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What are you reading in 2022?
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Elena
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Oct 21, 2022 10:49PM
I have a larger update this time as I was lazy and skipped the last week :D
- 5 stars - I watched the series and didn't like it, but so glad I decided to read a book. Finished it in one sitting and loved it!
- 4 stars - it was a nice sci-fi, kinda weird combo of gaming and djinn but it somehow worked.
- 5 stars - that one is epic! I loved every chapter of it, so many twists and turns... I think I've discovered one more author with a potential to be one of my favourites as earlier I've read 2 books from his other series and loved them too.
- 5 stars - short story in best Murakami's traditions. I'm biased, I love him and all his works.
- 5 stars - I hesitated to read this manga but a friend of mine literally made me read this and I'm hooked. It's so good! Rivalry, gloomy gothic setting, vampires... perfect for the season.
- 3 stars - turned out I'm not a huge fan of UK cozy mysteries without any particular theme (like food, pets, jobs, etc).
- 4 stars - one more cozy mystery with a fresh setting (TV-shows), enjoyed both books.
- 3 stars - not a fan, though I've just started the series and sometimes the first book is not the best one.
- 4 stars - once I've tried to read some series with ghosts and didn't like it at all. But this one was nice and I loved the idea of helping ghosts to solve their mysteries.
- 4 stars - actually now I'm not sure it's 4 stars, more like 2-3 stars. Though the theme is my favourite, the books are too long and at some point become really boring.
- 3-4 stars - I like the author and narration, really makes you feel cozy and warm. The series has its flaws but I loved it, especially pirates trope and all the ocean setting.
- 3 stars - ok, at this point I think I have to switch to something else (like light romantic stories) to offload my brains as I start mix stories already and had some hard time remembering what the series was about. The first book was better, the second one... not so much.
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I'm struggling with Empire of the Vampire currently but I do think its a me problem not the book. Some parts are so good just finding it overall slow. Happy to hear you've loved it though.
A First Date with Death sounds like a fun mystery
Looks like some great reading!
No manga or comics this week as I've been focused on trying to get through all these novels on my reading list. 
-4 StarsThis was one of the many new releases that I requested a while back that has finally come in. The start of this book was incredibly trope heavy to the point that I was even making fun of it. Basically a young girl who is recovery from an opioid addiction gets hired on as a nanny/babysitter. The young boy she is taking care of is all normal and sweet as apple pie except for the random creepy drawings he does of his "imaginary" friend that only he can see. Of course there was a violent death that happened on the property in the past and so and so on and so on. For some odd reason I just got sucked into the story and was curious about where the mystery was going. Or I was until about the half way point. Then I got overwhelming paranoid about where the book was going to go. I felt that the book really had to nail the ending or all this build up, all this hype, etc would be for not. I set it aside for nearly a day until I kicked myself into reading at least a couple more chapters. I had to make some progress as I had other things to read. Next thing I know it's 2-3 hours later and I was finishing the epilogue. I won't spoil the ending for anyone but this book did a very good job of leading you down a certain path before revealing that it was the wrong path. I could say more but I feel that saying more might spoil or set up certain expectations for the ending. One criticism of this book that I have is that there is a certain plot point that is built up and you are reminded about a fair bit that just didn't really have a satisfying payoff. Looking back at things after I finished the book I see the relevance but the build up of it just doesn't match the pay off. If you have been eyeing this one I'd say give it a read.
-5 StarsI was looking for a book to help with a challenge and kicked myself hard when I realized that this book would work perfectly for it. I had been meaning to get back to this series at some point but there are just millions of thinks to read and no where near enough time. Before getting into this new story line in the series I had seen a lot about how people didn't like this story line. That Catalina wasn't a good MC, etc, etc, etc. As you can see from rating of the book I don't share those opinions. I had a great time with this book and I thought it was a great set up for this trilogy. Catalina wasn't just a clone of her sister and had her own set of issues. I like the case that they were working and the setup for the story arc. I was wondering how they were going to setup a legit threat considering that Catalina has Nevada/Rogan as family and by the end I felt that a solid foundation was set up for that. Then there was the main factor. The main male lead, Alessandro. My initial reaction to him was revulsion I have this built in gag reflex for smarmy alpha male douche canoes and Alessandro was kind of giving me those vibes. Needless to say I warmed up to him as the book went along and I am curious now about his back story. I can't wait to get to the next book in this series and then start the wait for the final book. Actually I should put that final book on hold now.
-3 StarsAn award winning classic novel that I snagged because it was short and it helped with a challenge. I know I have a bit of a habit of strongly not liking novels of this pedigree but that isn't the case here. I didn't hate this book, nor did I like this book. This book just didn't do anything for me in fact. It was that cheap, store bought white bread of books. Flavorless and with no substance. Basically a young girl and her brother run away from home to live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. Oh and there is a "mystery" involving a statue called Angel. This was supposed to be an adventure novel apparently but, I don't know, it didn't feel all that adventurous to me. I wasn't a fan of the two MC's, the novel didn't feel like it had any stakes, the mystery was meh at best. The thing is that there was potential for something bigger, especially at the end, but it just did nothing with that potential.
Now I want to speak about the audiobook aspect of it. The narrator was spot on in my opinion. It was supposed to be an elderly woman in her 80's and it nailed that vibe. I have one massive issue though, and it drove me bonkers while I was listening to this. The narrator had this habit of licking her lips before every sentence and it wasn't subtle either. The entire book was "blah blah blah" *LICK* "blah blah blah" *LICK* "blah blah blah". It was enough to make me shudder at times. I know, I know I just praised Rivers of London for having stuff like that in its book but that felt like subtle and natural. This felt like I had someone sitting on my shoulders loudly licking their lips right in my ear.
-3 StarsAnother new release from this year that made its way to me and this one has me rather confused. It's about the end times where the bombs are dropped and all the men are killed (except those that aren't) because men are all evil/racists/misogynistic (except they're not) and women are perfect (except they're not). I was kind of put off by this book right from the first chapter honestly. Our two main leads are a women in her early to mid 30's and a women in her early to mid 40's. They are at a teachers retreat and they talk like they are teenagers. The one is drinking mimosa's first thing in the morning while bragging about shacking up with the hot bartender. I'm not saying that it's not possible or that people like that don't exist but it just sets this weird tone. This will be a running theme for this book. Men in this book are, for the most part, the stereotypical racist/misogynistic/douches except for the one male lead who happens to be super hot. Women are of course the superior being and will take over this new world while shedding the chains of patriarchy because women can do no wrong except for that one women who was murdering women to keep her town going. There are just all these inconsistencies in this book.
This is also one of those books where I feel like a lot of things said are the views of the author more than the character. Throughout this book there are statements that are just dropped in. Things like "I'm a woman who can use a gun but I still believe in strong gun laws" (paraphrasing here as I don't feel like looking it up). Or the random statement of how white men stole the land from the indigenous people. It felt like the book was an avenue for the author to vent all their personal beliefs even if they didn't make sense in the context of the book.
Overall I didn't hate the book but there are some issues with this book. This is not a series that I plan on continuing.
As for what is coming up next week, I'm still chasing due dates at the library and I joined a team challenge committing to at least one book a week for that. No pressure or anything.
On audiobook I've got
for a challenge. After that I'm hoping to have
finally. If not I might just get
.For physical books I have a bunch of manga to get through but before that I need to read
and
@Brittany I know the issue you're having with the Empire. Sometimes it's just not the right time or mood for the book.
Mod
I really enjoyed this one and its reminiscence to Friday the 13th. I didn't enjoy it as much as volume one, I feel like not much happened in regards to the story, but it was still good.
I finally finished this one and I really enjoyed it as well! I loved the killer mermaids and I really enjoyed all the science! Idk, the ending was a little anticlimactic, I think? But besides that I liked it!
Another Elemental Assassin re-read and I, of course, loved it 😆 I actually skipped The Spider and went straight to this one. But it's fine because it's a prequel and it doesn't really affect this arc of the series. Lol.
I was not expecting another Ellie Jordan book this soon, but it was a nice surprise when an ARC of this landed in my inbox this past week! And I really liked it! It was spooky and fun, and the investigation itself was very interesting.
This one was also a lot of fun! I loved the premise and I found myself grinning often while reading this. I'm still unsure about that ending, but overall I really enjoyed it!
Mod
Exactly! But I need to push through it at this point or give it up completely cant keep putting it back on hold at the library its getting a bit ridiculous at this point lol.
Mod
I too enjoyed Sapphire Flames and Catalina as the MC in general. I for the most part like the original trilogy a little more but loved both so much.
Mod
Also yay for finishing horror mermaids! I still like the prequel better but it was a good book
@Lili readathons are great! And the book selection looks interesting.
I got the first one-star book this year! Didn't expect it at all.
- 1 star I loved author's other books but this one was awful. Full of sex and some really strange things. Somehow although the man was described as a very handsome and confident type, the romance between him and the intern seemed so wrong and dirty. And the relations between her and his family are very unclear and unrealistic. They were ok with the romance? Really?
- 4 stars A very descent RPGLit series. I enjoyed the other books in the series more than this one though.
- 3 stars Honestly I expected more of this book. Turned out to be a pretty mediocre asian story. Very predictable, which is not common for asian books and I didn't like it.
- 3 stars This time I've read less cozy mysteries and didn't enjoy this particular book much. I think I'm really getting tired of those. I'm also tired of light romantic stories. Now I have to find some more light read genres for offloading and rest.
- 5 stars. I remember enjoying the first book and picked this one as a light read. Very nice story with magic school setting (which I missed).
- 3 stars. Some stories were good, some were really awful. I picked this book for the prompt on a challenge and didn't enjoy much.
- 5 stars. Finally the right mood for this book I wanted to read for ages. A good solid Sci-Fi, very visual and so interesting! I love Ray Bradbury's writing style a lot.
- 5 stars. Oh my, I remember hesitating reading those books. And I love that I finally read them. So many twists, turns, intrigues. The best part of the series is the romantic line but the other lines are also strong.
- 5 stars. Adorable romantic stories, all three are so different but at the same time so alike. The first one and the last one I loved the most. 
- 3 stars. The book and the series so far is fine, but not my favourite. As I already have other books in the series, I'll continue reading at some point.
- 5 stars. It's also a cozy mystery but very different to other books I've read so far. A good mixture of cozy, magic, alchemy, cooking and... Paris.
- 3 stars. A very average series. Did the job well though not very enjoying. At some point I found myself struggling through some chapters.
- 5 stars. Asian culture, tailoring, forbidden romance, seasoned with some magic, is a major success. I've enjoyed every chapter and read it so fast, now I want to read the next book but don't have one and won't get it till December.
- 4 stars. I went kinda heavy on those cute romantic stories this week. That one was pretty good and easy to read. I like the pact aspect, so cheesy yet so cute.
- 5 stars. The first part was a re-read but I've never read the second part. Good old classics, so nostalgic, loved it.
- 4 stars. Romantic story with lots of food? Yeah! Give me more! I think I'll never get tired of food in books.
- 4 stars. That one was on my TBR for a while and as it's a holiday season, I decided to give it a try. It was a descent start to one more cozy mystery series.
- 3 stars. I finally finished the series. It was ok though too heavy on military stuff.
Well, it has been another week of reading...
-3 StarsThis was a middle grade book about a young boy discovering that is granny is actually an international jewel thief. This is a middle grade book and this is an age bracket of book I like visiting from time to time as it can have some pretty interesting ideas for story lines. Some middle grade books read like border line YA novels and then there are books like this that are on the more juvenile side of things. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing or anything but this books idea of peak humor were fart and butt jokes. Not that I can't appreciate a good fart joke but I need more than that. I know I'm not the target audience for this book and if I was a lot younger I'd probably appreciate it more. Now to get into the details of the book and I'm not going to bother with a spoiler wall for this one. If you really care about that then jump to the next book now. This book was about a young boy who gets dropped off at granny's every Friday night so his parents can have a night to themselves. He hates going over to granny's as she is old and smells funny. Granny overhears him complaining to his parents that granny is boring and he doesn't want to be there. She then cooks up this story where she is an international jewel thief called The Black Cat. She gets this fake jewelry, cooks up some stories, and the young boy is enraptured by this cool secret he found out about his granny. He helps her pull off one last heist before she passes away from cancer. This was a book that had a pretty on the nose moral at it's core. I have some pretty conflicted feelings about things here. I'm kind of meh about the story in general but knowing how it all ends it's got this rather sad side to it. Granny was this old lady who lived all alone, her son and his wife wanted nothing to do with her, her grandson thought she was boring so she cooked up this crazy story to get the grandson to pay attention to her. I don't really blame the young boy in this book but his parents were horrible people and I just don't buy the ending. His parents were more concerned with their shows then their family. At one point granny was in the hospital after falling in her house and laying their hurt for three days before someone sent help for her. The mother in law basically showed up long enough to just be seen and then forced everyone to leave because "she doesn't like hospitals". They were forcing their son to take up things that they wanted him to because they had missed their chance. That's why I just don't buy this 180 personality change at the end where they suddenly become loving and supportive parents. Overall it was an alright book but the old bitter man side of me had some issues with the book.
-3 StarsAnother middle grade book about a spooky old asylum out in the woods with it's very own ghost. There is more to the story than that but I couldn't be bothered to get into it. As you can probably tell I wasn't really feeling this book either. Not sure why either as it had a solid premise to it and the cover was super spooky but I just felt like it never delivered. The story just felt like it retread story points I've seen so many times before. About the only thing "surprising" was the big twist at the end that I didn't see coming but I probably never saw it coming because I wasn't engaged with the book. This didn't even have a good middle spooky vibe like say Small Spaces I read earlier this month. I guess it was alright but it was also underwhelming as well.
-5 StarsNow to start getting into some good books for a change. After finishing Gangsta Granny I was hoping to have Lady Knight as it was supposed to be "available soon" but it wasn't so I downloaded this and have no regrets. Ilona Andrews is one of those authors who I feel pretty comfortable picking up their books knowing I'll have a good time. This was the second book and in the Catalina story line and takes place 6 months after the events of the first book. I can't really get into a lot without getting into spoilers but this was a good story for me but the stand out aspect of the book was of course the characters. Seeing these character interact with each other is just gold in my opinion. My favorite out of the entire Baylor clan is of course Granny Frida. She is just an absolute blast any time she is on the page. I'm still not a fan of the covers of these books but I will admit that the ones for Catalina's trilogy are a bit of a step up from the ones in Nevada's trilogy. They still aren't overly accurate to the book in my opinion or even capture what the book is about but they don't scream trashy romance as hard as the Nevada trilogy. Now for the long wait for Ruby Fever. I've requested my copy from the library but I am in queue for it. I know I'm also not the only one saying this but I also can't wait for Arabella's story either.
-4 StarsI think the only fair word that can be used to describe this series is absurdity and I am here for it. This volume opens with the conclusion to the story arc from the last volume and then we launch into the new one. After beating Kaiba at Duel Monsters Yugi has become the man to beat. We are introduced to the new big villain called Maximillion J. Pegasus who "invites" Yugi to participate in this tournament on his private island in the middle of no where with all these other high tier players. Of course there is a secret motive to all of this and the plan all revolves around Yugi. There are shady business deals, evil executives, a new level to the duel monsters game, and of course ancient Egyptian magic. I never expected to like this as much as I am and this is nothing like I was expecting at all.
-4 StarsMore Komi shenanigans of which I enjoy.
-4 StarsUsagi Yojimbo is a series I've been aware of, looked at a bit, but never really dove into. I picked up this volume to help complete a challenge and this is an interesting one to say the least. In some ways this has a kids vibe to it but in others it has a very mature side to it. Yes it's a story about anthropomorphic animals but the story itself is all classic samurai. The kind of stuff you would find in old movies and what not. I have no immediate plans to continue but I do want to read more of this character.
Now for what I am reading next.
On audiobook I am finally going to start
which I have been waiting of so "patiently" all month for.After a couple of weeks now of all right books I am retreating inside my shell for some me reads. I'm returning a couple books I had plans to read but I'm just not interested in at this point. I have a giant stack of manga to get through and I went and got all the volumes of Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear that I haven't read this year so I can get caught up on that again. I just need some me time where I can relax and just enjoy things. This will also help me purge my library pile a bit so I can focus on a new team challenge I jumped into.
Mod
- 2.5 stars (good beginning, enjoyed the ending. The middle? not so much!
- 5 stars! Amazing. Best of the series/world to date.
- 4 stars. Cute graphic novel.
- 3 stars. Good novella. Looking forward to the next book in this series.
- 3.5 stars. Creepy but so good.
- DNF at page 70. This was nothing like what I was expecting. It was weird and creepy... and not in a good way. I am so disappointed. I had such high expectations.
Mod
Gord, happy you will be reading some things you actually want to read for a change instead of so challenge focused! Also yay for more Catalina books. Hopefully not too long of a wait for Ruby Fever for you.
Mod
Mod
and I have mixed feelings about the book. I did enjoy it enough to read the sequel though
Unfortunately I have yet to finish It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover because I’ve been busy with college. So, to continue my reading habit, I decided to read shorter books on my TBR list. That is why I started to read the first book in the Nancy Drew series The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene. So far really good!
@The Endless Bookshelf Great you're enjoying the Nancy Drew series and you always can get back to the large books too :) Sometimes we all need a break.
Since my last update I've read a bunch of interesting books, some even out of my usual genres.
- 3 stars. Shame on me, I've read so many retellings and never read the original. It was nice, but not authors best.
- 4 stars. Oh that one was so good! I had some issues when I started reading, but about 30 pages into I was hooked by all the marvellous descriptions, court, historical aspect, intrigues, and the thought that the author actually lived and experienced all those things added to the joy. But my favourite book is still The Count of Monte Cristo.
- 5 stars. Wow! What the hell I've just read? The ending couldn't be better. When I first started reading the trilogy, I rated the first book 4 stars, it was good but not the best. I loved the second book and it had a potential to be one of the best reads of this year. But when I finished the third and final book... I was stunned and amazed how good it is and want to read more books by the author. Such a new and fresh view on ancient Rome setting. All the gladiators, emperors, pirates, travels by the sea were perfect.
- 5 stars. First of all the cover is stunning. Also that books is way out of my usual reading scope. It features 3 different stories, which meet in Key West during one of the deadliest hurricane. It was captivating, beautifully written, very easy to read romantic story.
- 3 stars. Far less cozy mysteries this time. I think I'm finally got really tired of them.
- 3 stars. The first book was nice as it was something new, the second... not so much.
- 4 stars. A solid sequel to the first book. Interesting setting and the world, though the first one was better.
- 5 stars. What an interesting interpretation of the well-known myth. I really love characters like Hades, who seem to be evil but under the hood there is so much more to their character.
- 5 stars. After that awful book I've read several days ago by the same authors that one was much better! I think it's not really a 5-star read but in the comparison it was good, also I haven't read many books with such a cute trope.
- 3 stars. At some point I've stopped reading all those productivity/self-help books and now I remember why. They all are featuring one-three main ideas and just circle around them through the whole book.
Mod
@Elena I couldn’t agree more!
Mod
and was severely disappointed by it. Not enough of the hybrids or sci-fi/horror elements for me. I found it to be more historical romance than anything which might've been fine if I'd gone into it expecting that. The setting was well done though. Just wasn't what I wanted from it.
@Brittany Thanks, that was a very good half of the week :) And so sad you didn't enjoy The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, the description is really interesting.
My second half of this week is also interesting, I've read some nice mangas.
- 5 stars. It was a re-read, a very random one and I really enjoyed it.
- 5 stars so far. I hesitated to read this manga for a long time, it's kinda hits too close. I've also been an outcast at school, though it was about 18 years ago, the memory is still embarrassing :D But the manga is so cute and lovely, I wish everyone has some nice people around when going to school. It might be really tough.
- 4-5 stars. That was a nice one and I've spent the whole day reading manga, never planned on finishing it in one sitting yet here I am :D
- 3 stars. A descent book with a nice story, I didn't have a chance to read it earlier and decided to try in my adult age. Though I definitely see why it's so nice for children and not so enjoyable for adults :)
- 5 stars. That one is just hilarious, and the friendship line is so good! Also... games, chocolate and cats, who doesn't like it? :D
- 3 stars. A good old school magic girl manga I didn't have time to read in my 15th. And now I'm reading it in my mid-30ths. And enjoying! Manga and anime are definitely out of any time, space, and age, and always good to read.
- 3 stars. I had some issues with this one. I love both authors, but their collab was... not the best.
- 3 stars. Just average, I've read so many good reviews about the book but I think they all were biased and afraid of writing honestly about the book featuring some racial issues. I didn't enjoy it much. There are much more interesting, juicy and intriguing books featuring interracial social issues and relations.
- 3 stars. I drastically downsized the amount of cozy mysteries I read and now just trying to finish all the series I've started and have. Here the bread aspect is really nice, but the mystery itself not so interesting.
- 3 stars. The series started so interesting, intriguing and all lines were good (pirates, love, treasure hunting). But towards the end it became boring and pathetic. In every book one of the sisters just whining how useless she is, a little bit annoying.
- 5 stars. The second book about Hades and Persephone, had some issues with Persephone being annoying and selfish, but overall enjoyed.
- 3 stars. A good asian fantasy, but compared to other retellings I've read, this one is, unfortunately, pretty weak. Though loved Mariko here.
Last week I mentioned I was going to read some manga to help purge my pile from the library. I put a dent in my pile but I wouldn't say I purged it. That being said I'll apologize now for those that aren't into the manga/comic side of my posts. 
-4 StarsIt feels really great to finally return to this series after way to long away from it. This isn't the most high stakes, or any stakes at all, kind of book but I love it none the less. It was more of Yuna just being Yuna and it was what I needed this week. I'm nearly caught up to where I left off with the web novel and I'm super excited for new content.
-5 StarsThe one book I finished this week that was not a comic or a manga and it was great. I've been waiting "patiently" for my copy of this book to come in from the library and I finally got my hands on it. This was a very satisfying conclusion to this quartet of books and I love the main character of Kel. From here on out all the books I read in this universe are all new to me and I can't wait.
-3 StarsHere starts all the manga talk. These two books really took things to a weird place. They discover that this incredibly popular manga series is actually a series of prophecies and they need to find the mangaka that wrote the series. To infiltrate the manga company they write their own manga called Undead Unluck. So to find the author of the manga series about them they write their own manga series about themselves that also happens to be called the same name of the series that it takes place in. There are just so many layers there to unpack. This arc had some good emotional moments but overall this series isn't really rocking my world. It's entertaining and good for spelling challenges.
-4 StarsThis series is just gold. It's kind of like female Sherlock Holmes set in ancient China. The first few books took place solely inside the Inner Palace but over these two books events takes place so that the mysteries can start expanding outside of that. I think it was a smart choice and allows the series to stay fresh while still keeping some of the courtly intrigues as well. This is another series where I love the MC. She is smart, weird, and very independent. I think next year I'm going looking for the source material and seeing what the light novels are like.
-4 StarsThis is a series that really has gotten better the further along we have gone. In this book we get more back story about Kenshin and go back to his early days of being an assassin. Now I won't get into spoilers but this story hit hard. Sure it was kind of trope heavy and you could probably predict where it was going but I was just wrapped up in the moment and the emotions of the story. I've only got two more of the omnibus volumes left in the series and I'm hoping to have them finished by the end of the year.
-4 StarsI was looking for something quick to read for a challenge and this worked perfectly. It's a simple feel good middle grade story about finding ones path in life with a sprinkling of magic and dragons. For a simple little story it worked for me and I enjoyed this one.
-3 stars*sigh* this series. I can see why people like this series, I think there are some good moments in the series, but I am ready for things to be over with now. It's kind of starting to feel like I'm getting baited along and I just want resolution at this point. There are two books left in this series and I've heard "things" about the ending of this series. Things that put it in the "worst ending" kind of conversations. I plan to finish this series as well by the end of the year but I can't say I'm super stoked for it.
-4 StarsThis is another new series that I've been hearing things about for a bit now. My library finally got some copies and I got my hands on them. This is a hilarious balance of comedy and some crazy action scenes. Our main character, Sakamoto, was once known as the most feared assassin in the land until one day he disappeared. No one knew what had happened to him and he faded into the halls of legends. What really happened is he fell in love, got married, and now runs a convenience store with his wife. Oh and he got really fat as well. Someone finally tracks him down and tries to eliminate him. This is where we discover that while Sakamoto has retired and gotten really fat he is still a very dangerous man. There is some laugh out loud moments, some over the top action, and some hints at more sinister things (it's a world of assassins after all). I really look forward to seeing where this go.
For audiobooks this week I'm going to listen to
As for books I'm really not sure. I'm part of a team challenge on a timer and this week we got hit with a lot of tasks that need to be finished this week. I'm shuffling my reading schedule around so I can go and find some books to help out with these tasks.
Mod
Mod
Elena, I'm glad I'm not the only one who wasn't totally enamoured by Good Omens! I really loved the TV show, but when I read the book a couple of years back, I found myself disappointed.
Mod
- 3 stars. Shame on me, I've read so many retellings and nev..."Which Christina Lauren book didn't you like? I've only read 3 of theirs but I've really liked all 3 of them. I haven't read their more adult smutty ones, just the light and fluffy rom-com ones.
I finally finished
which I've been reading for a while, not because I didn't like it, I really did but it was a tough read in places because of the subject matter so it wasn't one I necessarily felt like I could read every day, I did need to take breaks from some of the heavy stuff! Having said that, it was a very well done story. I learned an awful lot about Canadian history that I didn't know before, and the abortion rights movement in the country and it was really nice to read something that wasn't set in the US or UK for a change! I really loved two of the major characters, Evelyn and Nancy were both really well developed, nuanced characters and I felt so hard for both of them with the struggles they went through in the story. The third POV character Angela didn't really seem to fit for most of the story, and though it becomes clear in the end why she was necessary, for a lot of the story, I kind of felt like she was taking me away from the stuff I was really interested in which was Evelyn and Nancy's story. It was a little slow in places, which is another reason why it probably took me a bit longer to read.
THE TWIST THOUGH. I'm probably just really dense for not seeing it coming, but it really did surprise me and is the most surprised I've been by a book's twist in a while (view spoiler)
I know that was incredibly rambling, but as you can probably tell, I had a lot of thoughts on the book! The one thing I will say that kind of distracted me, and also meant the audio took longer to listen to than I expected was that the sound quality wasn't great, it was still kind of quiet even when I turned it up to a pretty loud volume, I don't know if the narrator just spoke quietly or if it was an issue with the recording, but I did find it noticeably quieter than some of my other audiobooks, and it meant I had to keep rewinding a lot because I couldn't hear parts well and had to go back and listen again. There were also a few areas where the audio skipped, which I'm sure wasn't meant to happen!Anyway, moving on, my next audiobook is going to be
. It's one I've been excited for all year, so I'm so looking forward to getting into it, though between war, maternity homes and forced adoptions and asylums, I'm apparently going all out on the heavy historical content this year!
@Jo Elliot Sounds like an interesting audiobook!I’ve added it to my want to read list.
The Endless Bookshelf wrote: "@Jo Elliot Sounds like an interesting audiobook!I’ve added it to my want to read list."It definitely was an interesting story, I hope you enjoy it!
Brittany wrote: "So much manga Elena! I love it."Oh yeah! I kinda missed it.
Jo wrote: "Elena, I'm glad I'm not the only one who wasn't totally enamoured by Good Omens! I really loved the TV show, but when I read the book a couple of years back, I found myself disappointed."Right? Everyone likes it but I felt strange not liking it. Probably they have too unique writing styles and voices to be mixed. In this collab they lost their uniqueness.
Kayleigh {K-Books} wrote: "Which Christina Lauren book didn't you like? I've only read 3 of theirs but I've really liked all 3 of them. I haven't read their more adult smutty ones, just the light and fluffy rom-com ones."Beautiful Bastard, I rated it 1 star. I'll just cite here my thoughts from the other message: 'Full of sex and some really strange things. Somehow although the man was described as a very handsome and confident type, the romance between him and the intern seemed so wrong and dirty. And the relations between her and his family are very unclear and unrealistic. They were ok with the romance? Really?'
Jo wrote: "I finally finished which I've been reading for a while, not because I didn't like it, I really did but it was a tough read in places because of the subject mat..."Oh my, that last comment about the twist really made me want to read the book. Though I'm afraid it's going to be tough, esp when it's winter. (I didn't open the spoiler).
Elena wrote: "Jo wrote: "I finally finished which I've been reading for a while, not because I didn't like it, I really did but it was a tough read in places because of the ..."It's definitely not an easy read, it's very emotional and deals with some tricky subject matter, but the author definitely handles it really well.
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which I've been reading for a while, not because I didn't like it, I really did but it was a tough read in places because of the subject mat..."Glad you enjoyed it! I still need to read this one. Also always like seeing people read more about Canadian historicals :)
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That is always frustrating when the audio quality isnt the greatest.
You are all about the heavy historical fiction this year! I am excited to see what you think of your current one. I'm intrigued by the concept but need someone else to read it first
Brittany wrote: "Jo wrote: "I finally finished which I've been reading for a while, not because I didn't like it, I really did but it was a tough read in places because of the ..."I'd definitely like to read more, I know very little about Canadian history, and this book was so interesting, I'll definitely be looking out for other historicals set in Canada now.
Brittany wrote: "Jo wrote: "I know that was incredibly rambling, but as you can probably tell, I had a lot of thoughts on the book! The one thing I will say that kind of distracted me, and also meant the audio took..."It is and it doesn't happen to me often! It wasn't as bad as one audiobook I read last year where the narrators were so quiet I had to listen on full volume but it was definitely still much quieter than I would have liked. The skipping was really weird though, it definitely seemed like something that should have been spotted before the book was released and it happened on more than one occasion!
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The Home for Unwanted Girls is supposed to be really good and set in Quebec so it will be different from most others.
I cant think of many I have read even though I live here. There's Anne of Green Gables of course as well. I have some on my tbr but nothing else I have read that is jumping out at me to recommend.
Some of the Titanic stuff could be in Canadian history stuff if you are interested in that since Nova Scotia did a lot in the body recovery efforts and there are some neat museums and things there.
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Brittany wrote: "Have you read any of Margret Atwood's books Jo? She's a Canadian author and some of her books are historical in setting. The Home for Unwanted Girls is supposed to be really good and set in Quebec..."
I haven't no! I've watched a couple of the series based on her books, obviously the ongoing Handmaid's Tale series and I think I watched the mini-series of Alias Grace on Netflix a while back but I've never read any of my books. My friend has though and said the ones she read were good, so I'll have to have a look and see which ones of her books interest me.
The Home For Unwanted Girls sounds really interesting, and apparently the audio is narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, who I love, so I'll definitely have to look into it. Maybe next year though, it definitely sounds like another heavy read and I definitely think I'm going to look for a lighter read for my next book as I've read quite a lot of heavy historical fiction this year!
I always hear people talk about Anne of Green Gables and I feel like it's something I missed as a kid-for some reason it kind of passed me by. Thanks for the recommendations!
Yeah, I really didn't get why the audio hadn't been checked and the skips caught before the book released, I've never experienced that in any audiobook, new or old before!
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I agree it sounds like a heavy one I think I'll have to try to get to it next year too so tell me when you plan on it maybe we can buddy read it!
I definitely feel like I should read The Handmaid's Tale, my friend really enjoyed it and we usually have very similar taste in books, so it might be one I try and prioritise for next year. I couldn't find The Home For Unwanted Girls on Audible, but I'm going to see if I can find it on Libby, I totally forgot I'd joined my local library, so I can actually get that now!
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I've been reading it off and on since the end of August. I loved pieces and hated pieces. Still not sure how I feel about the book overall but I will likely read book 2.
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why isnt book 3 out yet?
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