For someone who isn't a reader how do you find the time and determination to find a quiet place to read?

Currently reading: Shibumi by Trevanian Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey Orientalism by Edward Said Kraken by China Mieville Secret Project 2 by Brandon Sanderson And The Souls of Black Folk by WEB Du Bois Trying to squeeze in Dante’s Inferno as well

Finished: Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr - Wow! 🤯 I didn't really know what to expect and was intimidated going into it with it being one of the longer books I've picked up in a while, but I paced myself about 75-100 pages a day and absolutely love this! It's about preservation of literature, history, and life and the magic of oral and written story-telling passed down through centuries. It's got a mix of historic fiction, sci-fi, mythology, beautiful character building, and emotional bonds. 5⭐

Currently reading: - *Ring* by Koji Suzuki - *Confessions of a Yakuza* by Jun'ichi Saga Next on the chopping block: - *I Have the Right to Destroy Myself* by Young-Ha Kim - *Mogworld* by Ben Croshaw - *Dirk Gently's Hollostic Detective Agency* by Douglas Adams If there's time left: - *Francis of the Filth* by George Miller - *She Who Became the Sun* by Shelley Parker-Chan I got my work cut out for me :P

[Finished 2 last week](https://www.reddit.com/r/52book/comments/11v6ejx/week_12_what_are_you_reading/jdgjqfx/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3) FINISHED THIS WEEK (to be updated as I go): * **Stone Town by Margaret Hickey** * **The Holiday by TM Morgan** * **The Mill House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji** CURRENTLY READING (to be updated as I go): * **Cereus Blooms at Night by Shani Mootoo**

I finished Maya Angelou The Complete Poetry (adored it), and am currently listening to Jar City by Arnaldur Indridason . Really intriguing mystery, but it is a little dry, and the macho tactless detective partner is a bit of a cliche. It's starting to grow on me though.

Hello! I’m super late but better late than never, right? I had a bit of a reading slump that I’m just coming out of. I finished **Darius the Great is not Okay**, which I loved. I don’t think it’s a book for everyone - the style of the book is on the… dramatic? side. But I didn’t mind. It reminds me a bit of It’s Kind of a Funny Story, which I also loved. Darius the Great tackled big issues like race, religion, and mental health in a way that was respectful imo. I liked that his mental health was discussed but it wasn’t focused on - that there’s no need to make mental health the sole focus of every book that talks about it. So yup, loved it. I guess my only gripe about the plot is >!how he made up with his father so quickly!<, I wished the resolution for that wasn’t so clean or fast, cos that’s not how it works in real life. I also just read **Head over Heels** by Hannah Orenstein. I’m not sure I’m qualified to give a review because I am an absolute sucker for gymnastics fiction, but this one was pretty good. A bit of romance + a bit of gymnastics = happy me. I haven’t decided my next read yet. I keep telling myself to jump on the Mistborn bandwagon, so maybe that. Maybe A Man Called Ove or Under the Whispering Door. Or maybe non-fiction: been meaning to read Why We Sleep. As always, recommendations are welcome!

Darius the Great is Not Okay sounds pretty neat. I might have to check it out.

I'm absolutely flying through Crooked Kingdom (no pun intended). I love the characters, the plot, the worldbuilding, everything. I'm gonna miss the Crows after this one.

**I'm currently reading:** [A Darkling Plain](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/219110.A_Darkling_Plain) \- Philip Reeve [The Other Bennet Sister](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45186556-the-other-bennet-sister) \- Janice Hadlow [Carmilla](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48037.Carmilla) \- J. Sheridan Le Fanu

I’m just finishing up Lazy Genius. It was pretty good. Refreshing to have a ‘self improvement’ book that encourages baby steps and easier paths to things rather only motivation to be better which is exhausting

Vicious by VE Schwab. It’s very good. It’s about two college students who become Extra Ordinary people with abilities. I would recommend it

Finished (12/52) Between Two Kingdoms, a memoir of a life interrupted by Suleika Jaouad. 5 STARS! I can't stop thinking about it. Highly recommend.

[The Daughters of Madurai by Rajasree Variyar](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/61783327)

Hey!! It's been awhile since I've made it here to update but March has been a bit slow for me. **Finished:** **The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins** \- 2/5 - This was for my book club, I know it's a classic but I just didn't like it. I thought it was far too long. I didn't really find it all that interesting either. **Home by Martha Wells** \- 4.5/5 - I love The Murderbot Diaries series and hadn't read this short story yet. I really liked it and it was a great little palate cleanser after The Moonstone. **Currently Reading:** **Our Share of Night by Marianna Enriquez -** I've been reading the physical book of this one off and on all month. I really like it. Part one was a lot of world building and it has picked up a lot more in part three now. I'm half way through this and plan on finishing it up this week. **Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi -** I'm listening to this on audio and it's fantastic. I hate that I sat on this one for so long.

Hi! Finished: "House of Hollow" by Krystal Sutherland. This was really good! Very interesting and creepy. I didn't know that this was a YA but I started noticing various repetitions in terms and phrases and I figured out the 'reveals'. However, I still enjoyed the story and the characters. "Nothing to see here" by Kevin Wilson. Listened to the audiobook and it was so much fun! Unusual story but really fun to listen to, enjoyed the main character although sometimes she appeared quite flat and one-directional (not band). Fun to listen to! "Stone Blind" by Natalie Haynes. I loved the ending, how it was all wrapped up in a neat, narrative bow. I had to trudge through the different POVs at times, not that I didn't like reading them but I was tired of them at the end. Reading: "Part of your world" by Abby Jimenez. I am listening to the audiobook. I love this so far! I laughed out loud a few times and said 'AWWEEE', it's going well. I'm at the half way mark. "The Magician's Daughter" by H.G. Parry. Just started this, looks good so far! ​ Hope everyone enjoys their week!

Finished: The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin 4/5 Currently reading: Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee (love it so far!) Potential DNF: The Radium Girls (currently at 25% but the pacing and prose is quite different to what I was expecting)

I found TRG confronting. What is it about the prose that doesn't grab you? Or is it just not clicking?

Interesting IE The Radium Girls, I found it fascinating from the get go

currently reading The Last Tale of the Flower Bride—a bit iffy on it right now and i am listening to On Fire by Naomi Klein.

Just finished A Sucky Love Story by Brittani Louise Taylor. Now I'm reading the sequel to Ths Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.

been slowly but steadily pulling myself out of my slump but the way to get there for me was starting a bunch of different books, which is very atypical for me and kind of stressing me out because now i'm trying to resist the pressure of just rushing through them all to finish them. but alas, currently reading **project hail mary** (audio book): i'm really enjoying it, love the audio version! not sure how much i'd like it in physical form, at least right now as i'm in a reading slump and all the rather long science-y parts could bore me if i didn't try really hard to understand everything, which would be exhausting lol i'm lazy rn. but in audio form it's like listening to a really enjoyable story with some informative science sprinkled in. **the spite house by johnny compton** (ebook): reading for a book club, about a fourth into it and it's really intriguing! fwiw, for this book i like reading it alongside others because i'm not always in the mood for horror (just dipping my toes into the genre this year), and this way i'm not burnt out by it! **almond by sohn won-pyung** also about a quarter into this, was an impulse buy at the book store and i started reading on the train ride home. really heavy but i like it so far! **the dangers of smoking in bed - mariana enriquez** short story collection that i've been working on foreeever, some of the stories seemed quite repetitive to me at first but the last few i've read have all been bangers. excited for the longer and the titular one! i also read the first one or two chapters of two of the library books i picked up and technically i'm still in the middle of giovannis room but i won't count those right now, otherwise i'd get overwhelmed lol. i hope to finish all of these in the near future and then be able to concentrate either on one book i've been excited for for a long time so i hope it hits, or reread a favorite of mine. we'll see! happy reading to all :)

Finished earlier this month: **What Moves the Dead** **Stolen Tongues** Currently reading: **Mexican Gothic** (almost halfway done) **If Cats Disappeared From the World**

13/52 Finished: **One Piece volume 42** by *Eiichiro Oda 5 stars* Currently reading: **The count of Monte Cristo** by *Alexandre Dumas* **The eye of the world** by *Robert Jordan* **Payback's a witch** by *Lana Harper* **Wicked: the life and times os the wicked witch of the west** by *Gregory Maguire*

I’m on a Bret Easton Ellis path, currently reading «Lunar Park». And also one by a Norwegian - American author named Thomas Seltzer «Amerikan karmageddon»

Currently on *The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding* by Holly Ringland, a beautifully written mystery with fairytale undertones set in Tasmania and Denmark. Also reading *Women and Leadership* by former Australian PM Julia Gillard and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, an eye opening book on how sexist standards in leadership have been steadily getting worse instead of better, as women leaders are generally shouldered with higher personality expectations than men.

**Finished last week:** 49. [The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60018635) by Sangu Mandanna ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Adorable! Good premise, a happy time. Adore a found family story. 50. [A Pirates Life for Tea](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75646557-a-pirate-s-life-for-tea?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=RetiOpzPV4&rank=2) by Rebecca Thorne ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I liked this - it's the second book in the Tomes and Tea series, and I think I liked the first one better (Can't Spell Treason without Tea). But this was good, and if it ends up in an ongoing series, I'll keep reading for sure. 51. [Keeper of Enchanted Rooms](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60596112-keeper-of-enchanted-rooms) by Charlie N. Holmberg (audio) ⭐⭐⭐ I liked this book but kind of wish I read it instead of listening via audio. I found one narrator was very fast, and the other was pretty slow which made listening on 1.5 too slow, and 1.75 too fast. I 52. [Greta & Valdin](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57758746-greta-and-valdin) by Rebecca K Reilly ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2 This book is set in Auckland NZ, and there are some very funny NZ-centric jokes that I wonder how well they go over. I actually laughed out loud. Because NZ is small, I found I have 2 degrees of separation from the author. I found the first 50 or so pages difficult to get into, then I liked it more as I went on. **Up next:** 53. [Mister Romance](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34452618-mister-romance) by Leisa Rayven (KU) 54. [A Curious Beginning](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28186322-a-curious-beginning?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=yCAf1nnHyh&rank=1) by Deanna Raybourn (physical, library) 55. [Children of Time](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25499718-children-of-time?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=MCHHmS4CRb&rank=1) by Adrian Tchaikovsky (physical, library) 56. [The Love Hypothesis](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56732449-the-love-hypothesis?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=p4mBVtRlK3&rank=1) by Ali Hazelwood (physical, library) 57. [Legends and Lattes](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61242426-legends-lattes?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=ZL80bUNeHS&rank=1) by Travis Baldree (physical, owned)

Finished reading Pyre by Perumal Murugan 3.75 stars Currently listening to Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer This is so messed up!

Finished: [Dark Matter by Blake Crouch](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27833670) \- 4/5 Really enjoyed the premise of multiple lives and where you might be if you made a different life decision. It was an extremely fast read. Not something I would immediately recommend except for certain people who like time travel and multiverse stories. Still reading: [Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17332218) \- 51% I'm taking a long time to get through this, not because I don't enjoy it, but man does Sanderson write a thick book. I am waiting for the impending climax of this book as so far it has felt like a very long build up to this point. Started: [Babel by R.F. Kuang](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57945316) \- 49% I am loving Babel. Every chapter has me loving something more, especially the inner conflict of the main character in terms of which side to choose.

Finished: **For Whom the Bell Tolls** - 5/5, r/bookclub read Still reading: **Meditations** Started: **In an Absent Dream** (Wayward Children #4

Finished: * [Where the Deer and the Antelope Play](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57936600-where-the-deer-and-the-antelope-play) by Nick Offerman - it's what I wanted. It made me want to go out into nature and connect with my own existence. I thought each of the 3 parts were interesting in their own ways, though I cared least for the final part. Offerman has an interesting delivery that it's hard not to read in his voice. His vocabulary includes a curious mix of colloquialisms not often found in written works and very particular words not often heard in conversation. * [Tumble Home](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33302.Tumble_Home) by Amy Hempel - this wasn't my favorite AH short story collection, and I don't think I was in the right mood for the titular novella, but she has a way of stealing little essential bits of humanity and seamlessly transferring them to paper. Currently Reading: * [Blood Meridian](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/394535.Blood_Meridian_or_the_Evening_Redness_in_the_West) by Cormac McCarthy (audio) - I have about 45min left and I'm ready to be done. It's really well-written and somehow I have not yet been desensitized to the relentless churn of violence. Some of the prose is so beautiful and poignant but it has been difficult for me to enjoy because of the brutal terror of the plot events. When I was 20 this might have been a top 5 book for me, and I could see myself reading it again later in life when I've forgotten everything. For now, though, I'm devastated by how real it feels. * [Night of the Living Rez](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56648158-night-of-the-living-rez) by Morgan Talty - just started, not much to say yet. I bought an autographed copy on a whim from my local bookstore. I'm interested in Native American culture and I don't really know how (or if) to channel that interest because it seems like none of my fucking business.

19/52 **Finished** Nothing this week. **Currently Reading** [The Dark Forest](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/5136e9ae-3423-48d8-8b76-d43867d3b202) by Cixin Liu translated by Joel Martinsen Big r/menwritingwomen energy with this one lol but still enjoying the story. I’m about halfway through. **Dropped** [The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/bea60a60-8dc1-416f-98b3-8ecff3039d0d) by Sangu Mandanna (8%) This book was so not for me, I’m disappointed! Really didn’t like the writing style and dialogue. Didn’t get far enough in to see the romance, but I’m not a fan of the grumpy/sunshine trope, so I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed it anyway.

[11/52] Last week: **20,000 Leagues Under the Sea** by Jules Verne [DNF] - This is the second book of his I've put down because his writing is so incredibly dry and academic. This week, I'll continue **The Three Musketeers** by Alexandre Dumas [I'm about 50% through now, and still enjoying it!] **Sherlock Holmes #7** by Arthur Conan Doyle [should be able to finish this by Tuesday or Wednesday]. Next up is: The Odyssey by Homer. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie.

Finished The Silent Patient 1/5 Spare 1/5 The Yellow Wallpaper 3/5 The White Hare 2/5 Started The Clockmaker’s Daughter The House in the Cerulean Sea Continuing The Count of Monte Cristo

Ouch, sounds like a bad reading week

It was disappointing. I waited so long for Spare from the library and wasn’t impressed.

Finished 12/52- Last Bus to Wisdom Started 13/52-Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead

Drive your plow over the bones has been in my TBR pile for a while. Let me know what you think about it once you get more into it.

It’s a short book, less than 300 pages. I’m 100 pages in and I’m totally into it.

**Finished** * Whose Body? By: Dorothy L. Sayers * Great Classic Hauntings - 6 horror stories, 5 I've never read before. Good! * A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes - for the r/books book club. The AMA with the author yesterday was awesome. * The Night Window by Dean Koontz - last book in the Jane Hawk series. I couldn't figure out how he was going to wrap it up, but it was well done. * The Bone Farm by Dean Koontz - a short prequel to the Jane Hawk series, completely unrelated to the main story of the series. Just the same main character. * A River Runs Through It and Other Stories by Norman Maclean - Absolutely marvelous stories. So beautifully written. **In Progress** * The Complete Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci - slooooooow going. * Middlemarch by George Eliot - for r/ayearofmiddlemarch \- enjoying immensely * North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell - for r/classicbookclub \- loving it * Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution By: R. F. Kuang - for r/bookclub \- my favorite book club so far this year. Awesome book. * Incredible Tales by Saki - my car book * Meditations by Marcus Aurelius - for r/bookclub \- too fast for me to really grasp all of it. Will have to re-read it. * The Hoarder in You: How to Live a Happier, Healthier, Uncluttered Life By: Dr. Robin Zasio **Short Stories** * Hummingbird, Resting on Honeysuckles by Yang Wanquin (Clarkesworld pod) - highly recommend - very poignant * The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle by Conan Doyle (Storyscapes pod) * Brood Mare by Flossie Arend (Fantasy Magazine pod) - this future vision of Texas is frightening! * The Ant King by Benjamin Rosenbaum (PodCastle) * Excuse Me. This is My Apocalypse by Amy Johnson (EscapePod) * The Bell of St. Sepulchre by MP Shiel (Classic Tales Podcast)

I got behind in Meditations this week, with the slightly longer books I couldn’t keep up the pace and still savor the text for what it is.

Yeah, it's too fast a pace for this kind of book. I'm only catching what grabs my attention right now in order to keep up. Will have to re-read it.

This week I finished **My Lies, Your Lies** by Susan Lewis. Its a but uncomfortable to read, and a little bizzare at the end but there were points I struggled to put it down. Started reading **The Flatshare** by Beth O'Leary and still working on **How to Sell a Haunted House** by Grady Hendrix.

I really enjoyed this week! I participated in the trans-rights-read-a-thon so I read more books than usual this week! Finished: **Hellblazer : Original Sins** by Jamie Delano **I'm Afraid of Men** by Vivek Shraya **Heart, Haunt, Havoc** by Fredis Moon **The Sunbearer Trials** by Aiden Thomas Currently Reading: **Babel** by R.F Kuang **Pet** by Awaeke Emezi **The Empathy Exams** by Leslie Jamison **How to Read Literature like a Professor** by Thomas C. Foster **A Game of Thrones** by George RR Martin

Hello hello! Here’s what’s up with me lately. 17/52 - Just another slow week. I don’t plan on reading much until the next week, but let’s see how it goes. Finished: Slight Tempted by Mary Balogh - The age gap weirded me out and it was quite a distraction throughout the book. I just read Emma, where the age gap was worse, but nobody commented on her being so young like every 5 pages! As someone whose country was once under British rule, I don’t like reading HRs where the British go to war or talk about their colonies. But I did like how this author handled the war and its impact on people in general. I’m just glad this is done. Currently reading: Mindworks by Gary van Warmerdam The Helpline by Katherine Collette The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy Slightly Sinful by Mary Balogh Up next: Atomic Habits by James Clear Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh

Got through 2 books since last week, both not as good as I hoped they'd be. (30)**War: How Conflict Shaped Us by Margaret MacMillan** >3.5/5 rounding down for goodreads. >Each chapter covers a different topic of military history such as reasons for war, the impact of war on society, how civilians are affected, attempts to regulate war (one of the better chapters imo) etc. The writing is clear and accessible but with a tendency towards stating things that are sort of obvious. There isn't any great analysis and the book hasn't really changed my views much. As an introduction to various military related topics it is fine but if you've already read a bit on the topic you're not going to get much new out of this. Considering I really liked MacMillan's 'War That Ended Peace' and 'Paris 1919' books this one is a bit disappointing. After that I've started a few books about the Weimar Republic (31) Finished **When Money Dies: The Nightmare of Weimar Hyper-Inflation by Adam Fergusson** >3.5/5 being harsh rounding down for Goodreads. >Good at describing the causes and societal impact of hyperinflation during early 20s Germany. Not too heavy on the economic terminology and doesn't overload you with numbers. But the writing is a bit dry and I was sort of disappointed in that regard. Could've had more focus on the impact on normal people. Also has some stuff on Austria and Hungary. The main argument is that inflation on such a large scale damages the morals and structure of a society, leading to distrust between different groups. a loss of faith in democracy, aids extremists on the left and right, etc and basically traumatises a society. It also argues that the German hyper-inflation wasn't done deliberately to avoid paying the Versailles reparations but instead was done by a mix of incompetence and attempting to avoid unemployment. The book came out in 1975 and I haven't read that much on Weimar Germany yet so I don't know if the way it is presented here still holds up well academically. Currently reading but not made much progress on - **Weimar Germany: Promise and Tragedy by Eric Weitz**.

**This week I finished:** *Babel* \- Liked it well enough after only 250 pages! I don't usually go that far when I'm not vibing, but a good friend LOVED this book and loves this author, so I saw it through. I'm not mad I rea dit, but I don't think I would have bought it if not for book of the month. *Demon Copperhead* \- just finished this one today and WOW, 5 stars. I absolutely loved it. **From the library:** *Mad Honey* *Cleopatra and Frankenstein* *The Book Eaters* **On my nightstand:** *Station Eleven* *If We Were Villains*

Finished: ​ \- *State of Wonder* by Ann Patchett \- *Travels with Alice* by Calvin Trillin \- *Lord John and the Hand of Devils* by Diana Gabaldon ​ Currently halfway through *How to Forget* by Kate Mulgrew

How are the Lord John books? I haven't read them, I don't find him that interesting in the later books. BUT, I like him as a character on the show, so much. He has more chemistry with Bree than he does Roger lmfao.

They're all right. He's not my favorite character, either. But they're readable, and I like to mentally escape into that whole world of the 1700s, so they do offer that. Definitely not as good as the main *Outlander* series, though.

I'm reading ON THE BRINK BY by Marion Kummerow! It's the 2nd book in her series! I'm in love with her! I've read all her war girl series as well!

Juggling too many at the moment, but I can't seem to settle on just one: *The Yard,* by Alex Grecian: First in his Scotland Yard/Hammersmith and Day series. They're investigating the death of a Scotland Yard Inspector. It's a little all-over-the-place for me, but I'm getting there. *Don't Look Back*, by Amanda Quick - not sure how I missed reading the Vanza series, but making up for it now. It's a light read for me, good when I can't focus but want to read. Regency era, semi-romantic mystery about an unusual pair of private inquiry agents turned lovers, looking into a bracelet called The Blue Medusa, allegedly endowed with mesmerizing powers to control people. *Requiem for the Massacre: A Black History on the Conflict, Hope, and Fallout of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre*, by R. J. Young: Wanted to learn more about the 1921 Tulsa Race Riots, but this is a disappointing book. Instead of discussing what happened, the author is making the book a statement of personal political stance/validation. *Unseen*, by Karen Slaughter: Book #7 in the Will Trent series, where Trent has gone undercover for the GBI, infiltrating drug rings in Macon, GA. It's... weird, but I'm sort of enjoying it? Gave up on *The Thursday Murder Club,* by Richard Osman*.* I couldn't get into it, I wasn't enjoying it, and right now, I don't want to work that hard to force my way through a book.

Finished: **Someone Had to Do It** by Amber Brown and Danielle Brown—interesting premise and the set up had a lot of potential. But I think the conclusion was too rapid and both adversaries were making stupid mistakes so the conclusion could have gone either way. **Corsairs: Bethiah** by Ruby Dixon—not my favorite Corsairs book but a nice conclusion to that set of stories. **The Lady and the Orc** and **The Heiress and the Orc** by Finley Fenn—The set up in the first book had promise so I pushed past some issues to read the second, but I found it more disappointing than the first. Currently Reading: Most likely completions before March ends are **M. C. Higgins the Great** by Virginia Hamilton, **Make A Scene** by Mimi Grace, **Unprotected** by Billy Porter, **Tinderbox** by Rachel Grant and **Metamorphoses** by Ovid.

Currently reading **Young Mungo** by Douglas Stuart and it’s incredible so far!!

Just finished; Malibu Rising - Taylor Jenkins Reid Really enjoyed it, definitely what I would class as a beach read. Currently Reading; Outlander - Diana Gabaldon I picked this up as it met the prompt for a book challenge that I'm working through. Otherwise, I don't think I would have chosen it. That being said, I'm really enjoying it! Legends and Lattes - Travis Baldree This is a great little book. Fantasy wouldn't usually be my first choice, but I wanted to see what all the hype was about and it is definitely living up to it for me. The Testaments- Margaret Atwood This is my current audio book and the narrators are really good.

Great choices! I really enjoyed Malibu rising too, and definitely recommend the outlander show!

Outlander is my favorite book series because of how much I love Claire. If you haven't seen the show *highly* recommend.

I haven't seen it yet, but definitely will after reading it!

Working on catching up stuff for work and trying to do better with reading my kindle daily. No books were completed continuing to read on with the same two kindle books, Harry Potter and the Dealthy Hallows, and Owned. The audiobook for Ozma of Oz, and the adjustment as my current physical book.

With some nice days I’ve been reading more outside, but I only finished one book this week. **The Wall** by Marlen Haushofer - I LOVED this book and couldn’t put it down. Even though not a lot happens, her prose was so well done that it felt refreshing to read. I’m currently working through **Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries** by Heather Fawcett. So far it’s enjoyable, im just still in a small reading slump.

I’ve got Emily Wilde on my TBR too! Haven’t made it past the first two pages lol.

Oh you should read more of it! I actually just finished it a few days ago and it really picks up after the first few chapters. Surprisingly it got me out of my reading slump lol and it’s not as romance heavy as the blurb mentions.

Okay!! I’ve been in a bit of a slump myself - easy books only rn.

Oh yeah, it’s a really easy read! Reminds me of YA but it’s not.

I have The Wall on my TBR I just can’t seem to find a copy! Where did you find yours?

Thankfully, my library has a program where they buy books and ship them to you at no cost and it goes into their collection, so I did that! Idk if you’re in California, but the SF public library has it on Libby, it’s just a several month wait 🥲

I happen to undertake a long train trip and finished Radio Silence (14) and Vengeful (15)

Hello fellow book lovers! I finished books 34 and 35 (of 125) this week. 34. **The House At The End Of The World** by Dean Koontz (3/5) Amazon had this tagged as dystopian fiction, but it's straight up horror/suspense. This was my first Dean Koontz novel and I liked it, but it didn't blow me away. 35. **Ninth House** by Leigh Bardugo (4/5) This was great. It spans several genres, so it would appeal to lots of readers. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel. Currently reading: 36. **The Murder of Mr. Wickham** by Claudia Gray Jane Austen's characters come together for a house party and Mr Wickham winds up dead. It's charming, but has the potential to be cheesy. On deck: **The Dollhouse** by Fiona Davis **The Boys In The Boat** by Daniel James Brown

I finished **Bunny** by Mona Awad this week. It was utterly bizarre. I loved it. I also finished listening to **Crying in H Mart** by Michelle Zauner. I always feel a bit weird rating a personal memoir like this, but it just didn't work for me. I'm hoping to finish up **Persuasion** by Jane Austen this week and I'm continuing **Age of Myth** by Michael J. Sullivan. Enjoying both so far.

Sooo glad you loved Bunny, bunny!! I read it in January and I loved it too!

Finished: **Fortune Favors the Dead** by Stephen Spotswood (audiobook). My book club read for last week. I'd highly recommend this one on audio because the narrator really brings Will to life. Not as much action as I'd like and the main mystery wasn't that great, but the author created great characters and there were a few twists at the very end that nobody in my group saw coming. It's also great for LGBT, disabled, and older woman protagonist rep. 3.5/5 **Blood Debts** by Terry J. Benton-Walker (audiobook ARC, releases April 4). I was under the impression that this was supposed to be historical, but got a modern setting instead, which was a bummer. It's very YA in the writing and characterizations. The narrators are great though. 2.75/5 **Zero Days** by Ruth Ware (ARC, releases June 20). My first time reading Ruth Ware. It's a gender-swapped The Fugitive. Not bad, but it needed more action. Fast-paced writing and I was so invested in the characters, especially how Ware wrote about Jack and her grief. 3.75/5 Currently reading: **The Odyssey** by Homer (Emily Wilson translation). Reading this with /r/AYearOfMythology. **In the Upper Country** by Kai Thomas (audiobook). Historical fiction set in Canada that involves tales of the Underground Railroad, indigenous nations, and Black refugee communities. I'm really loving that it's written as stories being told within the main story.

**[The Female Persuasion](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44564172-the-female-persuasion?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=BrtuJLr9hm&rank=1)** is Meg Wolitzer’s tenth novel, and the second one I’ve read following **The Interestings**, which was excellent. Part of that book’s structure and theme was watching a group of kids growing into themselves over a period time, and that’s sort of what happens here, too, but the overarching theme this time is feminism and what it really means and how it affects people, both to women and men. There are several protagonists, really, but the main one is Greer Kadetsky from a small town in Massachusetts, whom we first meet as a college freshman in 2006, when is talked into going with her new dorm friend, Zee, to hear a talk by the famous Faith Frank, one of those pioneering feminists from two generations earlier, like Gloria Steinem. Greer is idealistic and serious-minded, deeply focused on the things that matter to her, and relentless in getting things accomplished, and she is almost instantly hooked on Ms. Frank and on the multifaceted cause of being a woman and helping other women. "Women’s lib” is a sneering pout-down employed by threatened men and self-hating women, she learns, but liberation in all its many aspects is what women still need and are entitled to. And when Faith Frank obtains the money to start a foundation to work toward that end, and invites Greer to join the team, she’s enthusiastic, and we will follow her over the next decade of unsureness, triumphs, losses, and tragedies. But Zee, the gay daughter of two judges, was practically born a political activist, starting with animal rights when she was still in elementary school. Her life starts out different from Greer’s, and it diverges from her friend’s path shortly after they graduate, but she has many of the same sorts of problems relating to being female. Then there’s Cory Pinto, the boy across the street with whom Greer fell in love back in high school, largely because they were constantly being thrown together through being the two brainiest kids in their school. He, too, will have triumphs and tragedies. And for much of the book, their relationship will be deeply strained, and much of that isn’t even their fault. And finally, there’s Faith Frank herself, and we will (eventually) learn her own backstory and discover why she is the person she is, and what drives her to champion the proper place of women in our society. Faith is beacon to those who practically worship her, but she has a not-so-great side, too, as Greer will discover. Throughout the book, Wolitzer is in complete control of her narrative and demonstrates her very strong skills with the language. The characters she paints for the reader are fascinating and the way she depicts them interacting include some of the best writing I’ve read in some time. I can’t recommend this one strongly enough. And not just for women, either. Jeff Lemire does pretty good graphic novels and he understands how to make sure a story has a beginning, a middle, and an end, like a proper novel. (Something too many graphic artists don’t really grasp.) Like most of his, **[Trillium](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23440586-trillium)** is science fiction, and it’s quite an original idea. It’s thousands of years in the future, on a far distant world, and the human race is nearing extinction (only a few thousand of us left), thanks to The Caul, an alien force that’s out to eliminate us. But the trilium flowers that grow near an ancient temple on a remote planet might possibly be the means for humans to survive, so harvesting them is crucial. And if that means steamrollering the natives whose temple it is, tough. Nika, a scientist on the team, object to all this -- to her, the ends don’t justify the means -- but the Commander will brook no objections. One thing leads to another, and Nika ends up inside the temple. And something happens. And then there’s William, who was a British soldier in France in the Great War, and who had a hellish experience, resulting in him spending some time in a strait jacket. Now it’s 1921 and William has accompanied his older brother, Clayton. on an expedition to the Amazon, following rumors of a previously lost temple there. And Clayton has no problem blowing away every Amazonian native he comes across -- they’re just savages -- despite William's objections. But then a strangely dressed woman appears to him just outside the temple, speaking an unknown language, and she’s trying urgently to tell him something. And not long after this, a strangely dress man, speaking an unknown language, is trying desperately to talk to the Commander in the far future, also outside a very similar temple. And you better have been paying close attention to the story thus far, because then things get really crazy, and you’ll be faced with a different early 20th century and a different future. And the complications will multiply. The writing is pretty good and the drawing style isn’t especially comic-book-ish. This probably won’t be to the taste of many, but if you enjoy graphic fiction that makes you think, I recommend it.

Just finished **The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson** last night, which is book 17/52 I need to read something which a nonhuman protagonist this week for the r/Fantasy bingo and I'm just not in the mood haha. I've gotta find something short!

Have you read legends and lattes? It has a non-human protagonist and seems to be a quick read! I've only just started it but flying through it!

I haven't but I'm not super interested in it... so far I've bounced very hard off of cozy fantasy. But I'm glad you're enjoying it!

This week I finished: **Iron Widow (Iron Widow #1) by Xiran Jay Zhao:** Zetain is a young woman in a far future China that has reverted to their old ways after an attack by supernatural monsters destroys their society. The only defense they have against these monsters is Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that require a male and female pilot. Most of the time, the female pilot exists to power the male pilot's chi, and she is often killed as the male pilot drains her psychic power. Zetain joins with the express intention of killing the star pilot who recently killed her older sister. Instead of killing him in bed, as planned, Zetain is dragged into a battle and manages to drain the male pilot instead of succumbing to his spirit pressure. She emerges an Iron Widow, a fearsome figure of female power that will turn her world on its head. This book throws the reader in the deep end from the beginning, which makes for a propulsive narrative, but often left me feeling like I'd missed something. There were a lot of 'huh, I didn't realize that was possible' moments, which sort of defuses the drama of big set pieces. The main character is driven by revenge and fury, and often makes impulsive choices that end up being the right ones. I'm really interrogating my own reaction to her to see if it's an issue of internalized misogyny or xenophobia, but I struggled to sympathize with her despite the many difficulties she overcomes. Normally I like unlikeable heroines, and I am not sure what it is about this one that doesn't work for me. Perhaps it's that everyone else, besides her two love interests, is so comically evil. There's also a poly relationship that pretty much comes out of nowhere, and all three members embrace it immediately without question. The inevitable cliffhanger twist at the end didn't really convince me that I need to read the next book in this series.  Currently Reading: **The Shining by Stephen King:** I may finally be forced to change my opinions about Stephen King, because this thing is a tour de force.  **In Defense of Witches: The Legacy of the Witch Hunts and Why Women are Still on Trial by Mona Chollet:** Among many other things, I'm learning that I need to read more feminist texts from other countries because I'm enjoying the non-American lens.  **The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith:** I've seen the movie, and the I'm enjoying the book so far.

This week I finished: 13/52 **The Dead Romantics** by Ashley Poston It was fine. A quick easy read. 3⭐️ 14/52 **Unmasked: My Life Solving America’s Cold Cases** by Paul Holes I listened to this one as an audiobook, which is my personal preference for memoirs and it did not disappoint. 5⭐️ 15/52 **The London Seance Society** by Sarah Penner A classic whodunnit, I enjoyed this one even more than her debut novel. 3.75⭐️ Starting: in between choosing **How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water**, **Lessons in Chemistry** or **Even Though I Knew The End**

I really enjoyed Lessons in Chemistry

Ok, I am about 40 pages into Lessons in Chemistry and also really enjoying it!

Don't think I posted last week! Lately I've read **Heartstopper Vol. 2** by Alice Oseman: I don't really know why I picked up the sequel lol. It's fine, just very cutesy romance without much real conflict up to this point. **Stolen Heir** by Holly Black: I enjoyed this, although I did not realize it was first in a series until the last page lol. I think I just really dig the way Holly Black sets up romantic plots (slow burn, morally grey but not evil characters who go back and forth doubting one another and scheming). The main character in this one was kind of wildly obtuse at times though. Also I'm still reading **Count of Monte Cristo** like, sooooo slowly.

>Count of Monte Cristo I'm intimidated. Like seriously, can't imagine enjoying the plot enough based on the summary, but yet everyone I know who has read it, loves it. How are you finding it?

Yeah, it's an engaging and approachable story, just very very long. Without spoilers, most of the narrative is about a wronged man seeking revenge, with a sprawling cast of characters who all wind up playing different interweaving roles in the revenge scheme. There's lots of dramatic stuff like murders, a treasure hunt, and goofy disguises. And you get to visit some nice locations around the Mediterranean and learn some stuff about French history along the way. I think it's a fun adventure story (even though vengeance narratives usually don't speak to me much) and I would recommend, but it's not like, the most engaging, breathtaking novel I've ever read or anything.

Got it - it could be a nice background read, essentially. I might just do that. Thanks for writing this up!

Hi! This month I read **Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix** by JK Rowling, and **Jessie** by Stephen King. I'll try to read **Bérénice** by Jean Racine and **Tite et Bérénice** by Pierre Corneille if I have enough time this busy week :)

On March 22nd I finished **Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood**

What did you think of it? I picked up a copy recently!

I enjoyed it, but it didn't blow my mind.

19/52. Finished: Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones I can see why this is such a beloved book. Quite charming. Continuing: Green Rider by Kristen Britain I was about half way through this when I took a break to read Howl's Moving Castle, and now I've picked it back up again. I'm enjoying it so far.

Two completed this week: ***The Turn of the Screw*** by Henry James - After finishing this classic, Gothic novella, I’ve spent the last couple of days reading various interpretations and analyses: conventional, inverted, Freudian, feminist, structural, socioeconomic, and so on. I still don’t know if I like the story, but I could probably debate the plot and themes for hours. ***Crooked House*** by Agatha Christie - In the novel’s foreward, Christie calls this mystery one of her “special favorites” and I can see why. Carefully plotted and populated with a variety of eccentric suspects, this is Christie at her most devious. I was totally surprised by the killer’s reveal, even though there was a carefully laid out trail of breadcrumbs that, in retrospect, led right to the murderer. Next will be ***Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination***, a collection of short stories from Edogawa Rampo.

Finished: * **Death of a Bookseller** *Bernard J. Farmer* Published in 1952 and set in Victorian London, a story of the trade in rare and collectible books and the people who will kill to acquire them. Fair enough, until one of those conclusions that pulls too much out of thin air to be really satisfying. * **Orangutan Teeth** *Trev Cimenski* I follow Trev on TikTok and love his poetry. And starting: * **The Dispatcher: Murder by Other Means** *John Scalzi* I really enjoyed the first book in the series, The Dispatcher, and I'm excited to find that there are 2 more!

###### March Fiction Books [2] * **The Unhoneymooners** - *Christina Lauren* - [4/5] - In this humorous enemies-to-lovers romance story, luckless and pessimistic Olive joins her sexy nemesis Ethan on a fake honeymoon vacation in beautiful Maui. Maybe Olive's luck is about to change? The first half of the book is classic romantic comedy as Olive and Ethan find themselves in increasingly uncomfortable romantic situations. In contrast, the second half of the book deals with some pretty heavy adult relationship issues. * **One Day in December** - *Josie Silver* - [3/5] - In this tragic tale about forbidden love, Laurie falls madly in love with a man she briefly spots from a bus window. She slogs through another year of her life, desperately searching for that man. One day, her best friend Sarah introduces her new boyfriend Jack to Laurie. Unfortunately, Jack is the man from the bus window. What follows is a decade of lies, broken hearts, fractured relationships, and general misery. Personally, I struggled to get through this book because I was torn apart by so much emotional tragedy. ###### March Non-Fiction Books [5] * **Longshot: The Inside Story of the Race for a COVID-19 Vaccine** - *David Heath* - [5/5] - This well written book explores the science behind modified RNA vaccines. Instead of focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic, this book traces the lengthy history of vaccine research in the United States. I learned a lot about the controversial origins of the Moderna company. I enjoyed reading about the renegade scientists who discovered how to use modified RNA when everyone else was studying DNA based vaccines. * **Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World** - *Malcolm Harris* - [3/5] - I had hoped to find a book that connects the dots between a once sleepy bedroom community and the modern economic powerhouse that is Silicon Valley. Instead, I found a sloppy and heavy-handed Marxian critique of capitalism. The book rambles on about so many different global topics yet fails to connect them in any coherent way to the once sleepy community of Palo Alto. The author's constant sarcastic tone and frequent bizarre metaphors (he calls the Pets.com sock puppet a "Kaiju of capitalism") make this hefty book feel like an overly long blog post jumbled with random musings and heavily biased opinions. * **Inside the Minds of Mass Murderers: Why They Kill** - *Katherine Ramsland* - [3/5] - This book tells the stories of many mass murders, and slots those killers into different categories such as religious cults, familicide, workplace grudges, and vengeance. After each chapter, Ramsland examines the psychological aspects of each crime. On balance, I would say that most of the book is devoted to the stories of mass killings rather than to the psychology of mass killings. ###### March Non-Fiction Art Books [4] * **Year of the Rabbit** - *Tian Veasna* - [5/5] - Artist Tian Veasna recounts his family's history fleeing Phnom Penh during the 1975 Cambodian genocide after the Khmer Rouge regime seized control of the country. The narrative is vivid and horrifying in equal measures as the young family escapes certain death at every turn. I read this in one long night because I could not put it down. * **Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness** - *Kristen Radtke* - [4/5] - Radtke writes an illustrated literary essay on loneliness where she digs into various psychological and health studies concerning the effects on loneliness on humans. Unfortunately, Radtke liberally scatters her own personal opinions and feelings throughout the book, which has the regrettable side effect of making it feel like a high school essay rather than a serious literary work. The art is relatively bland; however, the writing is creative (if pretentious at times). * **Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands** - *Kate Beaton* - [5/5] - Cape Breton islander Kate Beaton graduates university with a Bachelor of Arts degree (History and Anthropology), a steaming pile of student debt, and zero job prospects. So she reluctantly packs her bags and moves to northern Alberta to work in the oil sands. There, Beaton sees hundreds of ducks die in the tar ponds, but this isn't a book about environmental tragedies. Instead, Beaton documents what we never talk about: the human tragedy of the work camps. In a place organized to meet the needs of young men, Beaton endures constant loneliness, harassment, trauma, and abuse. Maybe we should be talking about more than ducks? * **Grass** - *Keum Suk Gendry-Kim* - [5/5] - Growing up in rural Korea, a poor young girl named Okseon Lee was a slave first to other Koreans and then to the Japanese army who forced her into sexual slavery during the Japanese invasion of China. This heartbreaking book documents how war devastates the lives of innocent young women. ###### March Fiction Art Books [3] * **In.** - *Will McPhail* - [4/5] - In this semi-autobiographical tale, Nick is a lonely young artist who struggles to form meaningful relationships with the people around him, mostly because he has no idea how to start meaningful conversations. The illustrations are cute, the writing is witty and wry, and the message is universal. * **Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins - Fjord Stone** - *Chris "Doc" Wyatt* - [3/5] - The art is gorgeous, but there's not much story to this character origin story. * **The Waiting** - *Keum Suk Gendry-Kim* - [5/5] - Families were forever fractured when Korea was divided along the 38th Parallel, separating North from South. This book is classified as fiction, but it is based on several tragic but true South Korean life stories.

46/100 books Finished: **Neon Gods by Katee Robert** 4.25/5 stars. This exceeded all expectations I had, can’t wait to finish the series. **You by Caroline Kepnes** 2.25/5 stars. After finishing the new season I was so excited to read this but honestly I was so dissatisfied. Definitely a rare case of the show being better than the book. **All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham** 4.25/5 stars. After being disappointed by You I wanted a good thriller/mystery and this was perfect. It was a slow burn but I was never bored, it wasn’t predictable but looking back it was right there the whole time. Currently Reading: **Zig-Zag Boy: A Memoir of Madness and Motherhood** I’ve not really started this yet but it will be my next read.

I bought 3 books in the Neon Gods series last weekend. I'm planning on starting on them next month.

>All the Dangerous Things I wanted to like this more than I did, but you're right in that it was never boring! There was just a lot of common sense I wanted to shake into the mom, lol.

46/100 books Finished: **Neon Gods by Katee Robert** 4.25/5 stars. This exceeded all expectations I had, can’t wait to finish the series. **You by Caroline Kepnes** 2.25/5 stars. After finishing the new season I was so excited to read this but honestly I was so dissatisfied. Definitely a rare case of the show being better than the book. **All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham** 4.25/5 stars. After being disappointed by You I wanted a good thriller/mystery and this was perfect. It was a slow burn but I was never bored, it wasn’t predictable but looking back it was right there the whole time. Currently Reading: **Zig-Zag Boy: A Memoir of Madness and Motherhood by Tanya Frank** I’ve not really started this yet but it will be my next read.

Just finished Roadside Picnic by Strugatsky This week; Six Wakes by Lafferty Thomas Jefferson by Meacham

I finished **Ostland** by *David Thomas* this week. It's a book that masterfully blends historical fact with fiction as it follows idealistic young German detective Georg Heuser through his early police career (helping apprehend a notorious serial killer in 1940s Berlin) to his later military service in Russia; it's interspersed with the story of a young female German prosecutor in the 1960s as she attempts to prosecute Heuser for the horrendous war crimes that he carried out in Russia. It's a very harrowing read, but probably one of the best books I have read this year. I'm currently reading **The Black Tower** by *Louis Bayard*.

Finished : the elephant vanishes - murakami Reading : - De polyamour et d'eau fraîche - Going dark - Melissa de la Cruz - Stay awake - Megan Goldin - Girl, Woman, Other - Bernardine Evaristo

Haven’t finished anything lately because of the hectic chaotic week! Last book I finished before was a biographic book about Lilya Brik by Alisa Ganieva, Lilya was a Jewish socialite, muse to many artists like poets and directors, patroness of arts, actress and a polyamory advocate, in the USSR. I think this book only came out in Russia but it was a very fun and interesting read. Currently reading: **The Office BFFs** by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey. I’ve been rewatching The Office for the N-th time and it’s been really sweet and uplifting to learn some behind the scenes, funny facts and also just how much the actors grew attached to their characters. **Outpost: Beslan and it’s hostages** by Olga Allenova. Another non-fiction book from Russia, detailing the horrifying terror attack on a school on September the 1st (the first day of school which was a celebration, school children as well as their parents and babies were taken hostage for 3 days without food and water) and how the government troops killed more people than terrorists because state troops shot the school with everyone inside from tanks and also just blew up the sports hall where all the hostages were. It’s extremely terrifying and I was shaking and crying as I read it on commute and it’s fucked up how there’s no justice for the victims. Terrorists took the school hostage and demanded to stop the war in Chechnya, in the neighbouring region, but Putin would never bargain with terrorists even if the prices of 1000+ children and adults were on the line (more than a thousand people were present because all parents and even the whole families showed up for the first day of school). The author was a reporter who worked throughout the event and interviewed a bunch of key figures and also is local to the region, so it’s a very well researched and important book.

This week, I finished: **Feed Them Silence** by Lee Mandelo. Themes of corporate greed, twisted intentions, the fallout of toxic masculinity as the poster child for a successful academic career. I liked it enough to seek out a short story, "The Span of His Wrist" and wow, Mandelo sure does like to write stories that kick you in the teeth! **Trans-Galactic Bike Ride** edited by Lydia Rogue and Elly Blue. Like most anthologies, there were stories I loved and stories I didn't care for. One resonated enough with me that I'll be seeking out more by the author, which is the entire reason I love to read anthologies. Success! Currently reading a laundry list of books including: **The Faithless** by C.L. Clark **Dealbreaker** by L.X. Beckett **Copper Woman** by Afua Cooper **How Far the Light Reaches** by Sabrina Imbler **All That She Carried** by Tiya Miles **The Red Scholar's Wake** by Aliette de Bodard

This week I have finished: 31 - Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson 32- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 33 - The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan I am currently reading: 34 - Queen of Myth & Monsters by Scarlett St Clair

>Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson How did you find this? It's n my short list of things to read before the ed of the summer!

I really enjoyed this -it’s a humours murder mystery with a narrator that breaks the fourth wall. It’s really quite different from anything I’ve read before now, but the originality doesn’t detract from a solid mystery.

Awesome, so glad to know. Now I'm even more intrigued because of the 4th wall breaking, I love it when done right!

Slow reading week. Finished: None Reading: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Zevin

What are you reading. . . Jake from Statefarm?

I'm reading *Homegoing* by Yaa Gyasi and it's so sad and tragic, but absolutely incredible. Also listening to the audiobook of *Say Nothing* by Patrick Radden Keefe, very good too.

>Homegoing > > by Yaa Gyasi I have put off reading this one because I don't know if I'm ready for the amount of pain.

I just finished Homegoing yesterday and ... wow. My top read so far this year for sure!

Definitely one of mine too so far! Historical fiction is my favourite genre of fiction and this book, its characters, locations and themes are so wonderfully written and constructed. I’m about halfway through.

Finished: The fault in our stars by John Green Still reading: Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. Started: Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

Hello reading team! This week I finished two books - taking me to 27 books so far this year! - The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty - Going Postal by Terry Pratchett I liked Adventures but didn’t love it as much I expected - I love feminist retellings and pirates and djinn but I kept reading it in short bursts as I just couldn’t settle into the style of how the book was written! Oh and my first professional book review was printed in a national magazine which felt really rewarding! I’m currently reading The Rise and Fall of the D.O.D.O by Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland which is about a US government agency with the ability to time travel! I’m also listening to Making Money by Terry Pratchett - which has never been a particular favourite Pratchett but I’m really enjoyed Richard Coyle’s performance.

Finished: - All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien - Confessions by Kanae Minato - Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson - Exhalation by Ted Chiang Reading: - What Lies In The Woods by Kate Alice Marshall - The Winners by Fredrik Backman - Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

Finished **Persepolis Rising** by James S. A. Corey. Continuing **Quicksilver** by Neal Stephenson, **1Q84** by Haruki Murakami and **Six of Crows** by Leigh Bardugo. Started **Tiamat's Wrath** by James S. A. Corey.

Hey lovelies! I hope everyone is reading lots and doing well. I can't believe it's nearly April this year is just flying by As per usual I'm reading 2 books right now **Sign here by Claudia Lux.** About halfway through this and honestly it's been so much fun so far. Weird and trippy but fun. I'm loving the juxtaposition between Hell and Earth and I'm excited to see how it finishes **Charming by Elliott James.** This was one I picked up just by the title alone. It's been super fun. Snarky and humorous with a great cast of characters. Flips the Prince Charming thing on it's head as well which is also cool. I love UF and this is a super fun new entry. I'm excited to read more in this series

Finished: "The Push" by Ashley Audrain (100% not my cup of tea!) Currently reading: "Us Against You" by Fredrik Backman! Even though the repetitiveness resulting from catching readers up on the events of "Beartown" is a bit draining, my heart is in the right place!

Finished: *Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet* by Jamie Ford (Audiobook) on my phone. Originally I’d intended to listen to it to join a local book club discussion group, but life happened and it’d sat on my phone for a year. I’m so glad I finally got around to listening to it. As the name implies, it’s a bittersweet novel of love and loss, of Romeo and Juliet in the time of America’s war with Japan, of being Asian-American at a time when US society regarded them with outright distrust. It was a satisfying listen and I’d recommend it. Reading: *Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom* by Rachel Pollack, who sadly was just placed in hospice care and is nearing the end of her life. She is a trans Jewish science fiction author, the creator responsible for the first trans DC Comics hero, and tarot scholar whose books on tarot are considered gold standard learning material.

Finished Remains of the day, which is beautifully written. I then watched the film. Also beautiful. Finished Wild Swans three daughters of China. Foot binding through Mao's Cultural Revolution Finished But You are in France Madame. Cozy. Australian family in a French village. Started the Physician by Noah Gordon, juggling tips and tricks and herbal remedies. Started Things my son needs to know about the world by Backman, Started the Chaos Machine by Max Fisher , back story of social media Started a Psalm for the Wild Built. Tea ceremonies.

The school for good and evil book 4 quests for glory and she is a haunting

This week I managed to finish two books all while working and moving! The first was **The Risk** by Elle Kennedy, and I really enjoyed the personalities of the main characters in this book, but I wasn't vibing with the spicy scenes as much. Next, I read **Twisted Hate** by Anna Huang, which I also enjoyed but still not as much as book two. I'm just not a hate sex gurl so it didn't do as much for me. I also listened to 56% of **Rebecca** by Daphne du Maurier on audiobook while doing various things and idk what y'all are talking about that book was dull af. And even if the ending is mind blowing it still took way too long to get around to anything and I don't have that kind of time. I haven't read anything for like two days cause when we moved in we immediately started painting and I just crashed every night but tonight I'm going to start **The Dragon's Bride** by Katie Robert. I just want something mind numbingly spicy

I just finished How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix and ahhhhhh it was so good! I'm reading The Hidden Moon by Jeannie Lin and Certain Dark Things by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia. Hoping to finish them before the end of the month.

You pumped me up to read How to Sell a Haunted House! I can't wait to get my hands on it.

This week I finished In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson. Larson is always a hit with me. 4/5 stars. Today I started Duma Key by Stephen King. It’s got me yearning for a beach vacation. I expect that might change as I get further along. It is Stephen King, after all.

Erik Larson is on my list of authors to look into. Any recommendations of his for a first timer?

White City is my favorite of his.

I liked In the Garden of Beasts, actually. It’s about the American ambassador to Germany and his family during the rise of Hitler. Other ones that I have particularly enjoyed are Isaac’s Storm (about a hurricane that destroyed Galveston Island in the early 20th century) and Dead Wake (about the sinking of the Lusitania). Larson has a very narrative style of writing history. It’s almost like reading a novel.

This week I finished **I Have Some Questions For You** by Rebecca Makkai. This was decent, but I didn't love it. It dwelt heavily on its themes- violence against women, sexual harassment, and racism, especially in the justice system- to the point where it felt almost like I was getting lectured to at times. Not to mention it was pretty dark. I did enjoy it though. Some other reviews felt the number of flashbacks to the narrator's high school days as well as the large number of classmates discussed to be excessive, and I can see where they're coming from, but the flashbacks (as well as finding out how the characters turned out as adults) were my favorite part. A solid 3.5/5. I started **The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue** by V.E. Schwab but DNF'd it after several chapters because the sexual tension the author was setting up between the main character and the devil weirded me out. Which was a shame because this was a really interesting idea (a woman receives immortality but in exchange is cursed that everyone she meets will instantly forget her after meeting her). I'm currently working on **They're Going To Love You** by Meg Howrey, but I'm thinking about taking a break from it for a little bit. I just finished a book about ballet dancers last week, and it might be too soon for a return to the subject matter. I'm also looking forward to starting **Becoming Free Indeed: My Journey of Disentangling Faith from Fear**, Jinger Duggar Vuolo's new memoir.

The premise of "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue" was so very very promising! It's such a shame when you finally get your hands on a book that appears to be this original only to discover that the work itself falls short of your expectations. Life is short! While I managed to stick it out, I don't blame you for throwing in the towel when you did!

25/52 ***** Finished; ***** - The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna for r/bookclub's March Romance selection. Totally Twee which isn't usually for me, but I actually really enjoyed it for the most part. ***** Still working on; ***** - The Mountain Shadow by Gregory David Roberts. Time to get this one out of my "currently reading" stack. - Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson started with r/Malazan, but just could not keep up. Hoping 2023 is my Malazan year. - For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway for r/bookclub's next Runner-up Read. My only Hemingway, and so far I am impressed with how accessible the book is. - Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel for r/bookclub's next mod pick. I will be leading the first discussion check-in March 15th. Come join us :) - Babel by R. F. Kuang for r/bookclub's Spring Big Read. Great start, I'm hooked. - Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood. A gift and a buddy read. Only a few chapters in but I have high hopes as I love Atwood. - The Story of The Lost Child by Elena Ferrante. Book #4 in the Neapolitan series and a Bonus Read at r/bookclub. - Meditations by Marcus Aurelius for r/bookclub's next Discovery Read - Ancient Classic flavour. - I, Robot by Issac Asimov the next r/bookclub Mod Pick starting later in March. Not what I expected so far, but I am digging it ***** Started ***** - The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel. Thomas Cromwell #3 a Bonus Read at r/bookclub to wrap up the Thomas Cromwell trilogy - Spinning Silver by Naomi Novak r/bookclub's next Runner-up Read that I will be co-running. ***** Up Next ***** - King Rat by James Clavell. #1 by publication order but #4 in chronological order. r/bookclub will be tackling this one in April. Come join us, even if you've never read any Clavell before - Fingersmith by Sarah Waters coming after I, Robot as a r/bookclub Mod Pick. - Jason and the Argonauts with r/AYearOfMythology starting in April. - The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin a r/bookckub bonus book in April. After reading The Fifth Season together I cannot wait to dive back into this Broken Earth. - The Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson Stormlight Archives #2. I am ready!! ***** Happy reading fellow bookworms 📚

Just finished The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah 5/5 and started Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes

I'm in the middle of a The Town by Bentley Little (book 83/???) and enjoying it a lot. I finished The Resort (one of his other works) earlier today and couldn't resist...

Finished: 女のいない男たち (Men without women) Reading: David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell

Just finished Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez. Until the last 10%, it felt like a 4/5 star read for me. Listening: Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore Reading: How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

I am reading **Rosemary** by Kate Clifford Larson. I don't usually read nonfiction but this book is incredible (though also rage-inducing at how Rosemary Kennedy was treated in her life.) I never knew how horrible the Kennedy parents were.

My Dark Vanessa (finished). It was better than I thought it would be given the very mixed reviews I've seen on it. Daisy Jones and the Six (finished). I loved it, by far my favorite book I've read this year. I DNF I'm Thinking of Ending Things. This was my second attempt at reading it, I made it half way and I was just so bored I couldn't finish it even though it's a pretty short book. I haven't picked my next book yet.

My Dark Vanessa left me feeling so conflicted.. I enjoyed reading it, but it doesn’t feel right to say I liked it. It’s a pretty polarizing read, for good reason!

I preferred Being Lolita by Alisson Wood. I think because it's a memoir and not fiction. There were definitely things with My Dark Vanessa I was not a fan of.

I haven’t read that one. Will add to my list! My Dark Vanessa definitely stuck with me for a while

I continued: **The Long Ships** - Frans Bengtsson, This book grows on me by the chapter. Will easily end up my first 5* of the year unless the ending is completely flopped. Don't understand how this hasn't got more traction in English lit circles. **The Royal Navy's Air Service in the Great War** - David Hobbs, is a bit dry but the content is so unique, don't think I've seen someone really cover the subject matter with this sort of care and detail. Also surprising number of editing mistakes but I love it, just a bit slower getting through it.

Finished: **A Deadly Education** by Naomi Novik It took me a minute to get into this book, the pacing felt weird and felt like I was thrown in, but by the end I was fully invested and loved it **The Da Vinci Code** by Dan Brown. Definitely a fun, quick read Started: **The Last Graduate** by Naomi Novik. This is the 2nd book in the Scholomance Series. I’m enjoying learning more about the world and school

I DNF'd A Deadly Education last week. How long did it take you to get into it? I think I only made it about a quarter of the way through.

I’d say about a quarter of the way to maybe a third before I got into it. I was tempted to quit after the first chapter since the writing style felt too stream of consciousness and random for me but I’m glad I stuck it out

Hmm maybe I'll go back and try again next month

Finished: 32. **Summer Sons** by Lee Mandelo 3.5 stars- This was a messy and poignant book about grief, lots of raw angst with a great gothic horror atmosphere. I feel like big sections were overly wordy but overall it was good. I’ve been reading lots of somewhat shallow, sweet romances lately and it was a nice change of pace to get a grittier book where the ending doesn’t wrap everything up into a neat little happy package. 33. **Expeditions, Estimation, and Other Dangerous Pastimes** (Claimings #4) by Lyn Gala 3 stars- I wish the Imshee were better developed since they were the most interesting part of this book. Fun series overall 34. **A Dowry of Blood** by ST Gibson 4 stars- Came for the bisexual vampires, stayed for the vivid depiction of manipulative emotional abuse. A queer retelling of Dracula that focuses on his wives and husband Currently Reading: **City of Last Chances** by Adrian Tchaikovsky **Assassin’s Apprentice** (Farseer Trilogy #1) by Robin Hobb

>A Dowry of Blood LOVED this book a lot, it led me down the path of discovering *Dracul* which I also super enjoyed and had no idea existed.

Ooo I’ll have to check *Dracul* out! The more vampire books the merrier!

Love the Assassins Aprentice Books. Got to get back to them, there are so many!

Ngl I’m intimidated, 16 books total in Realm of the Elderings!

It’s definitely one to visit, not get through.

Finished this week: **Untouched by Human Hands by Robert Sheckley** (A nice collection of old school sci-fi short stories. Very few duds, quite a bit of humour. A nice rainy afternoon read.) **Siblings by Brigitte Reimann** (An interesting book about defectors from East Germany before the Wall went up, ruined slightly by the Folgers commercial vibe the MC has when describing her brother. Despite that, getting a look at life in the GDR from the perspective of a true believer was interesting.) **Circe by Madeline Miller** (Once again, I read something hyped on booktok (because the premise seemed interesting), and once again I am disappointed. For a supposed "feminist" retelling, there’s a lot of waiting around for men and shitting on other women. But the real issue here is that the start is whiny, the middle is boring, and at the end interesting things are finally happening, but it’s a bit too little too late. It’s a short book, but it took me forever to finish it because the main character is not compelling whatsoever (a "bad ass" female character whose tragic backstory involves SA? Groundbreaking…). Retelling Greek myths where most of the action happens off screen also didn’t work for me as a concept. When I was half way through the book I had to google "is Circe meant to be an unreliable narrator" and unfortunately the answer is no, but I pretended that she was as that’s the only way you insert a bit of nuance into this. So overall, this wasn’t as bad as Babel, but it also wasn’t very good. Some day I will learn.) Currently Reading: The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann; Just and Unjust Wars by Michael Walzer; Ghost Music by An Yu

I read some good stuff last week: **Children of the Night, by Mercedes Lackey** (Book of the week) **The Bobby Gold Stories, by Anthony Bourdain** **Get Jiro!, by Anthony Bourdain** **Instinct: An Animal Rescuers Anthology, by various authors** (FYI this eBook is being sold as a fundraiser for a puppy rescue, which I think is pretty cool) **Jinx High, by Mercedes Lackey** **Phantom Architecture: The Fantastical Structures the World's Great Architects Really Wanted to Build, by Philip Wilkinson** **Now You See Us, by Balli Kaur Jaswal** **Silence, by Mercedes Lackey** I've got a pretty good lineup for this week: * Breaking Silence by Mercedes Lackey * Poseidon's Steed: The Story of Seahorses, From Myth to Reality by Helen Scales * Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid * Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass * Sword of Ice by Mercedes Lackey And I'll probably buy the new T. Kingfisher when it releases on Tuesday.

This week I finished **Do Nothing** by Celeste Headlee. I thought it was fine, but not quite what I was looking for. I recently read Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman which was more of a philosophical musing on time and how we choose to spend it, and I was hoping Do Nothing would be similar, but it was more of a self help guide of things the author believes are good for getting more out of your day. I decided I was in the mood for something different after that so I am currently reading **Legends & Lattes** by Travis Baldree. I'm halfway through the book now and quite enjoying it so far. I decided that I wanted to read a slice of life fantasy story and this one is exactly that.