WWW Wednesdays: 24 February 2021

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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 reading an actual bookie book, an e-book and I am listening to an audio book at the moment.

The paperback is The City of Brass by S A Chakraborty. I bought this one on a whim last week. I am still in the mood for Middle Eastern inspired books, but I fancied something a bit different. This one has glowing reviews and I have heard good things, so despite the fact I should not be starting a new series (oops), I started this one. I am only a few pages in, so not much to tell yet.

My Kindle book is Your Song Changed My Life by Bob Boilen. I am reading this one for my music book club. I am a few chapters in and it is kind of eclectic and interesting. I hope I will end up liking it.

Finally, I am listening to Listening to the Animals by Noel Fitzpatrick, the Supervet. I love nature and animals and I have not been reading these types of books enough lately. My mother-in-law bought the hardback copy of this for me a couple of Christmasses ago, but I did not get round to reading it. It’s a memoir, so I thought the audio book read by the author would be the way to go. He is a bit dramatic reading it, but I I am liking it so far.

What did I recently finish reading?

I finished Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, which I enjoyed plenty enough, but did not quite love (5 out of 7 stars). I finished an audio book, which was Chronicles by Bob Dylan. That one was kind of interesting, but simply did not excite me (4 out of 7 stars). Finally, I read Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, which I absolutely fell in love with (7 big stars!). I am pretty sure that one will end up on my end of year list.

What will I be reading next?

I am not entirely sure yet. There are several books I want to pick up soon, but I have no definite reading plans.

WWW Wednesdays: 10 February 2021

It’s a cold and snowy morning, and I have a bunch of chores today, so let’s get my WWW done nice and early! 🙂

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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 have an hour to go on my audio book, which is There Goes Gravity by famed music journalist Lisa Robinson. It has been a pretty good listen and includes chapters on a range of musicians, from The Rolling Stones to Eminem.

I am reading Ethan Hawke’s book A Bright Ray of Darkness. I’ve got a signed copy of that one, which is kind of fun. I am not quite halfway, but it is kind of exactly what I expected, smart and kind of sleazy. I am liking it though. If you have seen more recent interviews with him you know exactly what this book is like. It’s about a Hollywood actor doing a Shakespeare play on Broadway. Write what you know, I guess…

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What did I recently finish reading?

I finished two books, both of which did not quite hit the mark for me. The first one was Paris by Starlight by Robert Dinsdale. That one has some gorgeous magical passages in it, but overall the vibe was a little off for me. I also read The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn, which is the second book in the Bridgerton series. It was a romp and I enjoyed it, but I am done with that series for now. It’s not quite my jam.

What will I be reading next?

Audio book wise I will probably go back to Chronicles by Bob Dylan. My fiction books will most likely be Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, as I already read the first chapter of that one.

WWW Wednesdays: 9 December 2020

I have had a stronger reading week than I have had for a while, mainly thanks to some easier type reads. Maybe that is what I need right now? But then, I did feel after a couple of fluffy reads, I needed something more challenging, so who knows!

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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 have finally started to read To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf. It is my first book by this author and I am only 20 pages in. The font is small and the writing quite dense, which takes a bit of getting used to.

I am about a third into Black and British: A Forgotten History by David Olusoga. It’s a long audio book, but it is incredibly interesting.

Because To The Lighthouse is so dense, I did not really find it that great for bedtime reading, so I have picked up my third Christmas themed book of the year, which is One New York Christmas by Mandy Baggot.

Finally, I am proof reading a book my friend has written, which is about her experience with her gifted child in the existing school system. This one obviously takes priority this coming week.

What did I recently finish reading?

I finished Lab Girl, which was a good read, but not one that will stick around for very long. Apart from that I have read a couple of Christmas chick lits; Christmas at Lilac Cottage by Holly Martin wasn’t great, but I did like Carole Matthews’ Christmas for Beginners. Those reviews will come after I have read my third Christmassy novel.

What do I think I will be reading next?

I have a few books I really want to read before the end of 2020, so I will prioritise those. From my 2020 TBR there is The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly and I would love to complete another series, in which case the most likely is Jay Kristoff’s Darkdawn.

WWW Wednesdays: 2 December 2020

Still reading at a pretty slow pace! I’s been months now… Oh wel… Bring on 2021!

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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 Lab Girl by Hope Jahren. I had put it aside last week in favour of another book, but I have picked it back up. It’s a non-fiction read and so far it is pretty interesting!

I am listening to Black and British: a Forgotten History by David Olusoga, which is such an interesting and eye-opening listen. I am only about 20% in and since this is a 25-hour audio book this one will take me a while (probably all month).

What did I recently finish reading?

The only book I finished was The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss. I enjoyed that one, but I doubt it will stay with me very long. It was a fun time anyway.

What do I think I will read next?

I think I will read To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf next. I have never read any of her books and this one is on my 2020 TBR, so I really should read it!

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.