick at all.

What will I be reading next?

I am really in the mood for some more poetry, so there may be some of that coming. Not sure what yet. I have a few poetry books that I could pick up.

Sunday Reading Summary: 8 November 2020

I have been feeling a bit off this last week and I dont really know why. Suffering from busy-brain-syndrome I think. I have been fine for six months, but right now I am feeling a little down in the dumps. Not quite sure what has changed. Hopefully I will start feeling a little better soon.

I read a nice light chick lit novel in Truly, Madly, Greekly by Mandy Baggot in the hope that it would hit the spot. It was ok and kind of did what it needed to do, but it was not quite as good as I had hoped.

I have been listening to John Cooper Clarke’s autobiography, I Wanna Be Yours, which has been a blast so far. I love listening to him tell his stories. I pre-ordered a signed hardback, which is fun to have, but I am glad I decided to listen to this one. He has such a distinctive voice and being a performance poet he knows his way around words and how to tell his life story out loud. I am over halfway.

Finally, I am halfway through The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak and I have to say, this book is perfect for me right now. It is thought provoking in a gentle way and I have a feeling I will have a lot of feelings about it in the end. It sort of harks back to a fascination for the Middle East that I have had since I was a child. I have always loved the sounds, such as the singing and the music and even the Arabic language itself. Then there is the beautiful architecture and the writing. So far I am really loving this novel. It tells the story of a housewife in the 2000s as well the the story of Sufi poet Rumi and dervish Shams in the 1200s. It is making me want to read some Rumi, which I have been meaning to do for too many years.

What have you been reading? And how have you been feeling during this still trying times?

WWW Wednesdays: 12 August 2020

Oh man, the heat this past week has been too much! I am melting! It has been close to 35 degrees C for almost a week now, which is pretty much unheard of in my part of the world. Result is that I have read a decent amount, because it’s too hot to move much.

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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 are you currently reading?

I am currently reading Feathers by Thor Hanson. He is a biologist that writes such interesting books! I have read Buzz by him before, which I loved, and this one looks at, well, feathers. I love the angle at which he approaches his books. We get to learn about the subject with him and because of his background he explains it all very well. I love this author.

I just started the third and final book in the Blackthorn & Grim series, Den of Wolves, by Juliet Marillier. I am expecting to have a good time with that one.

And finally, I am listening to Just Around Midnight: Rock and Roll and the Racial Imagination by Jack Hamilton. I am reading that one for a music themed book club of sorts that I like to keep up with. Such an interesting choice after finishing my previous listen. Bascially this looks at the rock genre and how it went from its black pioneers to be an almost exclusively white genre. An especially interesting book to me, as I am someone who listens to a lot of (indie) rock music over other types of genres.

What have I recently finished?

I can’t have expected my August reading month to have a slow start, but I have done well so far.

I finished Beach Read by Emily Henry, which was just ok for me. I really had an issue with some of the ways the male love interest Gus treated our leading lady January and it was longer than it should have been. I did not find it very memorable, but I did enjoy it. 4/7 stars.

Of last week’s choices I read Nefertiti by Michelle Moran. This is a fictionalised account of Egyptian queen Nefertiti’s rise to pharaoh from the viewpoint of her sister. I really enjoyed this one quite a bit. It had been a while since I read a book set in Ancient Egypt and I want more!

I finished listening to How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X Kendi, which I took a lot away from. I loved the passion that he displayed for this important subject in the audio narration.  However, I did find myself zoning out a bit towards the final third of the book, which was a shame. Overall though, this was such a valuable listen. 5/7 stars.

Finally, I finished reading A Scot To Remember by Angeline Fortin on my Kindle yesterday. This one was kind of as surprise. I picked it up randomly a few weeks ago because I felt like I needed some historical romance in my life. Turned out it was a time travel romance, but the romance was not too heavy handed and I actually really enjoyed this one (despite the awful cover). It was set in the 1910s and was really well done.  I will be reading on in this series at some point soon.

What do I think I will be reading next?

I have a few books still on my Summer TBR, so I will choose something from that. It may be Hamnet (Maggie O’Farrell) or Good Omens (Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman). I am also looking to read Broadwater by Jac Shreeves-Lee, which as far as I can tell is a collection of multicultural short stories. It sounds really interesting.

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What are you reading? Planning to read? Please link your WWW down below. Have a great reading week! 🙂

 

WWW Wednesdays: 5 August 2020

As predicted, these past seven days have been much slower readingwise, but I am enjoying my reading and that is what counts!

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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 are you currently reading?

I am currently reading Beach Read by Emily Henry (just like everyone else it seems!). I am almost halfway. It’s ok. I am not completely loving it, but I think it depends on where it goes from here. I am not really that into either of the main characters.

   

I am listening to How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X Kendi. I am so impressed with this book. I love how Kendi is taking his own experience and perspective and how he is the applying that to the world at large. I love how much passion is in his narration for the audio book. I am finding I am hanging on his every word in a way that I maybe would not have done if I had read the physical version. A very important book for sure and one I just know I will come out of wiser. I am about halfway into this one as well.

What did I recently finish reading?

I only finished two books since last week:

   

Tower of Thorns by Juliet Marillier (Blackthorn & Grim, book 2): I adored this and I am reading the final book this month I hope! 6*/7

East,West by Salman Rushdie: This is a short story collection that was just ok for me. 4*/7

What do I think I will read next?

I want to read Nefertiti by Michelle Moran next. I have not read a book set in ancient Egypt for years and years and it used to be one of my favourite subjects. I am really looking forward to this one.

I also want to finish another fantasy series if I can. I am not sure whether I will go with the final book in the Blackthorn & Grim series (Den of Wolves) or Darkdawn (Nevernight trilogy by Jay Kristoff). I definitely feel in a fantasy mood.

If I can finish a few of my fantasy series this August, I will. I am keen to start some new ones!

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?

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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?