WWW Wednesday – April 13, 2022

Ryan4 Comments
www_wednesdays

WWW Wednesday is a weekly book meme run by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. Check out her post and others over on her blog!

The Three Ws are:

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

Currently Reading

A Black and Endless SkyI’m about exactly two thirds of the way through A Black and Endless Sky by Matthew Lyons now, and I’ve gotten more into the book as the story has progressed, though I’m still finding it a little underwhelming. The characters find themselves in a compelling predicament, as the exorcist who presented herself as salvation for Nell, the subject of possession, must kill her to release the demon from her, lest she succumb to gradual decay from the demon’s presence in her body. Her brother Jonah isn’t having that, and now they’re on the run from more than just bikers. I’m surprised that the demon in question has been more of a background presence thus far and I wonder if there might be a slight twist to what’s going on as things come to a head. I’m hoping I’ll have this book done by next week, but we’ll see.

Recently Finished

The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North AmericaOver the weekend I finished reading through The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America by Matt Kracht. I really enjoyed reading this book, especially as the aloof and crass tone of everything does ultimately veil a genuine interest in bird watching that the author encourages in the reader. I kind of wish it had been more extensive, but I understand that the joke would probably run its course long before he ran out of birds to include. When ruminating on the book after reading it, I decided to look into the author to see if he’s published anything else; it turns out, just back in December he published another field guide, so I’ll have to pick that up at some point.

Reading Next

SleepingGiantsI’m still planning to start reading The Crossroads at Midnight by Abby Howard, I just wanted to get the Field Guide finished before starting another shorter book. With A Black and Endless Sky hopefully nearly finished, I’ve been thinking more about what the next novel I might read will be. After some reflection on my to-read list, I’ve decided I want to start Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel. I’m really curious about the format of this novel, which, if I’m remembering it right, is written like an interview transcript.

Until next week, thank you for reading! Feel free to share your own post down below.

10 Authors I Haven’t Read But Want To

Ryan4 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly book meme run by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s prompt I found to be interesting because it forced me to take a harder look at my to-read list. Specifically, I use my to-read shelf on Goodreads to keep track of books I don’t want to forget, so it’s a catalogue of books I’ve at some point wanted to read and thus a list I don’t ever see myself completing.

With nearly 400 books shelved at the moment, there are in fact plenty of authors there I haven’t read yet. So, I needed to be more specific. There’s probably somebody I missed that could bump somebody else here, but I’ve tried to pick 10 authors that I have a particular interest in reading that I just haven’t gotten around to yet, with accompanying books/series that I already own/have the most interest in.Read More »

WWW Wednesday – April 6, 2022

Ryan3 Comments
www_wednesdays

WWW Wednesday is a weekly book meme run by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. Check out her post and others over on her blog!

The Three Ws are:

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

Currently Reading

A Black and Endless SkyI was able to make a much more significant dent in A Black and Endless Sky by Matthew Lyons since last week, though I’ve still got a ways to go before I’m finished with it; I’m coming up on the halfway point. Weirdly, despite being almost halfway through the book, it still feels like the story is ramping up without fully cementing what the conflict is. One in the pair of main characters is now possessed and they’re being pursued by a vengeful biker gang, but this all feels more like a continuing ordeal leading up to what this will be all about. I don’t know, maybe I’m just waffling about it. I’m sure the possession will be key, I just get the sense that it’s all going to have more to it than “we’ve got to exorcise that demon.” I was hoping this would be scarier than it has been too, but I’m still giving it a chance.

The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North AmericaI also started reading The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America by Matt Kracht, which I’m enjoying quite a bit. Although each entry about each bird is a little samey in terms of humorous content and tone, it’s making for a great light read that is easy to pick up and put down. What I’m especially appreciating is the fact that, while acting aloof and rude, the author is slipping in snippets of genuine information about these animals, such as things that could help with identification or behaviours to look out for. I love the idea that, despite it having more limited content overall, this book may actually be a functional guide to North American birds. Even the illustrations, while rough looking, do highlight the distinct appearances of each bird.

Recently Finished

Milk and HoneyOver the weekend I finished reading Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur. I don’t have a whole lot to say about it, as I’m not especially good at criticizing poetry and this was much more of a leisure read than most, but this book did serve that purpose perfectly for me. I know some people have issues with free verse like this, and I certainly can appreciate the beauty of more structured poetry, but the format just made the experience reading much more accessible and enjoyable. Though I think I would prefer poetry less focused on the pains and pleasures of personal relationships, I may pick up another of Kaur’s books regardless, just to keep a little more poetry in my reading rotation.

Reading Next

The Crossroads at MidnightI’m really not sure what I’m going to read next in terms of novels, which probably isn’t a shock, but I just haven’t given it enough thought yet. In terms of comics, however, I think I’m just going to throw tentative Halloween plans out the window and read The Crossroads at Midnight by Abby Howard soon. I happened to be flipping through it the other week and nearly read the entirety of one story about a rural family who have a pet lake monster. It was so simple yet effective that I think I should just dive into the whole collection finally. It’ll be a graphic novel definitely worth reviewing too.

Until next week, thank you for reading! Feel free to share your own post down below.

Reading Challenge Update

Ryan2 Comments

This first quarter of 2022 has honestly been a little dismal for me on the reading front. Things have progressively slowed down since I got my freelance job during the second half of last year, but for some reason I’ve had an even harder time getting motivated to read over the past few months. It’s not as if I’ve been reading nothing, but when comparing the numbers to this time last year it is a little disheartening.

I think some of it has to do with the fact that my freelance job, while ultimately involving editing, has me reading a lot too. So, when I do have downtime, I feel less inclined to spend my time reading for fun. Hopefully I can reorganize things a little to better suit what I want, but for the moment I’m finding it all a little vexing.Read More »

New Books & Novel Discoveries (March 2022)

RyanLeave a comment

March was another low-key month for book buying, though I’m once again wracking my brain thinking I’ve forgotten something. Oh well, with my slowed-down reading pace I’m not sure it’s a bad thing that I’ve got less books coming in. I’d say I’m surprised the month is already done, but it has felt weirdly eventful and strange for me, so I guess I’m happy to just be moving forward.

Enough vague rambling, on to the books!Read More »

WWW Wednesday – March 30, 2022

Ryan1 Comment
www_wednesdays

WWW Wednesday is a weekly book meme run by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. Check out her post and others over on her blog!

The Three Ws are:

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

Currently Reading

No progress made on Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur.

A Black and Endless SkyRegrettably, I wasn’t able to read much more of A Black and Endless Sky by Matthew Lyons since last week, though I did read a little bit of it. As such, I don’t have much more to say about matters of plot. A more physical threat has presented itself to the characters, but I’m not really hooked yet. To be honest, as the situation for the two characters has escalated I’ve realized that I really don’t like either of them very much so far. One is in too negative of a headspace to be all that likable and the other is such a terrible influence while feeling entitled to some sort of positive regard that I cannot stand them. There’s a way to write dirt-bag characters in an engaging way, and this isn’t it. I hope this manages to turn around in a meaningful way, but at the moment I honestly don’t care if both of these people die.

Recently Finished

Nothing this week either. I had a wedding to go to out of town, so I was preoccupied for a good reason, but I do really need to start turning things around.

Reading Next

I’m really not sure what’s next right now, as I’ve languished in the same place for a few weeks now. I really just need to make progress on what I’m already reading.

Until next week, thank you for reading! Feel free to share your own post down below.

WWW Wednesday – March 23, 2022

Ryan2 Comments
www_wednesdays

WWW Wednesday is a weekly book meme run by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. Check out her post and others over on her blog!

The Three Ws are:

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

Currently Reading

I have once again neglected Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur this past week, and we’ll honestly have to see if I pick it up again by next week as well, as I’m going to be a little more preoccupied than normal over the weekend.

A Black and Endless SkyI did, however, start reading A Black and Endless Sky by Matthew Lyons, which I’m intrigued by but the jury is still out on how I’m feeling. I’m not 100% into it just yet, which I suppose is an outlier position for me right off the bat, but I don’t dislike it either. The prologue was the most interesting part, which involves an excavation team blasting open a chamber in the ground in the middle of the desert. I’m looking forward to seeing how this intersects with the main characters. The characters, for their part, are a tad much at the moment. One is going through a divorce and the other is accompanying him on the road trip home, a situation that is generally sympathetic, but the way the characters are behaving is a little too unsubtle for me. I’m hoping I’ll get more into it as things properly kick off.

Recently Finished

Nothing this week! Curses!

Reading Next

The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North AmericaI wish I had more to update on this week, but things really have languished around here a little. I do really want to start The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America by Matt Kracht soon, no more waffling about it, but I have to finish Milk and Honey first. I don’t function well with too many books on the go at once. It’s weird that I know I have so many comic books, but when I try to think of one I actively want to read within the next seven days I draw a total blank. I may be too busy to get around to one anyway, especially since I’ll want to dedicate available reading time to Lyons’s book, but we’ll see if I get a sudden spark of motivation.

Until next week, thank you for reading! Feel free to share your own post down below.

Ten Books With an Adjective In the Title

RyanLeave a comment

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly book meme run by That Artsy Reader Girl. I really wanted to contribute to this week’s theme because I quickly realized that a good many books that I’ve read over the past several years do not qualify. So, I endeavoured to ensure I could find ten. It was surprisingly harder than I thought it would be. I could have pulled from my TBR, sure, but I had more fun looking through what I’ve already read.

It’s late as all get-out as I write this, so let’s see if I can actually get it up while it’s still Tuesday!Read More »

Book Review – The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett

Ryan2 Comments

The Last Continent

The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett is the 22nd novel in the author’s comic fantasy Discworld series and the sixth in the Rincewind sub-series. Following the events of the previous novel, Interesting Times, Rincewind finds himself once again to be a stranger in a strange land, this time in Fourecks (or XXXX), a continent relatively unknown to the rest of the Discworld. It is a desolate and arid place full of surprisingly jovial people and terrifying wildlife. Though at first simply trying to survive as best he can, it would seem destiny once again has a mission for the put-upon, subpar wizard, one that will have him embarking on a odyssey across the landscape, making him a hero among the locals whether he likes it or not.Read More »

WWW Wednesday – March 16, 2022

Ryan5 Comments
www_wednesdays

WWW Wednesday is a weekly book meme run by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. Check out her post and others over on her blog!

The Three Ws are:

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

Currently Reading

I’m still reading Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur, but I haven’t read any more of it since last week. Also, I’m between books, so nothing else to say this week!

Recently Finished

The Last ContinentOver the weekend I finally finished reading The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett, and I should be finished writing the review soonish. I’m generally less enthused about the Rincewind books, especially as they’re often tours of times/places on the Discworld, which involve a fairly formulaic style of humour, but for some reason this one really resonated with me. This is also notable since this seems to be the last one of that type, based on how it ends. Rincewind’s long, strange, multi-novel odyssey is finally over. I suppose the reason might be that this one especially didn’t take itself seriously, with a plot that I’m honestly puzzling over a little. I doesn’t really matter, all things considered, but I keep wondering…why did all this happen again?

Reading Next

A Black and Endless SkyOkay, I’m seriously going to start reading A Black and Endless Sky by Matthew Lyons soon. It’s a little harder to set aside time for, because I only have a PDF copy of it, but it’s officially next up for priority reading. It sounds like it’s going to involve possession and a spooky road trip across a desolate American Southwest, and I hope that includes isolated eerie incidents as the characters deal with their own issues along the way. We’ll see. I’m also still thinking a lot about starting The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America by Matt Kracht, but I’ll try to finish Milk and Honey first.

Until next week, thank you for reading! Feel free to share your own post down below.