My final exam was today, so in keeping with tradition (twice can be a pattern, right?) and because I haven’t done one of these in a while, I figured the timing was right for another reading check-in! It’s been kind of a slower month as far as books are concerned, but I’ve still got some interesting titles to share.
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WWW Wednesday is a meme currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on A World of Words. 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
(By the time this post goes up, I will be done with the course textbook, so I haven’t included it this time!)
I was lucky enough to get an ARC of Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron, which has been a fantastically enthralling read so far — I’m about 40% of the way through — and which I look forward to diving back into now that I have free time again. For about a week and a half before back-to-school events start, but hey, it’s something.
Since I’ve been walking to and from campus every day, I decided to give audiobooks another try. But I haven’t continued Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman, narrated by Katharine McEwan, in over a week, so I’m probably going to put the print version back on my TBR and find another audiobook to listen to. (Recommendations are appreciated, though I’m limited to what’s in OverDrive for my library system.)
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Recently Finished Reading
The last book I finished was The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan: my 51st YARC title (hello, Bengali tiger badge)! I documented the reading experience in a Thoughts I Had While Reading post, if you’re interested in that. [tl;dr Not my favorite read, but culturally significant and somewhat relatable.]
Before that, I kicked off ARC August with Color Me In by Natasha Diaz. Not at all an easy read, since it tackles social issues through the perspective of a biracial protagonist, but certainly an emotionally resonant and timely one.
In all honesty, I persisted with Rust & Stardust by T. Greenwood, narrated by Thérèse Plummer, mostly because I wanted to finally fill the “ampersand in the title” backlist bingo square. But Plummer is a great narrator, and I at least found it more interesting than Lolita (they’re based on the same true crime case).
To Read Next
My next two ARCs are Love, Pride, Virtue, and Fate by Bharat Krishnan (not yet on Goodreads, and no cover yet afaik) and The Grace Year by Kim Liggett. The former is a Hindu mythology collection, the latter a YA feminist dystopian novel; both are exciting reads that I look forward to.
I recently got into Broadchurch — started watching because of David Tennant, kept watching because the whole cast is incredible and the scenery is breathtaking and the plot is, pun intended, thrilling — so now that I’ve finished all three seasons, I’m really in the mood to marathon Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad series. From what I remember, it’s much the same feeling.
What have you been reading recently? Have you read any of the books on my list, or have them on your TBR? Got any recommendations for me?
Nine Tale Vixen 
oooh, I’ve watching for Tess of the Road reviews. I’m keen to see what you think when you finish it!! (physical or audiobook if you get to it)
In terms of audiobooks, I find that I’m not very good at listening to them unless I’m doing something else where I can’t read or let my mind wander. Like, two things at most is enough. I have found they’re good for long car trips if I’m driving, or sometimes if I’m cleaning, but otherwise I get too distracted. So, for me I prefer to listen to audiobooks for books that I’ve already read so that it doesn’t always matter if I accidentally miss a few bits. My fave so far (apart from the Stephen Fry HP books) is The Scorpio Races. It’s a bit slow in parts, but I felt like the narrators also understood the cadence of the story they were reading. It just gave it this other magical air.
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oh I definitely agree, a huge part of the audiobook struggle for me has been realizing that I zoned out for the last five minutes and have no idea what’s happening anymore! I actually haven’t listened to any that I’ve already read, but that’s definitely something I’m going to try … if I can find them in my library, LOL.
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I’m curious to your thoughts on Kingdom of souls! Enjoy your reading 🙂
I’m currently reading a book of spirits and thieves!
(www.evelynreads.com)
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Congrats on finishing your last exam! I hope it went well 🙂
I reallly love the cover for The Grace Year and I also really want to read it so I can not wait to hear about what you think of it once you read it!
Also, Color me in sounds great tho tiring and I want to read it too!
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I’m so behind on comments, but I’ve actually finished The Grace Year now and it was incredible – creepy and horrifying, but also so powerful. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! (and yes, the cover is so pretty!)
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HEYYY! Congrats on the last exam and I’m reading Kingdom of Souls too, but I’m three chapters in, and like I want to just freakin devour it but I have a book to read for Monday and Tuesday and Thursday….UGH. Anyway, I can’t wait to read more of it, I’ll fangirl with you lol
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the ARC struggle is so real! but yessss I look forward to flailing over it with you!
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I read The Likeness several years ago and remember really enjoying it. It contains one of my favorite tropes, super exclusive groups of friends (a la The Raven Cycle, If We Were Villains, etc.)
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I’m hoping to get to my ARC of Kingdom of Souls soon – enjoy the read!
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Yay for finishing exams! Now it’s time to relax and read. I adored Tess of the Road. I’m ready for a sequel, if there ever will be. I hope you love all of those books.
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thanks Ruby! Tess of the Road is labeled as the first in a series on GR, so here’s hoping 🤞
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I liked Seraphina an adequate amount, so I am still contemplating whether or not I need to try Tess on the Road. Will be curious to see what you think of it. And I want to read Colour Me In too, so I will look forward to more thoughts on that one as well 😀
Olivia-S @ Olivia’s Catastrophe
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