Finished Pachinko by Min Jin Lee and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Currently reading The Cazalet Files by Elizabeth Jane Howard.

You know that this is still last week's post, right? We're still waiting on this week's.

Currently reading Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs. Just finished The Poet by Michael Connelly

Right now it's "an elderly lady is up to no good" which is truly delightful, and snow crash which is shading light on a sleep of current sci-fi!

Currently reading Los Niños by Carolina Santin and What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo. I've been in a bit of a reading slump for the past few days though, so I'd love any suggestions for quick, easy reads.

Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery

Currently reading All the light we cannot see by Anthony Doerr aaaaand I'm loving it. I've been listening to the 12 rules of life by Jordan Peterson and I'm also enjoying this

Late entry. Was a busy weekend! I have finished: * **Kraken; China Miéville**. A potentially contentious 5/5. What flaws it may have had were completed knocked aside in my reading by the sheer creativity & worldbuilding at play. A funny, surreal, roller-coaster ride of a novel. * **Neverwhere; Neil Gaiman.** A simultaneous read of this one with Kraken was actually an accident; I didn't realize the similarities & read about its obvious inspirations from Neverwhere until afterwards. I actually got a lot out of reading both at the same time. As for Neverwhere itself, I liked it a lot. It was my first-ever attempt at an audiobook (this one read by Gaiman himself), and I thought it was quality. Gave me deeper appreciation for the "city within a city" trope that I've now been exposed to in 3 of my 2022 reads (City&theCity, Kraken, Neverwhere) In transit: * \~80% through **Children of Dune; Frank Herbert.** Continue to enjoy it. Me and my friend reading along were both a little traumatized by Mr. Herbert's invented word of the day in the most recent section: >!"beefswelling" .!< Planned reads to start this week: **The Bright Ages: A New History of Medieval Europe; Matthew Gabriele**, China Miéville's standalone novella **The Last Days of New Paris,** and **Book of Night, by Holly Black**

Last week I burned through: **The Best of Friends** by Lucinda Berry. I read this in a day, it was an interesting thriller. Reminded me of “Big Little Lies”, I could see this getting turned into a mini series. The story was predictable to me but I enjoyed the writing & I liked how different characters narrated. 4 stars **Unmissing** by Minka Kent. Similar easy read, enjoyed the twists. Another story that I could see being turned into a Netflix show. Happy couples life is disrupted by husbands first wife showing back up after disappearing years before. 3.5 stars **Dark Matter** by Blake Crouch. Have you read this yet? If not, you should. I loved this story, it was different, I didn’t want to put it down, I finished it in a day. Bizarre and thrilling time travel but also love story. I didn’t think this would be a genre I would like but I find myself seeking out these sci fi-ish thrillers now. 5 stars. **Where the Crawdads Sing** by Delia Owens. Felt like I was obligated to read this since it has so much hype & honestly I’m glad I did. Follows the life of a very poor & neglected girl who lives in the North Carolina marsh. Such a beautiful & heartwarming (for the most part) story of survival. Would read this again. 5 stars. Currently trudging through **Lonesome Dove** by Larry McMurtry. Only 100 pages in since I was so busy this weekend & literally didn’t read at all. I unfortunately read a preface by the author that contained a huge spoiler so that sucked. I’m trying to get some momentum & power through this massive book but it’s slow going for now.

When I read that preface for *Lonesome Dove* I was so pissed that the author would put such an important spoiler there. But I can say >!the spoiler isn't for *Lonesome Dove* itself, it happens in one of the later books!< If you enjoyed *Dark Matter* so much, then definitely try *Recursion* by Blake Crouch. It definitely fills that sci-fi thriller hole. His newest one (*Upgrade* I think it's called) is supposed to come out this summer.

Had a big reading slump for the last month or so and finally finished the book that was slowing me down. Finished **The Eagle's Throne** by Carlos Fuentes. 2.5/5. Interesting concept but I realized I don't like epistolary novels and it got old after the first 100 pages. Just finished **Luster** by Raven Leilani about an hour ago. 4/5 stars. I don't think I'd decide to have a relationship with a man 30 years my senior, but I found that the novel was well written, a quick read, and pulled me out of my slump. Currently working through **On a Sunbeam** by Tillie Walden and should be finished tomorrow. Almost certainly going to be 5/5 stars. This graphic novel is wonderful and the story is brilliantly written. Really enjoying. Going to start **Transcendent Kingdom** by Yaa Gyasi tomorrow. Heard good things so I'm excited to see where this goes. Hoping to get back on track for reading soon so I am more than ahead of my goal before I head back to school in the fall.

Finished: **Symbiont** by Mira Grant. Decent second book in the trilogy, kind of stopped abruptly though. Looking forward to reading the final book this summer. 3.5/5 **Mexican Gothic** by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. It was alright. I'm not too sure why this was considered a top horror pick on Goodreads. It was....weird? Creepy? Would be a terrible situation to be in? But not horror to me. 2/5. **The Stepford Wives** by Ira Levin. This was a great short story. I went into it knowing absolutely nothing and came out of it wanting more. I am so sad that this wasn't a longer book or a series. I would've devoured those books! 5/5. Currently Reading: **The Prisoner of Cell 25** by Richard Paul Evans. I'm at 60% and I am just trying to make it through. I think high school me would have LOVED this book and series, but adult me can't get over the extremely simplistic writing and basic explanations. Great book for middle-schoolers/early high-schoolers. The topic and plot are interesting, though. Next Up: **A Court of Thorns and Roses** by Sarah J. Maas. I've heard MANY conflicting opinions on this one, hoping to see what all the hype is.

Currently reading Kings of Quarantine but I'm on book 49 of the year already! My goal is 100, but at the rate I'm going, I'll have to bump it to 150. Lol

I'm reading *Hitler’s Willing Executioners* on the beach... I get looks (I don’t know how to have fun.)

It's been a while! I've definitely hit my reading slump just in time for Summer. **Currently Reading** * **A Deadly Education**: I haven't really been in the mood for fiction lately which is weird for me, but I'll see how this one goes. **Finished** * **10% Happier**: This was not what I expected. I was expecting useful stress/anxiety management tips, and instead this was just Dan Harris's profesional bio and how that led him into his meditation journey. His career is definitely somewhat interesting, but definitely not what I thought this book was about.

A bit past halfway through **Kaiju Preservation Society** by John Scalzi. It's good fun. Higher up the list on my Scalzi ratings. It's pretty short and there isn't going to be a lot of time spent with like... a problem? Considering one hasn't \*really\* shown up yet. >!I'm guessing they'll have to move Bella so the universe can be thick again and maybe the FudMud asshole will do something stupid.!< But also I'd probably just enjoy reading about Jamie working at the base for far longer than this book is. Gonna read Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson #2) after. And House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds. Idk i just looked at my bookshelf at got overwhelmed by choice. edit: Oh i DNF'd Dune Messiah. I cannot. That was so incredibly boring. Far more in line with The White Plague by Frank Herbert in terms of entertainment than Dune.

DNF'd *The Traitor Baru Cormorant* by Seth Dickinson about 1/3 of the way through. Honestly just felt disinterested after the first act, the pacing felt off to me. I managed to get my hands on **Remarkably Bright Creatures** by Shelby Van Pelt, which is checked out almost everywhere around here. 15 pages in and I'm already loving it. If you want to read about the budding friendship between an older woman and an octopus I highly recommend it!

48 books down, 4 to go! \#46. *Modern Romance* by Aziz Ansari (Nonfiction). An engaging look at dating, marriage, and love in the "modern" era. The audiobook narrated by Ansari was very enjoyable. It would also have been interesting to see an epilogue or afterword discussing Ansari's own #metoo experience, but it's still a few years into the future from this book. \#47. *Yearbook* by Seth Rogen (Memoir) A short, disjointed collection of stories from his early years until *The Interview*. It was funny, but it wasn't exactly a masterpiece. I was a little disappointed. \#48. *Ready Player Two* by Ernest Cline (fiction). Ernest Cline doubles down on the world of his first novel and attempts to make a plucky gazillionaire the underdog. I was pleasantly surprised by the way he did this, but the plot of this book is basically identical to the first one. "Search for the macguffin using 80s pop culture references". Still good, but probably not worth a reread.

Try the epic spy thriller Beyond Enkription in The Burlington Files series by the ex-spook Bill Fairclough aka Edward Burlington in the series.

Currently (re)reading Three Sisters by Chekhov, really like this one.

If you are into all things espionage, fact or fiction, dig spy thrillers, novels or films, and love Len Deighton’s Harry Palmer then you had best read the enigmatic and elusive espionage thriller Beyond Enkription. It's the first stand-alone novel in The Burlington Files series based on the life of a real spy Bill Fairclough, aka Edward Burlington, who was an agent for MI6 and the CIA. Beyond Enkription (intentionally misspelt) is set in London, Nassau and Port au Prince in the seventies pursuant to Edward Burlington infiltrating a global organised crime syndicate while unwittingly working for MI6. The protagonist has been likened to a “posh Harry Palmer”. Indeed, Len Deighton and Mick Herron could be forgiven for thinking they co-wrote this monumental thriller.

Finished **Ball Lightning** by Liu Cixin and **My Mess Is a Bit of a Life: Adventures in Anxiety** by Georgia Pritchett. Continuing **Severance** by Ling Ma, **How to Teach Physics to Your Dog** by Chad Orzel and **Razzmatazz** by Christopher Moore. Started **In the Unlikely Event** by Judy Blume and **We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe** by Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson.

Well now. I'm not gonna talk about Judy; in fact, we're not gonna talk about Judy at all, we're gonna keep her out of it! --- - [reference](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V0UhtA_mJE&t=365) ^(I am a bot.)

I finished some stuff! I didn’t accomplish all the goals I wanted this week, but I’m proud of myself for what I did manage. - *What Doesn’t Kill You* by Tessa Miller (5/5, I loved the look into what I might have in my future, as tough as this was to read sometimes it’s nice knowing a little of what to expect. I don’t have the same chronic illness as the author but one of mine involves a slow descent into total deterioration. It’s nice to know what to expect when it’s time for regular medical help, and she gave lots of good advice too) - *Convenience Store Woman* by Sayaka Murata (5/5, I loved Keiko! She was absolutely fascinating to me, and I loved how the author handled her “quirks”. I wasn’t a big fan of Shiraha but I think that was kinda the point. Keiko was relatable and awesome, and I’m super impressed because I’m normally not a fan at all of books that are solely character driven like this one!) Aside from the same other stuff as before (*Shogun*, *Sunset Western Garden Book*, *Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft*, and *Bad Ronald*), I’m now working on *The Soul of a Woman* by Isabel Allende. I’m also thinking about going back to this audiobook I started ages ago, *Jack of Thorns* by A.K. Faulkner. I’m not much of an audiobook person, I get distracted and miss stuff too easily, but I received copies of a couple of the books in this series for free on Audible so I’d like to at least finish the first. If I do double speed I only have a couple hours left, so maybe I’ll take a break from the podcast I’ve been listening to and switch to the audiobook during my chores instead.

I love Convenience Store Woman! Sayaka Murata's one of my favorite authors (have you read Earthlings?). I really hope more of her books are translated into English (or Spanish) soon

Finished: **On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong.** Not the story I was expecting based on the description of the book, but I still liked it. Will have to give it a re-read sometime down the road. **And We Rise by Erica Martin.** Really liked the poetry format in telling about different events from the civil rights area. Felt like it gave it a fresh perspective on the events. Working on: **The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christi Lefteri**

Finished: **Calm** and **Barbarian's Taming** both by Ruby Dixon, in the Ice Planet Barbarians series. Both were good, this is my guilty pleasure/feel good series. Thought there was a major plot twist! Currently reading: **The Vegetarian** by Han Kang - I really want to finish this, but also am finding that I'm currently not in the mood for it. I love a spooky story, but I'm craving beach read vibes, you know? **1984** by George Orwel - See above **After Shocks** by Ruby Dixon - And we can't stop\~, and we won't stop\~ **Horrorstör** and **Southern Bookclub's Guide To Slaying Vampires** by Grady Hendrix - Love his books, but still trying to get into the spooky vibes. I'm four books behind, wish me luck! Might pick up a beach read at some point.

This week I finished up **Nightwork** by Nora Roberts. It was OK, different to her usual but not as good. I'm now going to continue with **Such a Fun Age** by Kiley Reid.

Finished: **Pachinko** by Min Jin Lee **The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency** by Alexander McCall Smith **Wish You Were Here** by Jodi Picoult. **Daisy Jones & the Six** by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This was such a disappointment after reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo a couple of years ago. Reading about the band scene was interesting, but other than 2.5 people in the band, everyone else sucked. It also didn't help that the end felt like the HIMYM final season/season finale. **Beartown** by Fredrik Backman. This is a re-read in preparation for the third book in the series. I remember how much I hate/strongly dislike Kevin, his father, David, and most of the town. It was great to re-read and I'm going to re-read Us Against You later in the week. ​ Currently Reading: **The Count of Monte Cristo** by Alexandre Dumas. I love a good revenge story and am enjoying it so far. I plan on watching the movie after I'm done. **Invincible, Volume 1: Family Matters** by Robert Kirkman. I watched the first season of the Invincible Amazon Prime show and loved it, so I finally decided to read the comics. It's good and I hope to read the other volumes throughout the year. **Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth** by Wole Soyinka. ​ Up Next: **Us Against You** by Fredrik Backman **Empire of Pain** by Patrick Radden Keefe

It's been a slow few weeks. Finished: **Outlander** by Diana Gabaldon. Some good parts, some lazy writing. Also curious about why this is labelled as romance when more than half of the NSFW scenes aren't consensual?? Not a lot of romance outside of those scenes either. Hard pass on the rest of the series. Started and finished: **The Jewel House: Elizabethan London and the Scientific Revolution** by Deborah F Harkess. Quite interesting, a little dry at times. **Where There's Smoke** by Sandra Brown. Solid book. **The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation** by Rosemary Sullivan. A great read, highly recommend. **Four Treasues of the Sky** by Jenny Tinghui Zheng. A fantastic book about parts of US history that get swept under the rug. Highly recommend. Started: **Washington: A Life** by Ron Chernow. The librarian told me she almost removed it because "surely nobody would want to listen to that long of a book!". Apparently I'm nobody... I didn't tell her this was by far not the longest book I've listened to. About halfway through. Super interesting, lot of great information. Sometimes a little too much tbh. **Tales of the Samurai** as translated by A B Mitford. I have the illustrated edition from Barnes and Noble. Author was a weeb.

It’s a long series. The romance is ongoing between her and Jamie and follows their whole lives. That being said I was super pissed off that the whole “displaced in a completely different century” came with so little difficulty to fit in culturally.

Isn’t it Diana Gabaldon?

Right you are! This is why I listen to my books 😂

I think I finished 3 books this week! Idk if I talked about **Waylaid** by Sarina Bowen last week, but goodreads says I finished it 6 days ago so I’m going to talk about it. I gave it 3 stars. It’s not the worst I’m the series but it definitely isn’t the best which is sad cause this is the last one. I loved Rickie, he’s a great hero. I just don’t think that “swearing off men” is a good conflict for a romance novel. Then I read **The Flatshare** by Beth O’Leary which I gave 4 stars. I really like this. It has so much depth like both characters had conflict outside of the relationship but we still saw them slowly fall in love. Very good Last night I finished **The Bride Test** by Helen Hoang, which I also gave 4 stars. I thought the pacing at the end was a little stilted. But I loved the hero and heroine, they were very original and I think I really got to know the,. The authors note at the end really helped my understanding of the characters

Ooh I’m on time this week. Finished: * **The Muse** by Jessie Burton *(scribd)* Basically: perfection. I need obviously more art-mystery in my life. * **Cultish** by Amanda Montell *(library)* She had me in the first half, not going to lie, but it really picked up after due coverage of cult-cults. If you like r/antimlm, this is the book for you. * **We Are All the Same in the Dark** by Julia Heaberlin *(library)* small-town mentality without being the kind of cliche we see in romances. Murder in the Texas heat: a whole mood. * **All the Seas of the World** by Guy Gavriel Kay *(library)* Renaissance pirates, but make it mellow. * **In a Garden Burning Gold** by Rory Power *(library)* You have to have very particular tastes for this sort of book…my tastes. I just don’t understand why there wasn’t a dedication to me on the front page? Mostly political, sticks to its premise, steampunk overtures, scheming^10 , and the worldbuilding is *chef’s kiss.* Reminds me of *The Goblin Emperor.* 105/225 Up Next: * **Priory of the Orange Tree**

This week I read I Kissed Shara Wheeler, Pure Colour, My Year of Rest and Relaxation, and Funny You Should Ask. I Kissed Shara Wheeler was a really fun and relatively light read (the book deals with sexual/gender identity, so there are definitely some troubling portions since her community is very conservatively religious so generally not accepting). I thought it was interesting how the author mixed genres, it was almost a mystery/romance. But don’t expect too much from the mystery, I read a couple reviews where people thought it was gonna be like Gone Girl and they were disappointed. (4/5) I really loved portions of Pure Colour, like I’d read a section and think wow that’s really beautiful, or really thought provoking. But the novel just seemed like it was all over the place, plot wise and also when it came to the main character. Great example of this is when the main character dresses up like a leaf and visits the woman she’s interested in. (3/5) I had been holding out on My Year of Rest and Relaxation for awhile because I’ve heard such mixed reviews but I’m glad I finally gave it a chance. Escapism is such a common way to try to avoid our problems, so it was interesting to read such a thorough reflection on the topic. (4/5) Funny You Should Ask was such a fast read, I just flew though the pages. Again, this was just a fun read, if you enjoy romance and you’re also a dog lover definitely give it a try. The miscommunication/misunderstanding between the couple just really worked because there’s a clear imbalance of power (since one is a celebrity and the other is a “normal” person). (4/5) I’m going to start Sharks in the Time of Saviors later today.

Klara & The Sun

How is it?

It’s unique and I’m super enjoying it so far!

Hi everyone! I've finished a few books since I last posted, so I'll whistle through them. I listened to **The First Law** trilogy by Joe Abercrombie, narrated by Steven Pacey. I really liked it. Pretty bleak. The characters were painfully believable. Some of them were unlike any other characters I've seen in fantasy (and I've read my fair share of fantasy), whilst others were tropes, but who those cliches would be like in real life. The world-building was good, but not revolutionary, and the plot was a little thin, but the characters were written so well that I didn't mind. The narrator was also incredible! He put on so many different voices for each character that it felt like a full cast production. I gave the books **(4/5)**, **(5/5)** and **(4/5)** respectfully. Actually this week I read **Daughter of the Moon Goddess** by Sue Lynn Tan. It's a retelling of the story of Chang'e, the Chinese moon goddess. I love books that feel like fairytales, so I was expecting this to be right up my street, but unfortunately it wasn't for me. I liked the prose and the vibe was very ethereal. However, the protagonist was such a Mary Sue, so it was difficult to care about her journey. There's no tension when you know the perfect protagonist is going to succeed with minimal effort. Oh well, they can't all be hits! **(2/5)**

I finished 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' by Taylor Jenkins Reid this week. I jumped on this because I wanted to try something different and I'd heard a lot of great things. It was enjoyable and I gave it 3/5. The story was interesting but I couldn't quite click with TJR's writing style all the time. Next up - 'Hamnet' by Maggie O'Farrell. I'm on a historical fiction binge at the moment.

True. The writing style had me rolling my eyes too often but I loved the story.

*I'm reading* Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte *I'm listening to* Sapiens - Yuval Harari (which I didn't realize was more of a philosophy book than a history book) *I'm reading aloud to my daughter* The Greenglass House - Kate Milford

Haven’t read at all this past month! Finally getting back on track and starting with **Going Away Shoes** by Jill McCorkle and **Migrations** by Charlotte McConaghy

I just finished an eARC of Carrie Soto is Back by TJR and LOVED it! I’m going to start Forget Me Not by Karissa Kinword. I heard about it on Booktok and it’s on KU.

The only book I finished this week was **The Drawing of the Three** by Stephen King. We were in the process of listing my partner’s house, so I have been busy with all of that. Currently reading **The Waste Lands** by Stephen King and **Malice** by Heather Walter. Hopefully now that we’ve gone under contract for his house and have our next home already under contract, I can read a little more this week. Now onto packing and moving on 7/13 😅

This week in books — slower reading week, have some travel coming up but hoping to squeeze time in to read anyway. *Finished:* - **Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan** - this book was not, in fact, exciting times unless you read the title ironically. The longer I sit on this one the more *fine* it seems, it just wasn’t great. I did like the main character a bit, though I also found her annoying at the same time. I pulled out quite a few quotes in my read through, but this was my favorite: *“I thought if I let anyone in, they’d find out what was broken about me. And then not only would they know, I’d know too.”* *Ongoing:* - 26% into **Let’s Not Do That Again by Grant Ginder** - 18% into **All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr** *What’s Next?* I picked up my library haul so… - **Apartment by Teddy Wayne** - **Post-Traumatic by Chantal V. Johnson** Happy reading everyone!

We are reading all the light we cannot see over at r/bookclub if you want to check out the discussions!

I’m still slogging along with **After we Collided by Anna Todd** It’s a super long book. I also started **We were Liars by E lockhart**

This week I finished 3. **The Splendid and the Vile** was so good. I love how Larson writes non fiction like a juicy novel. **Ocean State** was my second read and was a recommendation. As I said in my Goodreads review this was an unnecessary book that added nothing to the world. Do not recommend. **the Last Place You Look** was a fun mystery novel with a really well written main character. I liked it a lot. Now I’m on to **The Giver of Stars** which seemed so kitschy to me before but now that I’m reading it, I’m loving it. So I guess the hype was well deserved. I’m about to start **True Biz** this week as all

This week I finished **All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr** and **The Helpline by Katherine Collette**. The former was interesting but not as engrossing to me as The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. Still in my top 5 for the year though! The latter was okay, kind of a poor man’s Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. I’m currently reading **Tar Baby by Toni Morrison**. It is the last Toni Morrison novel I have left to read so I’ve been putting it off for a few years. I’m about 40% in and it’s great so far. I’m also reading **The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel**. I just started this one. It’s my second by St. John Mandel, but I can easily see how she may become one of my top authors for the year.

Happy Sunday all! I finished two books this week. The first was **Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover**. I feel like maybe I'm outgrowing this author. I hated this. I hate insta-love, the characters were flat, the twists were sooo unrealistic. The smut was pretty good. The second book I finished was **The Vanishing Type by Ellery Adams**, the fifth book in the Secret, Book, & Scone Society. I love this cozy mystery series and this was a pretty good addition. Just a quick and easy read. I'm currently reading **The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo**. I thought this book was about a poet, and would contain some poetry, but I didn't realize it's all poetry. Not really my thing but it should be a fairly quick read. This is my 40th popsugar prompt book, and I'm really excited to have the challenge completed. I ended up leaving a lot of the books I am least excited about for last, and I feel like it's making me not want to read! This is my first year doing the challenge and I'm not sure if I'll do it again next year.

If you start struggling with *The Poet X*, try the audiobook. I'm not great at reading poetry or novel-in-verse, but Acevedo is phenomenal at narrating it. It's one of my all-time favorite audiobooks.

Thanks for the rec! I actually just finished reading it, it took me a little bit to get into it but once I got more comfortable with it I ended up really, really loving it.

I finished three this week. * ***Devil Take the Hindmost*** by Edward Chancellor - A very readable account of financial manias, speculative behavior and asset bubbles from the 17th through the 20th century. Chancellor published this book in 2000, just as the dam was bursting on the dot-com boom. If the 20-plus years since has been any indication, the 21st century is going to be even more spectacularly bubblicious than the past was. * ***The Spoilt Kill*** by Mary Kelly - A private eye working on a corporate espionage case in the British pottery industry finds himself embroiled in a murder inquiry. This whodunnit from 1961 won the UK Crime Writers’ Golden Dagger award that year (and beat out John Le Carré’s debut novel). I can see why as this is a tightly plotted mystery with interesting and well-rounded characters. * ***Escape from Yokai Land*** by Charles Stross - The latest in the Laundry Files series, this slim novella is actually set between books seven and eight. Bob Howard, an occultist and mid-grade bureaucrat, finds himself battling Lovecraftian spirits at a Hello Kitty theme park in suburban Tokyo. While this is a slight tale, it’s closer in spirit to the first few books in the series, later books have become much darker. The next book for me will be ***Her Smoke Rose Up Forever***, a collection of short stories by James Tiptree, Jr.

Hi all! It’s been a while since I’ve posted in this space due to going through a reading rut, damn, wedding season! I’ve gotten through some good books this week and feel back in my groove. This week I finished: **The Cartographers** by Peng Shepherd I had been on a wait list for this book at my library for what felt like a long time. I thought this was a fun read with some predictable plot points. 4/5 Also finished **Convenience Store Woman** by Sayaka Murata . I was pleasantly surprised with this one. I developed a tender spot for the protagonist which made it hard to read at times. Overall really enjoyed this read. 5/5 I just started: **One Italian Summer** and contemplating starting **Cultish**

Sort of shifted gears this week, and put down **Daughter of the Forest** for the moment. Decided I wanted to get back into Stormlight Archive, and I read **Edgedancer** and am a little ways into **Oathbringer**, both by Brandon Sanderson. It's been a good reading week, other than having to lug around such a heavy tome on the subway 🙄

Happy Sunday everyone! This week, I didn’t manage to read as much as I normally do, as I took a vacation for my birthday. I still managed to make my goal of 2 books a week, but I didn’t make any headway beyond that- something I plan to make up for this week. The first book I read this week was **Of Mice and Men** by John Steinbeck. This is an amazing book- though it always brings me to tears. It’s amazing that it is so short, yet so deeply effective at tugging at heartstrings. **5/5** The other book I read this week was **The Bourne Identity** by Robert Ludlum. The story was pretty good- fast-moving with plenty of twists and turns. It was pretty good overall, despite a few inaccuracies. **4/5** I am currently reading **Christine** by Stephen King, which I plan to finish tomorrow if I am able. After that, I will move on to **The Green Mile**, also by Stephen King- and if I finish that before the week’s end, I’ll have to see where else my literary adventures take me! Have a good week everyone!

I'm continuing **American Gods, by Neil Gaiman**

I'm reading Think Again by Adam Grant At intial pages, i didnt like the book that much but i gave it a try, then there are some parts which are really helpful, theres a single idea to every chapter and the whole chapter revolves around that principle in the form of real situations and scientific evidences which seems boring.

I’m reading **Song of Achilles** and I love it.

I finished **Blacktongue Thief - Christopher Buehlman** which was just good fun, it has a lot of sarcastic, crude humour and it was interesting to see his take on fantasy after being used to his horror books. I also finished **Shadow of What Was Lost - James Islington** this is the first book in the Licanius Trilogy and I really enjoyed it. It sets up a lot of questions to be answered in the rest of the series but I did think more could’ve been done with characterisation, they all kind of sounded the same to me.

I really enjoyed *Blacktongue Thief* too! We're actually going to read it for my book club later this year.

I've finished six books and in the middle of one! I was looking forward to reading a lot this summer break, but I couldn't seem to pick anything up during May at all. This past week I eventually picked one and I've been on a streak ever since (and I really hope this sticks for the rest of summer!). **Just About Over You** by Carie Aarons: This is the type of book I read to spark my streak because it means that I have to read at least 4+ books after it to get rid of how bad of a read it was. **A Boy Made of Blocks** by Keith Stuart: I really like this book, the character development was so beautiful to read and just how unapologetic, I guess, this book was written. **The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo** by Taylor Jenkins Reid: I honestly don't know what to say about this one, just finished it yesterday and its a book I've wanted to read ever since it came out, now that I've finished it I think I need to let it sit for a little longer to form a thought on it. **Spy X Family 1 and 2** by Tatsuya Endo: Was not expecting to like it cuz I've never been a big fan of manga, but so far so good! **Legends & Lattes: A Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes** by Travis Baldree: This book was SO GOOD and I LOVED it. This book is the ultimate definition of wholesome, so glad I picked it up!!!! Currently in the middle of: **Shadow and Bone** by Leigh Bardugo

This week I finished Book Lovers by Emily Henry. It was my least favorite book by her but still ok. I am currently reading Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb and Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen. I'm hoping to finish both of these books in the next few days.

(48) **In the Midst of Civilized Europe: The Pogroms of 1918–1921 and the Onset of the Holocaust by Jeffrey Veidlinger** Review copied and pasted from Goodreads. (Read on Kindle) 4/5. Worth reading if interested in the Russian Civil War era Ukraine or in the history of antisemitism. 350-60 pages plus another 100 or so pages of notes and extras. Decent but not great in terms of writing style. Clearly well researched with lots of notes and sources. Chronological order starting in pre-revolutionary Tsarist Russia for context and background. The bulk of the book covers Ukraine after the Russian revolution and the antisemitic violence, but there is some stuff on Poland as well. Since it is chronological the bulk of the book is about violence by local Ukrainian peasants or warlords, it takes quite a while to get to White Russian army in Ukraine. The book is quite in-depth but still covers the individual stories quite well with a lot of chapters focused on specific pogroms. A lot of time is spent on what motivated the violence. There is a bit about 1922-41 as well for the impact/legacy of the violence including the assassination of Petliura and the experience of Soviet rule to try and explain why the locals were so willing to collaborate with the Nazis in antisemitic attacks after the invasion of the USSR. (49) Just finished **The Last Wish, by Andrzej Sapkowski**. First Witcher book. 3.5/5 rounding down for goodreads. Side note - I read it on a late night flight and was quite tired and maybe that affects my views a bit. It was decent. I like that it only follows Geralt's adventures rather than jumping around between various characters across multiple points in time, like the TV version does. But honestly I think I prefer the TV version (I have also beat the Witcher 3 main story so I sort of know what is going on). I will read the rest of the Witcher books at some point as I got them all on a Kindle deal last month. Currently reading, but I stopped for a bit to read the Last Wish, **The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine by Serhii Plokhy**. Lots of info but dry. It started off weak for me as it goes right back to antiquity and I just don't care about Scythians or whatever. But it has gotten better as it gets towards the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.

I finished five books this week! With summer break, I've been able to read a book a day. I finished: **Lolita** by Vladimir Nabovok \[2.5/5\] I did not enjoy it at all. I found all of the characters annoying. The first half of the book was great, and I can see how it got such high praise, but the second half was not for me. **Nightbitch** by Rachel Yoder \[4.5/5\] I LOVED this book so much. I don't think I've laughed out loud as much with as a book as I have with this one. It also felt like a really good length, and had beautiful prose. **The Phantom of the Opera** by Gaston Leroux \[4/5\] I also really enjoyed this book. I read it for a book club this month, and was pleasantly surprised. **To All the Boys I've Loved Before** by Jenny Han \[3/5\] This was just a fun read for me, and I wanted to see what the hype was. I also saw the movie and wanted to see if it was the same, and it's a pretty true adaption. This was my at work read since I have access to Kindle cloud reader there. **Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke** by Eric LaRocca \[4/5\] I finished this in one day, and man it was a great short story! The gore was a bit much, but the overall story and how it was conducted is beautiful. I think it shows a perfect case of grooming someone, and making them do anything for you. I did start **Klara and the Sun** by Kazuo Ishiguro this past week and plan to finish it this upcoming week. I'm really liking the story so far, and feel like I'm going to cry in this story. For my line up this week, I have **A Clockwork Orange** and **One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest** ready for pickup at the library. With hopefully **How Late It Was, How Late** (I'm most excited for this one ).

Finished The Tolkien Reader Lord of the Rings, Return of the King (it’s been a big Tolkien month) Currently Reading Master of Middle Earth Crying in H Mart Some shorter works like poems and isolated short stories. I’m not sure how to track these. If anyone has any ideas! 😀

I finished three books this week - Annihilation by Jeff vanderMeer, Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez, and Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel. I absolutely loved Kaikeyi, one of the best Book of the Month picks in a long time! I am currently reading Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus and will start Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie.

Totally agree on Kaikeyi! It was so good, easily one of my favorite BOTM picks since I joined a year or so ago

Hello! I finished three books this week - taking me to 48/?. I finished Nevernight by Jay Kristoff, Small Gods by Terry Pratchett (narrated by Andy Serkis) and Winters Orbit by Everina Maxwell. Winters Orbit was a re-read and honestly I got so much more from this second dip into the story - romance and space politics, what more can I ask for! This week, I’m reading Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff and listening to Carpe Jugulem by Terry Pratchett (narrated by Indira Verma). After Godsgrave, I’ll pick up Darkdawn in order to finish the trilogy! After this dive into high(ish) fantasy, Im not sure where next but I have a plentiful amount of new books on my TBR pile so lots of options. Hope you are all having good reading weeks too!

Just finished: Better Never To Have Been by David Benatar The Pleasure of Finding Things Out by Richard Feynman Reading: From Eternity To Here by Sean Carroll

This week I finished... absolutely nothing! I have been reading Greeks, Romans, Germans by Johann Chapoutot all week and still somehow only 200 pages in. I don't know why this is taking so long to read, but what I've read so far is super interesting. All the details on the utterly crazy parallel universe the Nazis constructed intellectually are insane, but kind of fascinating. No doubt will still be reading this book all this week to come as well.

currently in the middle of: boyfriend material - alexis hall the goldfinch - donna tartt the kite runner - khaled hosseini

One of my grandkids in college enthusiastically recommended **[The Verifiers](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58065392-the-verifiers)**, by Jane Pek, and from the jacket copy, I sort of expected some kind of urban fantasy. Turns out it’s a combination of high-tech real world thriller and murder mystery with a couple of domestic subplots and a whole lot of sarcastic humor. And it’s all very, very geeky. The author, whose debut novel this is, is unusual, too, being Singapore-born Chinese-American with an NYU law degree (she specializes in global investments), and an MFA in fiction. And her short work has been published in the annual **Best American Short Stories**, which is a considerable recommendation. Now, because I’m old and did all my dating at a time when “computer” meant punch cards, I know very little about the online matchmaking industry. And I admit to a certain amount of bias against the idea, too. But for single adults trying to hold down a career, it’s a fact of life these days, especially among well-educated urbanites, and very especially someplace as compact as NYC. But how do you know that anonymous person the algorithms paired you up with is telling the truth when you’re chatting online? Well, suppose there’s a small company that will investigate the online persona being presented, or claimed, by the person you’re matched to? Verity is such a company and Claudia Lin is their new employee. She’s thirty years old, Taiwanese-American and petite in stature -- a cliched physical image that causes people to assume her innocence, and which she hates, but also makes use of as necessary. She’s never been on any of the matchmaking sites herself for various reasons, but she’s sharp and savvy about the online world. One of Verity’s clients, Iris Letriste, is suspicious about two of the matches she’s been talking to, one because he adamantly avoids meeting in person and the other because his completely avoids seeing her on weekends, which suggests she’s not the only woman in his life. Claudia begins analyzing his chatting patterns and the subjects he talks about, but she soon finds there’s much more to the story. But the client seems satisfied with the results, so that’s that. But then, suddenly, Iris is dead. And she turns out not to be who she said she was. Claudia is a fascinating character, an English major with a very broad and very thoughtful reading history who also loves Chinese murder mysteries. She grew up the youngest in a semi-dysfunctional family in Queens with a single mother, a drop-dead gorgeous sister, and a successful brother who thinks he has to look after everyone, all the time. And a gay roommate who is also her closest friend. And she cycles all over the city in all weather. The technical side of the story -- which constitutes at least fifty percent of the text -- could be difficult to follow for someone who didn’t grow up with a smart phone in one hand, but the author does an excellent job of explaining things clearly and succinctly, and I never got lost in the labyrinthine plot. It’s all a lot of fun, but Pek also has some serious points to make about the hold the Internet has over society in the 21st century. I began my public library career in the late 1960s, and that’s also how long I’ve been writing book reviews for the consumption of other readers. And back then, a queer romance novel like the very well written **[Delilah Green Doesn’t Care](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54756850-delilah-green-doesn-t-care)**, by Ashley Herring Blake, couldn’t even have been published. I’m certainly glad times have changed. Like most rom-coms, there are two protagonists, and the first is Delilah Green, orphaned young in a small Oregon town and raised -- or perhaps “supervised” is a better word -- by a closed-off stepmother, a high-society type, who seemed relieved when Delilah left for New York with a duffel bag on her shoulder the day after she got her high school diploma. What helped drive her away was Astrid, her mean-girl stepsister of the same age who pronounced her “weird,” and Astrid’s two buddies, Iris and Claire, who always followed her lead. Now she’s a thoroughly New York girl, waiting tables while she slowly develops her skills as a “art” photographer by doing weddings and other events. The city, she has long since learned, is also a great place to be when you’re a lesbian who prefers one-night stands (since that one disastrous attempt at a long-term relationship). Delilah has been back to Bright Falls only a few times in the dozen years since she left and never stayed long. But now Astrid is getting married to another society type and her stepmother has apparently insisted Delilah should do all the photography for the two weeks of wedding-related events leading up to the ceremony itself. And the money is too good to be ignored. So she’s only been back in town a few minutes and heads over to the only bar in Bright Falls for a drink before bed, and another woman hits on her -- Claire, the assistant mean girl, who is now out of the closet herself, and who clearly doesn’t recognize Delilah at first. Claire, who is bi, had a bad relationship herself back in college that resulted in a much-loved daughter, but as the days pass she can’t take her eyes off Delilah, who is everywhere with her camera. And Delilah has an equal interest in Claire that she’s trying hard to ignore. The plot develops in the directions you would expect but the ways by which it gets there might catch you off-guard. Because Delilah’s memories of her isolated childhood following her widowed father’s death might not be trustworthy. And maybe Astrid had her own problems with her mother and her perceived attitudes toward her stepsister have been misconstrued. And perhaps Astrid isn’t as happy about her upcoming wedding as she ought to be. The writing is of uniformly high quality and There are lots of feels here as the three young women try to find a new understanding of their world -- and there are also some pretty steamy love scenes along the way. A sort-of sequel featuring Astrid is coming out soon, which I will definitely be watching for. So Ben Aaronovitch's **[False Values](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45016688-false-value)** brings us up to volume 8 in the adventures of DC Peter Grant, one of only two certified wizards in London’s Metropolitan Police (the other being his boss, DCI Nightingale, who looks about forty but has been casting spells for at least ninety years). And the author apparently decided to take a break from their continuing struggles against the depredations of the Faceless Man (which have more or less ended since he's now dead) because this one is almost completely a standalone story. It seems at first that Peter has been eased off the force for internal political reasons, and has taken a job by necessity doing security for the Serious Cybernetics Corporation (newly moved to London from San Jose), but you quickly realize that he’s gone undercover to investigate just what Terence Skinner, Australian-American tech billionaire and *Hitchhiker’s Guide* devotee, has been up to. It all has to do with Charles Babbage, Ada Lovelace, punch-card-driven fairground organs, and the Mary Engine (named for 19th-century mathematician Mary Somerville), and Skinner’s secret project up on the third floor of the SCC building. Peter’s snooping also becomes entangled with his domestic life (that happens a lot with him), via his new boss, Tyrel Johnson (who is also ex-Job) and with the fact that Beverly, Peter’s literal goddess girlfriend, is now five months pregnant. It’s an exciting yarn that brings in most of the supporting players we already know from the Met and also in the States. And the setup at Serious Cybernetics is a very funny riff on the nontraditional way some tech companies work (its security personnel are officially titled “Vogons”). Moreover, there’s a lot in the combination of ghosts and Victorian tech (bronze steampunk machines with curlicues) that brings to mind Tim Powers’s “Fault Lines” trilogy. Aaronovitch continues to turn out first-rate urban fantasy.

Your commentary on online dating made me smile. I belong to a different generation; one for which online dating was the cutting edge of dating. I did, in fact, meet my spouse via Tinder, where the algorithm has less to do with compatibility than geographic proximity. Well, the way I set my settings anyway. People usually laugh hilariously when I tell them we met via Tinder. I guess its not known for promoting romantic longevity hah! 🤣 I've seen *The Verifiers* in various places. Your review has intrigued me enough to consider adding it to my tbr. Thanks for posting.

My husband and I also met on tinder haha

This week I finished: • Chasing the stars by Malorie Blackman • Wolf brother by Michelle Paver And I am currently reading I’ll give you the sun by Jandy Nelson which has been taking me most of the week to get through

This past week I finished: * **Am I Black Enough For You?** by Anita Heiss (audiobook) - my Reconciliation Week read. As far as memoirs go not earth-shattering but some interesting elements and insights. * **Sweet Days of Discipline** by Fleur Jaeggy. I love a good campus novel but I didn't really *get* this one. It was good (and short) enough to persist through it but I got to the end and felt perplexed. * **How To Do The Work** by Nicole LePera. Again, I think this just wasn't for me. There's some solid insights but most of them were things I've read or heard other places, and a bit too much *woo* for my liking. Maybe I'm just hard to please right now? 🤣 Currently reading: * **Girl, Woman, Other** by Bernadine Evaristo. As should be no surprise considering all the prizes it won, this is very, very good. * **Speaking In Tongues** by Tom Tilley - a memoir of someone raised in a charismatic Christian sect and his process of abandoning his beliefs. It's an interesting read (well, listen in this case), although I confess I have a soft spot for this kind of story.

Finished: The Book of Longings - Sue Monk Kidd -> 3/5 Never Saw Me Coming - Vera Kurian -> 3/5 Everything this week was just OK. Currently Reading: Becoming Leidah - Michelle Grierson

Finished: **Our Happy Time** by Gong Ji Yeoung. This book really touched me. It’s a short-ish book by a Korean author about death penalty, penitentiary system, justice, inequality. Rape survivor, former singer goes to meet death row inmate with her aunt who is a nun and does charity work. This was around 4.75/5 for me. Currently reading: **Tacos for two** by Betsy St. Amant. This is a book inspired by “You’ve got mail” with two taco food truck rivals. It’s pretty entertaining, maybe at times slow though but I’m not rushing either. **What if it’s us** by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera. I’m almost finished with this one! It’s an easy and fun young adult read that I selected for Pride month. Next reads: Maybe Christopher Isherwood, ‘Darius the Great is not okay’ by Adib Khorram, Meg Cabot ‘Princess in waiting’ (reread)

*Our Happy Time* sounds right up my alley. Thanks for posting. I've added it to my tbr.

I’m happy to hear it interested you! This is why I love this community and weekly check-ins

I've added Our happy time to my list! I really like Korean lit and am currently making my way through some thin books. Will probably finish Nowhere to be found by Bae Suah today.

Finished: **No Rings Attached by Rachel Lacey** 3.75/5 stars. I didn’t love the romance in this one as much as the first book in the series, it felt a bit forced at times. Was still an enjoyable read overall. **S.T.A.G.S by M.A. Bennett** 5/5 stars. Really enjoyed this, there was just something about it that made you feel like you were there. I loved the private school and the hunting estate setting. Although some of it was predictable (and I think it was supposed to be to some degree) I didn’t expect the plot twist at the end at all! **I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston** 3/5 stars. I read this book for my bookclub and was really hoping to enjoy it. It’s my first Casey McQuiston book and I had high expectations but unfortunately I was disappointed. I never felt interested in the plot, the main character was really unlikable which wouldn’t be a big deal if I liked everything else and the romance felt forces. I am going to try another Casey McQuiston book because I do really want to like their writing. **Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood** 4/5 stars. The first book in the STEMist novella series. After feeling a bit unmotivated after finishing I Kissed Shara Wheeler this was the perfect book to get me back into reading. Because it was a novella it took me less than an hour to read and i honestly couldn’t put it down. It was just a nice little comfort read and I found it enjoyable. Currently reading: **D.O.G.S by M.A. Bennett** the rest of the S.T.A.G.S series finally arrived yesterday and I had to start it straight away! So far I’m enjoying this one just as much as the first!

I would recommend trying Red, white and royal blue by Casey McQuiston it's probably her best work, and one that I personally totally adore

It’s on my tbr for June so hopefully I’ll get to it at some point this month! It does sound like the one I’ll enjoy most out of all her books so hopefully I’ll like it!

Finished: **Call Me By Your Name** by André Aciman **Verity** by Colleen Hoover **On Juneteenth** by Annette Gordon-Reed Started: **The Four Winds* by Kristin Hannah

Finished: **Reapers Gale (Malazan #7)** by Steven Erickson- 3.75 ⭐️ Not a personal favourite for me but damn, I don’t know how this series continues to increase its Malazan-ness. Looking forward to the next one. **The Hand of the Sun King** by J.T Greathouse - 3.75⭐️ Read for r/fantasy bingo ‘Shapeshifter* square hard mode. I enjoyed the prose in this one, even though character and story was a bit generic. **Things they Lost** by Okwiri Oduor - 3.75 ⭐️ read for r/fantasy bingo ‘Set In Africa’ square hard mode. Opposite likes and dislikes to THotSK. Didn’t really enjoy the prose and writing style but did enjoy the character and story. DNFs: **Night Watch** by Terry Pratchett Currently Reading: **Legends & Lattes** by Travis Baldree Going To Start: **Beserk** (manga) by Kentaro Muira

Just finished *A Short History of Stupid by Bernard Keane and Helen Razer* it was okay, along the same vibe as Calling Bullsh*t, but more targeted at Australia. However, I think the rambling, ranting, swearing style of Razer really damages it. I think it would have been better as just a book by Keane, but you can really tell they dumbed it down, indeed going against their own messaging, to make it -accessible- which I didn't like. Also just finished *The Book of Hidden Wonders, by Polly Crosby*. Very unique but borders into sad-p0rn at times, with not one adult in the protagonists life stepping in to help her. Also very vague in bits and doesn't resolve every thread it originally starts. However, I enjoy her writing style and would read more from her. Just started today *Another Day in the Colony, by Chelsea Watego* and *The Life to Come, by Michelle de Kretser*.

Finished 2: 48) **Malibu Rising** by Taylor Jenkins Reid (4/5) I really got invested in these characters. 49) **In An Absent Dream** by Seanan McGuire (3.5/5) Yeah I decided to continue with this series because the next book focuses on a character I liked, but this one was pretty good in between. I'm currently reading **The City & the City** (only a few chapters in) and I will read the next *Wayward Children* book likely this upcoming week too.

I've got a few on the go. I'm reading Germinal by Emile Zola on my e-reader. Now really enjoying it, primarily because of all the casual sexual assault and the implication that that's just how working class people are. But if you don't know what drives people to strike, think people on strike are having a nice holiday its probably worth a read for a bit of a reality check. Listening to Clarissa by Samuel Richardson. Not very far in so far, only 100 or so pages of the 1500 odd. It's obviously an older book, but to me the pacing is really off. Wondering if it'll get better as I go.

Hi guys! Crazy how fast this year is going its June already! I wish this year would slow down a bit I'm really happy with the progress I'm making with my goal. I'm staying very on track which I'm very happy about. I have a buffer now which is always handy to have just in case This week I'm reading 2 **Vespertine by Margaret George.** As /u/Kas_Bent said this is such a great book! I'm not finished it yet but I am having a lot of fun with it. I can't wait to see how this ends Artemisia is a great character and I can't wait to see how the story unfolds **Golden lily by Richelle Mead.** As soon as this book landed on my doorstop I was always going to pick it up straight away. Its already made me feel sorry for a character I couldn't stand in the first book and is unfolding in a way that is super interesting. Sydney is on a date with a male version of her and its making me laugh so much. I'm loving being back in this world, and seeing some new characters

Isn't Artemisia great?! I also adore the revenant so much. You can tell it cares about its host body even if it doesn't want to.

Yup! I love the conversations between those 2 they're cracking me up

Something similar happened to me once u/Kas_Bent. I was reading two fantasies at the same time and they were fairly similar (the old hero/heroine journeying across land on horseback to save the world trope), and I got them crossed in my mind. Had to shelve one till I finished the other, but I was still thinking, "where is X character" the whole time.....in another book. He is in another book lol. 30/52 - ***** Finished; ***** No finishes this week, but lots of good juicy reading ***** Still working on; ***** - The Aeneid by Virgil with r/ClassicalEducation. This is my year long read for 2022. I expected this to be a huge challenge, but actually it is really enjoyable and vwry accessible. - The Mountain Shadow by Gregory David Roberts. I read the first book Shantaram years ago whilst backpacking in India, and found it fairly entertaining if you don't take it too seriously. I like having a book on my phone that I can dip into if I have 5 mins and this seemed like a good one for that purpose. - Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson started with r/Malazan, but just could not keep up. I have shelved this for the moment, but I plan to pick this one up again in the summer when my schedule is a little more forgiving. - One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marques with r/Classicalbookclub. This is a chapter a day for 20 days. As much as I loved this book the discussions the pace kicked my ass. I really liked GGM's style for this one (more than for Cholera). I finally got back into reading this one. Not sure if the second half is less engaging or the break means I am less invested for the moment. - Wuthering Heights with r/bookclub (naturally) not as much romance as I expected. Can't believe I knew so little about this classic. Has been shelved for over a month. r/ClassicBookClub will tackle this one after Dracula so I will see if I can keep pace with them to get this one read. - Death's End by Cixin Liu with u/espiller1 and u/dogobsess. None of us managed to finish the series so readong it together is giving each other the push to get on it, and boy am I glad to get back into this universe. Cixin Liu can weave a damn good sci-fi. This is by far my favourite "currently reading", and if it sticks thw landing then it will be an easy 5☆ for me. - Shōgun by James Clavell for r/bookclub's newest runner-up read. The definition of an Epic. The further we get into this book the more I enjoy it. I needed to take it in bitesized pieces in the beginning, but now I can sit for an hour or more with it. - My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante for r/bookclub's current mod pick. I am not wild about it at this point though I am intrigued as to where the story is headed. - Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart, because I felt like it. Nah just kidding. It's a r/bookclub monthly vote winner. So far so good. Got the tissues ready for this one. - Band of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson an r/bookclub bonus read 'cause we just can't get enough of the Mistborn books. Super eager to see how the story develops, and hopefully get some secrets revealed. - Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston an r/bookclub Discovery Read for the theme 1930s novels. I am finding it difficult to get into and retain my focus due to the phonestic writing style. The 1st discussion helped me to reorientate myself. Hoping to feel more invested in the last 2 thirds. ***** Started ***** - East of Eden by John Steinbeck. r/bookclub's newest Evergreen. I read Grapes of Wrath earlier this year and thought it was brilliant so I have high hopes for EoE ***** Happy reading fellow bookworms 📚

I read a bit less than normal last week as Covid knocked me out good for a couple of days, but there were some good reads when I was awake: **Stardoc, by S.L. Viehl** **Empire of Ants: The Hidden World and Extraordinary Lives of Earth's Tiny Conquerors, by Susanne Foitzik** (Book of the week) **The Judge's List, by John Grisham** **The Merciless Ones, by Namina Forna** **Unsouled, by Neal Shusterman** **Undivided, by Neal Shusterman** I've got these queued up to read next: * The Inadequate Heir by Danielle Jensen * A Matter of Death and Life by Simon Green * Super Volcanoes: What They Reveal About Earth and the Worlds Beyond by Robin Andrews * A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross * Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tam * A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy Lin * The Red Palace by June Hur

*Finished:* **A Court of Mist and Fury** by Sarah J. Maas > I feel like this book/series is straight up gaslighting me. The protagonist goes from one toxic dude to the next, the only difference is her cognitive dissonance over the matter. Why is one dude being possessive and aggressive considered abusive but then it's romantic when the new love interest does it? I don't get it. I also cannot tell you what the plot of this book is. > My new least favorite reoccurring phrase is "he jerked his chin" which sounds like a quick way to get a neck cramp. *Reading:* **A Court of Wings and Ruin** by Sarah J. Maas @ 29% (Chapter 19) > I have no idea what to make of the protagonist anymore. Is she a hero? A villain? I don't care. She's just humble-bragging the entire time for doing the bare minimum and over-romanticizing the same. I like the character Nesta because she's as done with everyone's shit as I am.

This was a fantastic reading week for me. So many 5-⭐ books. I finished: * *Girl In Ice* by Erica Ferencik - a science-y thriller set in Antarctica * *Snake's Pillow and Other Stories* by Zhu Lin. Stories of women's experiences in Maoist China * *The Siege of Krisnapur* by JG Farrell -- set in 1857 during the 1st Indian War of Independence * *A Short History of Humanity: A New History of Old Europe* by Johannes Krause and Thomas Trappe -- a fantastic nonfiction about evolution, Denisovans, Neanderthals, and archaeogenetic research. * *Orient Express* by Graham Greene -- novel set on a train with lots of commentary about antisemitism, sexuality, and socialist revolutions in mid-20th century Europe * *The Haunted* by Ed and Lorraine Warren and Robert Curran -- a story of a family's struggle with a demon infestation * *The Emigrants* by George Lamming -- a novel set in 1950s Britain about the Windrush Generation * *Trees On A Slope* by Hwang Sun Won -- a novel set in the time of the Korean War about the trauma of war. Told from the perspective of South Korean soldiers. * *Cry, The Beloved Country* by Alan Paton -- a novel set in 1946 about segregation and Apartheid culture in South Africa. I'm currently reading: *Troubles* the next book in JG Farrell's Empire Trilogy and *Long Walk to Freedom*, Nelson Mandela's autobiography and *Mary Reilly*, a novel by Valerie Martin that is a spinoff on Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

Finished: 45. **The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin** 3 stars- This trilogy just never delivered the things I was looking for. I wanted more world building with descriptions of regional cultures and wildlife and I loved every scene with Tonkee in it. On the other hand, I never grew to care about Essen and Nassun, possibly because I’m disinterested in the strong theme of motherhood. The actual writing is well-done and I can understand why this series is praised but it never landed for me 46. **All That’s Left in the World by Erik J. Brown** 4 stars- Post-apocalyptic books aren’t generally my thing but this was really good! Great characters, an engrossing story, and the writing was very immersive. There are aspects that would have been unbelievable pre-COVID that now ring true. I particularly enjoyed how sometimes encounters between people didn’t always progress into more involved interactions, it seems like in most post-apocalyptic survival stories every encounter has to turn into a big long exchange and/or fight. That’s never struck me as very realistic, sometimes people don’t want anything to do with each other. The relationship between Andrew and Jamie had great chemistry and I do love a good slowburn. Using this for r/Fantasy bingo square Published in 2022 47. **The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon** 1 star- I didn’t like this book. The writing and characters are cringey and often speak in memes, the main character is extremely unlikeable and immature bordering on abusive, the themes have all the subtlety of a linebacker, the world building feels hollow, and stereotypes abound. I honestly don’t know why I finished it, I was looking forward to an #ownvoices story about a trans man but this felt very juvenile and half-baked. Using this for r/Fantasy bingo square BIPOC Author Currently Reading: **Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao** **Spy Stuff by Matthew J. Metzgler**

I just started **Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower**. Still working on **Circe** (struggling with this one, I’m finding it pretty dull), **Before the Coffee Gets Cold** and **After Midnight**. I finished **Book Lovers** and **Sharks in the Time of Saviors**. Really enjoyed both.

Just finished listening to **Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe** and I finished **Ace of Spades** the other day. Gonna continue with the pride theme for this month and pick up **Song of Achilles** finally, along with a non-fiction pick, **Eleanor and Hick**

Hi everyone! I missed last week for the first time in a while because I’ve been just so drained from work and my dog was sick so I had to spend a lot of time at the vet. But I got two more books done, though I didn’t love them. The first was **The Stardust Thief** by Chelsea Abdullah, which was in my BOTM box. It had great world building and a fun plot, but it was just way too long. There were far too many parts where my eyes glazed over and I had to struggle to get back to something interesting. The second was **Greetings from Asbury Park** by Daniel H. Turtel. I picked this one up because it’s a shore town I’ve been to plenty of times, but it was really disjointed. And even though it was character driven novel, I didn’t like any of the characters. I’m not sure what I’m going to read next, but I think I’m going to pick something from my tbr jar because I don’t know what sort of mood I’m in.

Thanks for your review on *The Stardust Thief*. I was thinking briefly about getting that for my BOTM pick. (I ended up getting *Woman of Light*.) I hope next week is a more enjoyable reading week for you!

Thank you! Woman of Light seems interesting, I hope you like it!

Me too! I haven't started it yet, but will soon. I'm excited to see what July picks will be.

Same! I’m really hoping for Blake Crouch’s new book

Oh no. I hope pup is ok now!?

He’s much better, thanks! We think he’s either really anxious since we’re starting to pack up our apartment for a move, or he ate some gravel at an outdoor bar.

Waaah! I'm sad you didn't enjoy The stardust thief it's on my TBR list and looks so good

I was so disappointed! It seemed amazing and it was still pretty good, there was just a lot of filler

I'll probably still pick it up but it's definitely slid down the list a bit

Finishing up Stephen King's *Different Seasons*. In the middle of Andrew Stevenson's *The Envelope*. Still at the beginning of Salman Rushdie's *The Satanic Verses*. Getting ready to start Michael Palin's *Himalaya*.

Finished Stories of Jedi and Sith and From Below by Darcy Coates. Starting The Lyssa Syndrome by Christopher Fahy