YA Addicted Book Club discussion
Books!
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What are you reading 2024
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I really enjoyed this book! Mira Grant just does horror so well, and this one was pretty horrifying. I also always really enjoy all th..."What I've read from Mira Grant I have really enjoyed! She does horror so well! I've been wondering, what's the difference between her Mira Grant books and her Seanan McGuire books? Are ones more horror-focused than the others? I have not read any Seanan McGuire books yet, but I do have some on my TBR.
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[bookcover:The Sa..."
I completely agree with you on Ghost Station Gord! It was SO slow! One thing that annoyed me personally were the fakeouts at the beginning. But I think R.L. Stine has just traumatized me with the amount of fakeouts he puts in his books. Lol. But yeah, I was looking forward to reading this book, but it just wasn't as great as I was hoping.
Liliana wrote: "Gord wrote: "I know I'm a little late but I was working on finishing up a novel. This will be a short one as I want to get back to my reading and relaxing before the weekend comes to an end. [boo..."
Spoilers for Ghost Station
(view spoiler)
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Gord YES!! I felt the same way!! (view spoiler)
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Sorry you've been having a rough time work wise. Hopefully things get better!
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That sounds awful. Not a fan of that kind of writing. So I am glad I chose to miss this one.
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Sorry you've been having a rough t..."
Oh I see. Urban fantasy is my first love, so I will definitely try them! I have a couple of them on my TBR, I just haven't gotten around to them yet.
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Time for another weekly wrap up and lets just say, in advance, that I as kind of on a Korean manhwa kick this week. Not planned or anything, just how the library books fall. 
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory -3 StarsThis was an odd one for me. I have been following this author on YouTube now for a long while, probably even while she was working on this book, and I've rather enjoyed her content. I snagged up this book because it helped with a couple of different challenges with one book. Heading into this I was expecting, well, a memoir and that is partially what I got. This book also had a fair bit of history in it as well. Going into cultural practices of various groups throughout the world and the history of the funeral business in the USA. This was about the author getting into the funeral business and her upbringing in Hawaii. It was an interesting listen and I enjoyed both aspects of the book but I was just never really blown out of the water either. I can't really explain why but for me the book was just alright.
Now for the comics/manga/manhwa
Summer Vamp -5 StarsAfter the meh feelings I had for Ghost Station last week this was the perfect follow up book for me. It's about a young girl who ends up going to summer camp, the wrong one. She was supposed to be going to a culinary camp since she loves to cook but got on the wrong bus and ends up at a summer camp for vampires. What follows is the usual middle grade fare for a book of this nature. She makes friends, discovers who she is, comes out of her shell, etc, etc, etc. This was just a feel good sweet book and I loved every minute of reading it.
The Boxer, Vol. 6 -5 StarsThis was my other rebound book and about as far away from sweet and feel good as you can get. I'm not a sports fan and I don't really care for combat sports, outside of Sumo, so I am really confused why I am so invested in this series. There is just something about the writing and the presentation that just sucks me into the book. I start out with the idea of getting through a few pages. Next thing I know an hour or so has passed and I've devoured the entire book. I can't explain it. I'm now, once again, caught up on everything available and I'm once again waiting for the next volume to come out. Especially as I really want to see the next opponent get beaten so bad.
Spy x Family, Vol. 5 -4 Stars More Anya shenanigans and I love it. The big thing I like about this series is that it doesn't fall into the same pitfall that a lot of gag manga do. It's not just a series of gags with little to no story. There is an ongoing story with plot progress and what not while still having all the funny bits. It's not a super deep story or anything but there is enough there to feel like things are progressing.
Beauty and the Beast Girl -4 StarsThis was a stand alone manga that follows a very simple trope but man was it just a wholesome sweet read. On one hand you have a monster girl with a tragic past hiding in the woods away from humanity. On the other hand you have a blind human girl. The monster girl gets to experience love because the blind girl can't see what she looks like. It's a story we all know and I don't really care if I know how it all plays out. This was just a sweet manga and I loved every minute of it.
Tomb Raider King, Vol. 2 -4 Stars
Tomb Raider King, Vol. 3 -4 Stars
Tomb Raider King, Vol. 4 -4 Stars
Tomb Raider King, Vol. 5 -4 StarsThis is what I have spent the last couple of days working on and man it has been a fun weekend of reading. I read the first volume of this Korean manhwa earlier this year and enjoyed it for what it is. It's a treasure hunting power fantasy with a broody male MC who was wronged by a powerful individual. After that first book my library had no more so I just shelved it for a later thing. Next thing I know my library brought in the next five books and here I am. It's more of the first book and I am not complaining. More treasure hunting, more broody MC, more power fantasy. It's just fun popcorn read and after the week I had it was what I needed.
Now, what is next
The Two TowersThis is my next audiobook and I'm just a wee bit excited and by wee bit I mean a lot. I loved the first book and I can't wait to continue my audiobook experience with this one.
Outside of that I have my never ending pile of manga from the library
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I agree with you on Smoke. Something about it just doesn't get there.
Good manga pile there!
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This was another fun book about books and loving books. That's it. That's the book. Lol. I liked it though! I really enjoyed the comic strips and it was just relatable. Lol.
I saw this book at my library when I went the other day and I decided to grab it on a whim. I LOVED the anime and have been meaning to read the manga, and I finally made it happen this week. I loved it as much as I did the show! It's so fun and action-packed! Plus it's educational. Lol. It's just such a creative concept that I think is really well done. And I also liked the illustrations. This is my first manga in like 3 years or so?? Idk, something like that, but what I discovered is that I tend to read the words and barely glance at the art which then resulted in me missing things. This time around I really forced myself to take the time to really look at the art. It's such a small thing, but I'm so proud of myself 😂 I don't think I missed anything important this time! (Although it also helped that I've already seen the anime. Lol.)And right now I'm in the middle of three books because that's what happens when idk what my mood wants ðŸ«
I got an ARC of this book and it sounds like such and interesting mystery thriller! However, it's been maybe two weeks since I touched it? 😅 I don't think I'm in the mood for a mystery thriller right now, but the little I did read, I enjoyed! I'm hoping to get back to it soon though.
Started volume 2! However, I'm reading the ebook on my phone and I absolutely hate it. I hate reading on my phone! I don't know why, but I cannot get it to work on my Kindle Fire! It's driving me crazy! I'm reading it through the Hoopla library app and I.. idk. Maybe some books/manga/graphic novels just aren't available on the app for Kindle Fire. I did end up putting the physical copy of it on hold so I'm hoping that one will arrive soon.
So because that was driving me crazy, I started yet another book 🙃 More Percy Jackson. Lol. This one is just a bunch of short stories, and right now, short is what seems to be working for me. Lol.
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I'm hoping to read This Book Kills as the author will be at YALC
Too bad about the second Cells not working on your kindle. I read on my phone all the time but I understand how it can be very frustrating.
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You should definitely pick that manga up. Its so much fun
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DNF:
- It was okay, it just didn't grab me. This was the read for my book club. I didn't finish in time nad everyone told me it just wasn't worth finishing, so I'm not going to.Finished
- I liked it. I didn't love it. Considering this is urban fantasy, set in this world there's a lot of info dump and world building that made the book super slow to me. I will read the next book as the ending was great. 3 Stars.Finished
- Loved this. It was such a cute cosy fantasy. Apparently I'm in my cosy fantasy era because I cannot get enough. I gave this one 4.5 stars. It was going to be a 5 star but I just felt like everything wrapped up just a little too easy.
I know I'm a day late but Canada Day long weekend here and all that.
The Two Towers -5 StarsI finally got around to to this book and it was just as much fun as the first one was to listen to. It's also interesting coming into this book a bit older and a bit wiser than I was the last time I read it. You could say that this book was a shining example of middlebookitis but if you know the history of this book it actually makes sense. This was supposed to be all one one book originally and was later divided by the publisher. Meaning this middle book was quite literally the middle of the book. The book picks up immediately following the events of the last book and just kind of ends. Don't get me wrong, the publisher picked great parts for the break but yeah. My reread of this series also highlights the brain rot I have from the movies even though I've never really watched them. I remember the battle at Helms Deep and Isengard as these massive events but in the book they were just things that happened. The battle at Isengard wasn't really a battle and it happened off page. We show up afterwards and everything is pretty much done. Gandalf deals with Saruman, passes on some instructions to Treebeard, and then everyone rides off to the third book. That is a gross simplification but essentially that is what happens.
As I mentioned in my ramble about the first book this series is just an experience. The world building, the characters, etc. It's just an experience and I'm enjoying every minute of it.
Now for the manga
xxxHOLiC Omnibus 6 -5 StarsWhere do I even start with this one and not get into massive spoilers. After the tragic events of the last volume we get a time skip and that is where we join in. I don't feel like I can talk about much as there would be a lot of spoiler. What I will say is that while reading this book there is just this sense of sadness. When you find out what has been sacrificed, what the characters have been through, what people are doing to keep promises. By the end I just wanted to cry. I've taken longer to get through these last few books as the tonal change was unexpected but I'm very curious about how this will end and where it goes next.
Fullmetal Alchemist (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 2 -5 StarsAnother series that made me want to cry this week. It has been a week shall we say. Much like LotR this series is just a treat to reread and I'm having so much fun, and emotional damage, while going through it.
A Cat from Our World and the Forgotten Witch Vol. 2 -4 StarsThis book introduces a lot of new characters as it starts to expand into the greater world from the witches remote house. Still a great series but it just doesn't have the emotional gut punch of the first one. It's still great and I can't wait for the next volume.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 3—Stardust Crusaders, Vol. 5 -4 StarsThis series is just wild. The fights are probably some of the most creative I have seen in a good long while. One of the fights in this book was against an eleven month, yes, month, old child that used a dream stand. Just, what, where do you even come up with these ideas? Now that being said there was a comment someone said and I just can't stop thinking about it. The story itself, and in particular the fights, are some top tier writing but this series JoJo is not really all that impressive. Maybe it's because of the larger cast of characters but this JoJo just kind of fades in the back ground. The last two JoJo's were these large charismatic characters that grabbed the spotlight. Meanwhile this JoJo just kind of moodily stands in the background not saying or doing much. Still loving things and I can't wait for the next one.
-3 starsNot a lot to really say about this one. It was a whole lot of fighting and set up for the next book. Still a fun mindless popcorn series.
I Think Our Son Is Gay, Vol. 1 -4 Stars
I Think Our Son Is Gay, Vol. 2 -4 StarsThis is a manga series that has been floating around on my radar for a bit now and I finally decided to give it a try. This series, so far, is just so sweet and wholesome. Basically it's about a mom finding out that her son is gay and basically being there supporting him. He hasn't come out but he isn't exactly subtle about things and has some serious slip ups. Hence how mom was able to figure it out. There is a small part of me that is concerned about the dad in the situation. He is kind of a stereotypical male but not in a bad way. Some of his comments are things I've heard more than a few times in my life and it's not malicious but in this context it makes his son uncomfortable and confused. I suspect, or at least I hope, that dad will be fully supportive if/when his son comes out.
Now that I am through all that it's time to talk about what is next.
Deadbeat DruidI was meaning to read this in June but I never got to it. Better late then never as they say. I'm interested to see how this series ends but slightly concerned with several of the mixed reviews I've seen.
Godzilla and Godzilla Raids AgainI stumbled across this when browsing through the new section at my library and to say that I am hyped is a bit of an understatement. Reading through the first part of the original Godzilla has been fun so far.
Outside of that, more manga, as usual.
Finished
and I really enjoyed it. I was more invested in Audrey's story than Kate's to be honest and didn't really see why we needed the present storyline with Kate when I would have been quite happy just following Audrey in the past, but it did all tie together in the end nicely and I did grow to enjoy Kate more over the course of the book, though I still found Audrey to be the more compelling character. That's 2 for 2 for Heather Marshall now, she's quickly becoming a go to historical fiction author, I look forward to seeing what her next book is.Now on to my next read:
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and I really enjoyed it. I was more invested in Audrey's story than Kate's to be honest and didn't really see why we needed the pre..."Nice Jo! Ill have to look into that book
Brittany wrote: "Jo wrote: "Finished and I really enjoyed it. I was more invested in Audrey's story than Kate's to be honest and didn't really see why we nee..."Yes! I also really recommend her debut, Looking For Jane.
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Time for my weekly update and I'm feeling pretty good this week. I've been dealing with a heavy pile of stuff from the library for several months now and I finally feel like I'm getting into a spot where I'm getting caught up on things. I still have things checked out but it's not two giant stack of books sitting on my table where I'm juggling due dates and constantly chasing the next due date. Any way, time for the books.
Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again -3 StarsThis was an interesting read that confirmed one thing for me. I'd much rather watch a giant monster stomp through a city than read about it. Reading about it just isn't as satisfying in my opinion. Back to the book at hand, this book can basically be divided into three parts. The first novel, Godzilla, the second novel, Godzilla Raids Again, and then the afterword. The first novel was a solid entry with some of the essential giant monster movie tropes baked into it. The second one was alright, definitely less of a protest movie and more of the action flick that the Godzilla movies became. Then there is the afterword. Normally this is the section of the book that I might skim over at best but here it was something that sucked me in and I couldn't stop reading. The afterword gave us some history on the author and the movie itself. What I really loved about this afterword though is how it put everything into context. Where Japan was at after the war, what was happening in the country between the end of the war and 1954, the events in 1954 with regards to Bikini Atoll. It was a movie that dropped at just the right moment and resonated with people. Overall an interesting read and an important classic that is not in the normal discussion of classics.
Deadbeat Druid -3 StarsI have some pretty conflicted feelings about this book. Overall I'd say that it maintains its solid three star rating that the rest of the trilogy had. I would say that this was probably the weakest book of the series for me though. I loved the journey through the underworld and the lore that was set up there. There was a lot of interesting creatures and just overall lore. I had a couple of big issues with the book though. The start of the book kind of plodded along and I was getting a bit annoyed with the constant reminders of what happened in previous books. I don't mind a quick summary but this felt like a constant beating over the head. Combined with a general lack of anything going on and it just added to the plodding feeling of things. Then we get to the ending of the book. I appreciate the message that the book was putting forth and I get where it's trying to do but that feel good Care Bear ending just didn't work for me. You spend three books building up this villain to basically give him a hug and send him on his way at the end of it all. I'm not against a feel good ending, or even some of the feel good stuff in the ending of this book but everything about the bad guys resolution just felt off for me. Not a bad book and not a bad series but not super outstanding either.
Now for the manga and comics
Predator versus Wolverine -3 StarsYou get what is advertised in the title. This is just a small series about all the various fights between Wolverine and one of the Predators over the decades that Wolverine has been alive. It's not horrible but it's not mind blowing either.
The Apothecary Diaries Manga, Vol. 11 -5 StarsWhat can I really say that I haven't already said about this series before? I love the MC, I love many of the side characters, and I love how the author sets up his mysteries. Just another fun entry in this series.
Tomb Raider King, Vol. 6 -4 StarsI'm once again caught up on this series and waiting for the library to get some more. Another solid entry into this popcorn action series. Not a lot more to really about this one either.
xxxHOLiC Omnibus 7 -5 StarsWe've arrived at the end of the original series and what a beautiful send off to things. The latter half of this series really had a different tone to it and it made me emotional more than a few times. Maybe it was just what I had going on in my personal life but things really hit me hard. I still love this series and I'm very curious about the next two series that follow this. There is Rou that is a side story set in the previous events and Rei which is a continuation of the story. I'll have to see what my library has.
As for what is next...
Before the Coffee Gets ColdThis is my next audiobook and I've been waiting a while for this one. This sounds like a really great read and I'm looking forward to it.
Outside of that I have some more manga to get through but that pile is getting ever smaller.
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I had never heard of Before the Coffee Gets Cold but it sounds like a great one. I just put a hold on it myself.
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so good. Cannot recommend this trilogy enough! I would have jumped right into the final book if I didnt have library holds I had to get to.
I’m currently reading less books, but choose more thoroughly as I don’t have much free time. And I’m also re-reading some books in German.
3 stars. I have some mixed feelings about this book. The atmosphere is interesting, in particular I loved that it’s Edinburgh, dark and mysterious. The setting adds depth and intrigue, capturing the essence of the Scottish capital. On the other hand the magic theme is not developed enough, I expected more. While the writing style is competent, the character development is boring, occasionally leaving you unengaged and yearning for more depth.
3 stars. The resemblance to Twilight is still there, but somehow I don’t hate it. The story is still not good enough, but not bad either. I decided to give the series a chance as it has potential and the second book is indeed better than the first.
4 stars. Something intriguing and captivating. It’s been a while since I’ve delved into a truly enthralling fantasy. It grabbed me from the very beginning, I loved the magic system and the concept of Dark King. The world-building is intricate and imaginative, painting a vivid picture of a realm brimming with danger, wonder, and ancient mysteries.
Brittany wrote: "I finished so good. Cannot recommend this trilogy enough! I would have jumped right into the final book if I didnt have library holds I had to get to."Great you've enjoyed it, with such a strong rec I'll probably push it to the top of my TBR :D
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3 stars. I ha..."Nice update Elena. Less books happens. Hopefully the lack of free time isn't too much of a bad thing right now?
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so good. Cannot recommend this trilogy enough! I would have jumped right into the final book if I didnt have library holds I had to ..."I think more people need to read this series so I'm happy to hear you are bumping it up. I enjoyed book 1 but loved book 2, gave it 5 stars. I'm finishing the book Im listening to and jumping right into book 3 as I so badly want to be back in the world.
Brittany wrote: "Nice update Elena. Less books happens. Hopefully the lack of free time isn't too much of a bad thing right now?"Nope, I'm currently learning German and trying to give it as much time as possible.
Time for that weekly update and not as much to talk about this week. I've been splitting my time between reading and other things on the go. With that being said lets get into what I read.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold -5 StarsThis was a beautiful book that hurt me a lot. It's a slice of life book with four chapters and each chapter is its own self contained little story with interconnecting characters and the cafe as a location. I listened to the first story and it was a little emotional but nothing to heavy. Then the remaining three stories had me crying my eyes out. I listened to this while on my walk to work and for a lot of those walks my vision was rather blurry. I even had to stop a couple times to collect myself before continuing on. What I came to appreciate after I was finished was that these were not just stories full of crushing despair that would leave you broken. There was hope mixed in. You could see the characters processing a horrible event and then see a path forward. A glimmer of hope that while things were dark now they would get better over time. At the same time I don't feel like it was a super sappy happily ever after kind of thing either. It's complicated alright. I'm really glad I read this book and while it did hurt I loved it for the experience. I'm definitely requesting the next one and preparing some tissues for the inevitable tears.
That was it for completed novels this week.
Cardcaptor Sakura Omnibus, Vol. 3 -4 StarsThere is something just wonderful about this series. I was thinking about this a lot after I finished this volume and I think a lot of it comes down to the innocence of this series. Don't get me wrong it had it's serious moments for sure but overall it had a pretty innocent tone. There was none of this edge that more modern magical girl shows have. That whole idea of taking something innocent and making it darker and edgier. Don't get me wrong I can appreciate those kind of things to a certain degree but I find as I'm getting older I just want that wholesome innocence more. As for this volume it's more of Sakura finding her own power and changing the cards and I had fun reading it.
I Married My Female Friend Vol. 1 -4 Stars
I Married My Female Friend Vol. 2 -4 StarsSpeaking of innocent and wholesome. This was a random snag from the library and I enjoyed it. Basically two young ladies make a promise that if neither are married in fives years that they will marry each other. Of course, as you can guess from the title, this is what happens and we join the couple at some point after they got married. This is a "romance" but it kind of feels like the romance is more one sided and very low key. It's more about learning to live with someone who is the opposite of you with a hint of romance mixed in. It's a fun little read and there are only three books in the series.
As for what I am reading currently/next
Now You See MeI'm about 60% of the way in to this and it's hard to explain why I'm so invested in this book but I am invested. It's a police procedural style thriller and the author is doing a great job laying out the mystery. It's definitely feeling like on those mysteries where you are not supposed to solve it until the author shows you who it is and I'm not opposed to those style of mysteries.
Body MoversThis is the other audiobook I'll be working on and it's for a challenge. I'm kind of meh feeling about it but I'll get through it.
Outside of that I've got some more manga to work on as usual.
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Nope, I'm currently learning German and trying to give it as much ..."
That's awesome! Best of luck with it
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Sometimes you just need that emotional type of book although Im sure the crying while walking part wasn't the most fun.
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I love this series so much! It's cute and fun but also action-packed and informative and I just love that combo! I'm glad I finally read the manga because I've loved the anime for a while and have really been missing it.
And then I read some more Percy Jackson, but these where on the short side which was nice. They're a collection of short stories with fun illustrations, and The Demigod Diaries even had some games. I really enjoyed these.
And today I read these two comic books. I've had this series on my TBR for almost 10 years, and with my weird mood/slump that only wants short reads with pictures, I thought this was the perfect time to read it, and I ended up enjoying it! I don't love it, but I do like the concept and I'll probably be reading the last volume tomorrow.
I haven't touched this one in a while ðŸ˜And this past week I got ARCs of these two books
which I have been REALLY looking forward to, but I don't think I can read them right now. I started Only Cold Depths yesterday, and I only managed to read like 2 chapters because I just can't focus on actual books right now 😠It is a travesty! Especially because this is a Jennifer Estep book 😠(I am being a tiny bit dramatic lol). I am frustrated with myself, but I'm just gonna let it be. If graphic novels, manga, and comic books is what my mood wants, then fine. I don't read these often so this is the perfect time to get some of those read.
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while I still havent read it I love love love the anime. 
an older one but so good. So is the recent remake of the anime. Based on the zodiac animals so there's a supernatural twist for you.
This is just cute everyday witchy stories 
current popular one that Im behind on again. Ridiculous in a similar way as Spy Family. 
I cant really explain why I enjoy this series so much. But I am now super happy as the next two volumes are available for me to read and I just noticed! So thanks for asking for ideas.
Ive read the first 5. Mysterious house, demon guardian.Ill stop there
@Lili
- going to second this one, it's funny, interesting and I couldn't put it down.
- very funny, captivating and full of action + magic. Somewhat similar to Momochi.
- doesn't have much action, but it's super wholesome and cute.
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on audio which I really enjoyed. I gave it 4 stars. It was fun and I'm looking forward to reading the other book in the duology.
- 5 stars. I'm obsessed with cosy fantasy right now, and this was no different. It's so fun and a quick read.Also finished re-reading
which I loved again.Current reads:
on audio... honestly I'm not crazy about this one. I'm contemplating DNF'ing.
- loving this one. I'm about 50% through.
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@Kay I love the update, especially that cosy fantasy one, any other recs for a good cosy fantasy? I've been struggling to find something great recently :(
Finished
, I enjoyed it on the whole, it was a little slow to get going and a little repetitive in parts but it did pick up. I really enjoyed the characters and the humour, but some of the dialogue could be a little tricky to understand, though I'll fully admit that's probably just me not understanding Indian slang. All in all was an enjoyable read.Moving onto
next, hopefully this will work out better for me than The Phoenix Crown earlier this year which I did enjoy but was a little disappointed by.
Alright, time for that weekly update and I actually have some things to talk about this week.
Now You See Me -4 StarsThis was a buddy read that I headed into knowing little about outside of the synopsis. What I found was a pretty solid mystery/police procedural set in London. This was definitely a mystery where you as the reader weren't supposed to be able to figure it out before the end. You were figuring things out as the police figured them out. There were snippets here and there you could theorize about and maybe even figure out but I just couldn't slot it into the bigger picture. That made the ending very satisfying which then slid in one last twist that I legit never saw coming. The characters were alright but nothing to really write home about. They served their purposes in the story. The only thing that I didn't really like and just felt out place was this romance element. I wouldn't even really call it a subplot either. It just dropped into the book at one point, felt really awkward, and then promptly disappeared. It showed up once or twice after that but never for long and it just never felt like it fit in. There was no real build up to it, the characters didn't feel like they had any sort of chemistry, and outside of certain moments the book didn't even acknowledge it. The other big question I have now that I am done is how this will transition into a series. This book really felt like a self contained story with the MC's background playing a massive part in the mystery. Now that mostly everything has come to light I am wondering how they make this into a series. What elements haven't been revealed to the world in this book are not really enough to carry another book I feel. I don't know, I'm very curious and I'll get to the second book next month.
Body Movers -2 StarsThis was a challenge book that I read to fill a Chick-Lit requirement and oh man I did not have a good time with this one. Before I get into this I want to acknowledge that this book is just not for me. This genre, in general, is just not something I'm overly interested in. I went looking for some recommendations and basically found three options to look at. The overly dramatic and serious type of book (bleh), the sappy contemporary romance (more bleh), and the comedy route. I decided to go down the comedy route and this book is definitely a "comedy" book. The problem is that I just didn't like any thing that this book was trying to do. I didn't like the MC, I didn't like the MC's brother, I didn't like the "love interests", I didn't like the mystery, just nothing worked for me. This was one of those books where anytime anyone was to make an important decision they would inevitably choose the dumbest option possible. I'm on probation, thousands of dollar in debts to shady characters, my family life is riddled with debt, this sounds like a great time to gamble my entire first paycheck. The cops are investigating the MC and the husband of a murder victim for their involvement in the murder, lets make out and nearly have sex in the front seat of a car right out in public. There was just so many tropes in this book that I just didn't like and lumping them all together just added to this feeling of boredom/frustration I had with this book. I'm just glad to finally be done with this book and moving on to something else.
Now for the other books I read
One Piece, Volume 2: Buggy the Clown -4 StarsLike I mentioned before I'm having such a sense of nostalgia going back and reading this series from the beginning. Especially with the knowledge of events that happen much later in the series. This is the first time we meet Buggy and it's wild to think about where he ends up later. Just a fun time going back and seeing where things all started.
Soichi -3 StarsI love reading Junji Ito's stuff but like any author he has some duds and I feel that this is one of them. It's basically a collection of short stories all interconnected with the same characters and locations. Soichi is basically this creepy little kid who terrorizes all of those around him. That's the premise of each short story and they run the gambit from full on supernatural things to just a kid being a little monster. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this one but I just didn't like this one as much.
The Great Cleric (Manga) Vol. 9 -4 StarsAnother great entry in this series. It's probably not for everyone but I am fun reading this series.
The New Girl -5 StarsI have been following this artist's online work for years now and was excited to hear about a published book from her. This book was just a joy to read. It's about a young girl having to move to Canada from Romania because her parents moved for work. They move to Montreal which just adds to her complications. She gets her first period on the plane flight, she doesn't know anyone in Montreal, she doesn't speak the language, etc. It's about her adopting to her new life and finding her way in basically a new world. It's just a great read with some great art. Another nice little touch is the use of colored text bubbles. I'm not sure if this is the first time I've ever seen it but I really appreciated it. The author would use different colored text bubbles to indicate which language the individual was speaking. This was a nice touch as the language barrier was a big factor in the book and many of the characters spoke different languages.
Now, what is next.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of SecretsThis is my next audiobook and a nice break after that Body Movers book.
American FlygirlThis is a random nonfiction book I snagged from the library that sounded super interesting.
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, I enjoyed it on the whole, it was a little slow to get going and a little repetitive in parts but it did pick up. I really enjoyed the characters an..."Jo we should buddy read that one too. Ill start the thread. I havent started yet but I will soonish so Ill catch up!
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I like the idea of coloured text boxes for different languages in graphic novels/manga. Seems like you've had some good ones.
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I adore cosy fantasy books so here's some that I have read an absolutely loved:
Brittany wrote: "Gord good to hear you enjoyed Now You See Me. I'm still uncertain if Ill get to it or not.I like the idea of coloured text boxes for different languages in graphic novels/manga. Seems like you've ..."
I'm really not sure if Now You See Me will be for everyone. It's not a book that has super strong characters like In Death and while London is an interesting setting it doesn't glamorize the city to make it extra exciting. It's a book that puts everything is has into weaving the mystery itself. For me I really enjoyed the ride and all the twist and turns along the way.
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I adore cosy fantasy books..."
Such a good genre. The 4 of those Ive read I absolutely loved too. And I'm looking forward to getting to Forged by Magic. Cant wait for A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping to come out in December.
This was an odd week and I don't really have a lot to talk about. I wasn't walking this week due to the weather and I just wasn't feeling any books this week. I was more interested in watching movies and sumo. That being said here is what I did complete this week.
American Flygirl -3 StarsI have a lot of feelings surrounding this book and the hard part is splitting them between feelings about the book and feelings in general. For this book I thought it was alright. I snagged this from the library basically because the book caught my eye. It's about the first Asian American women to get her pilots license in the USA and the story itself is interesting. Seeing what Hazel did with her life, the training required for your license, and just another view of life at that time. The early part of the book was much more focused on her life but as the book went along it became more about WWII and the training that the WASP's went through with Hazel just kind of showing up here and there. Which kind of makes sense as the author had to put what Hazel was doing and going through into larger context. Why the WASP's had to be created and what not not. Overall the book was entertaining but nothing super special either.
Then we get into my general feelings. I'm starting to think historical books might not be a good thing for me to read. It was interesting to see how progressive these women were and just how ahead of their time things were. Not just because these women were flying planes either. The whole attitude towards dating, sex, etc was interesting, especially for time. Then there is the super frustrating side of things. I'll admit that things have changed and progressed since the 40's but in some ways things have also not changed. There have been to many times I've read books like this and seen comments from the past that are basically the same as comments that I've heard in present day. It's so disheartening to see that certain mindsets have not changed in some 80 years. There is also the fact that some of these women didn't die in accidents but were straight up murdered due to insecure men. Women who crashed because of things like sugar in the fuel tanks or rags in the landing gear. Now, some of this could be due to spies/saboteurs but as the book explains some of it was just men being upset that women were flying or "taking their job" and that is so frustrating. Again, you can sort of see this sort of mindset in certain groups even in current times. Lets just say it's super frustrating and leave it at that.
That's it, that's all I read this week. Like I said I was in a weird sort of space this week. As for what is next I legit don't know. For the audiobook side of things I have the final Lord of the Rings book but I'm really not in the mood for something like that currently. I don't really have anything else lined up. There is something that I want to listen to but I'm debating between that and finding some challenge book. Outside of that I've acquired yet another stack of manga that I need to work through.
YA Addicted Book Club
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Up next I have no idea. I'm taking it easy this week. I think I wan't some sci-fi? If it comes down to it, I have another book about books that should be a quick read. Lol.