Hello, everyone! It’s Wednesday! That means it is time for another WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. I’ll be answering the following questions:
- What did you read last?
- What are you currently reading?
- What will you read next?
What did you read last?
This has been a great first week of Pride month. I read five books this week, and three of them were five-star reads. First, I read When London Snow Falls, which was an enjoyable romance with good mental health rep. It also relied on insta-lust/love and miscommunication a bit too much, though, which kept it from being five stars for me. Then I read Witchmark by C.L. Polk. I didn’t really like this one that much and won’t be continuing the series. It had a lot of really cool elements, including interesting magic and PTSD rep, but it all felt a bit shallow. The romance also had the chemistry of a wet paper bag, which was a letdown. Next, I read Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram, and I absolutely loved it. I think it is safe to say I have a thing for stories about queer musicians navigating the music industry and fame because I haven’t met one yet that I didn’t love. Then along came History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera. This book broke me so good. lol. The depiction of mental illness was incredibly well-written, and the way Silvera brought the grief of the characters to life left me sobbing at multiple points. Finally, I rounded out the week with some nonfiction, Bi by Julia Shaw. This was an informative, much-needed book about the history, science, and lived experience of being bi. Shaw did a fantastic job of delivering a ton of information in an approachable way.
What was my favorite of the week? My favorite this week has to be Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram. I just didn’t want to put it down and loved the characters and how easy it was to read.
What are you currently reading?
I just started This Wicked Fate by Kalynn Bayron last night. I wasn’t really a fan of the first book in this duology (This Poison Heart), but it ended on such a cliffhanger that I did want to know what happens next. The beginning of this sequel picks up right where the first book left off, and I’m curious to see where it goes next. Maybe I’ll like this book better than the first? I’m also listening to The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons. I really like it so far, but it has been a struggle to keep up with the different timelines and footnotes in audiobook format. I think I’ve finally got the hang of it, though. It is definitely one of those books where I’m having fun despite not knowing what the hell is going on most of the time. lol.
What will you read next?
I’m so excited to say that I was able to check out the audiobook of A Little Bit Country on its release day from Libby before someone else snagged it first. So, it will be my next audiobook once I finish with The Ruin of Kings. I also plan to read another ARC in the coming week, which will probably end up being In the Shadow of Lightning. There will probably be lots of mood reading too, but these are the ones I really want to read first.
What have you been reading? Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think? Let me know in the comments!
Oh no, that’s so disappointing to hear that about Witchmark! I feel like that series is a little ‘low key’ but it does have a bit of hype so I’ve been looking forward to reading it. I think I won’t rush for it now cos that doesn’t sound great. At least you followed it up with a great read—Kiss & Tell sounds really good đŸ˜ƒ Hope you continue to enjoy your reads!
I was surprised by Witchmark. I’ve seen it on Twitter quite a bit, and it sounded great. It wasn’t bad and had good elements. I just think it could have gone further with exploring certain topics. It felt superficial, and the romance was a bust for me, as well. I wish I had paid more attention to the reviews because they are very mixed and only get worse as the series goes on. So, I won’t be continuing.
Sorry that you didn’t enjoy Witchmark. I really enjoyed it although I haven’t got around to reading the next two yet. I loved Ruin of Kings too. I’m really looking forward to reading the Brian McCllelan as I loved the Powder Mage books. Hope you enjoy your next reads.
Thanks! Witchmark had good elements to it, but it just didn’t go far enough in exploring the topics for me. The pacing was also a bit slow, especially with how shallow I found the characters to be. I’m really loving The Ruin of Kings so far. It’s quite witty, and the narrators are doing an excellent job of bringing the characters to life. I hope you enjoy your next reads too!
I’m looking forward to getting my hands on A Little Bit Country, too! As someone who grew up in Texas, and listening to country music, it sounds like it’s going to be amazing.
I read In the Shadow of Lightning last month and really enjoyed it. Here’s my review if you’re at all interested! https://birdjayreads.wordpress.com/2022/05/13/arc-review-in-the-shadow-of-lightning-by-brian-mcclellan/
Yep. I grew up in rural Louisiana where everyone listened to nothing but country. So, I’m really looking forward to it. In the Shadow of Lightning sounds cool, and I’m glad you liked it.