What I’m Reading Wednesday!

“Priory of the Orange Tree” – Epic. This book is still on hold. Trying to catch up with other stuff.

“The Flatshare” – Audiobook. This is sucking up all of my attention so far. Super cute!

“Bloodwitch” – Audiobook. Well written, I just need to remember what happened in the other books…

Just Finished:

“Spiderman: Miles Morales” collected editions 1-4 – Graphic novels. I love Miles, that’s all there is to it. He’s MY spiderman, and I love his relationship with Ganke, as well as his parents. I have one more volume to read, and then I should be all caught up on his saga at last. 5’s all around!

“The Name of All Things” – Audiobook. This is book is very detailed with a lot of unique world building. The plot is complex, and can be hard to follow. I imagine this book is setting up the third, and final, installment of the series so it’s doing that on purpose. I did like this book more than “The Ruin of Kings” and I am eager to see how it ends. 4!

“Where’d You Go Bernadette” – Audiobook. This is a book that gripped my attention throughout. It’s written in a truly unique style, and I had no idea what was going to happen at any point in the story. It was SO close to perfection, but it didn’t resonate with me enough after the fact to make it a 5…so…4!

“The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” – Print book. Once I got into this one, I couldn’t put it down. It has mixed reviews and I understand why. There is a lot to unpack in the “Hunger Games” universe inside of this book, and it paints an interesting picture of the lead villain from the series. But I like villains, I like having all of that context and backstory filled in. 5!

“Lock Her Up and Throw Away the Key” – Audiobook. I ended up getting frustrated with this book and skipping to the end. The main character was just too irritating and the plot too frustrating. Very disappointed with this last installment of the series. 3.5.

“The Shadows Between Us” – Audiobook. This book sucked me in. I had a hard time wanting to stop every time I started! The plot isn’t necessarily that unique, but the way the book is put together is. Or perhaps it’s just the reader. For whatever reason, I was engrossed. The book wasn’t perfect, but gripping all the same. 4.

“Chosen Ones” – Print Book. Finished. It’s an interesting and refreshing take on the superhero genre. It wasn’t necessarily a “perfect” story with characters I always loved, but there was a realness and rawness to it that I enjoyed. In the end, it resonated with me a lot, and I was always eager to go back and finish. I have thoughts on the sequel if there is going to be one. 5.

“Wicked as You Wish” – Ebook. This ended up being a disappointment. The world building was cool, so was the plot, but the characters felt hollow and like they were “trying too hard.” None of them felt like people who could pop off the page. There was also a lot of talking about nothing. 3.

“Five Dark Fates” – Audiobook. This book had it’s good moments and its clunky ones. Like most series, the end is almost always the hardest to write. Pieces of it felt too fast or glossed over or unnecessary. But it was good and satisfying all the same. 4

“Too Much and Never Enough” – Audiobook. This is primarily a biography about Fred Trump Jr, and the family dynamics in the Trump family over the years. It was a fascinating look into the history. Of course there was political agenda involved, because it’s a book about Trump (it was anti, for those who are curious) and that was the part I mostly glossed over if only because I’m tired to death of hearing about politics. If you go into this book looking for politics, I don’t feel like a whole new is being said. If you’re going into the book wanting history, that’s where it shines the most. The personal connection of the author adds a layer to the story telling. 3.5

“Temper” – Print. A quick and engaging read. The writing was pretty good, and the story interesting, but something also felt slightly off too. Not quite sure how to explain. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t LOVE it. 3.5

“Frozen Beauty – Print. Quick read. Had some interesting moments to it, but overall it didn’t resonate with me. 3