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:

1. What did you read last?
2. What are you currently reading?
3. What will you read next?

What did you read last?

Escape from Valo by Daniel Jose Older & Alyssa Wong – 4⭐ – This was a good middle grade installment of The High Republic. It was quite long for a middle grade book, which allowed for deeper character development than I was expecting. Ram experienced a lot of growth in this one, and I liked him more here than in any of the previous books. The younglings were adorable, and I loved their tenacity. Some of the plot did drag in places, but the character work and diverse queer representation more than made up for it.

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas – 4.5⭐ – This was my favorite Throne of Glass book so far. Everything set up by the previous books finally started coming together in big ways, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I was completely invested in all the character arcs this time, and I was grateful that there was less fae male bullshit in this one. lol.

The Wicker King by K. Ancrum – 4⭐ – This was such a unique story about mental health and co-dependency. I’m honestly not even sure how I’d describe it. The writing was evocative, and the story structure was unlike anything I’ve read before. It highlighted the importance of asking for help when you need it while also illustrating how destructive and all-consuming a co-dependent relationship can be.

Lirael by Garth Nix – 4.25⭐ – This was a great continuation of the story from Sabriel. I was unsure if I’d like the time jump and following new characters, but it worked well for this story. I liked both of the new main characters, Lirael and Sameth, and I appreciated how their stories mirrored one another. The stakes felt even higher in this book than the first, but it did all feel like set up for what I’m sure will be a great end to the trilogy. See all my thoughts in my review!

Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana – 3⭐ – This one was a pretty big disappointment for me. I loved the beginning of this book. The world was fascinating, and I was almost immediately invested in the plight of the main character. I loved the library setting and learning about the grimoire. Then it all went downhill from there. The pacing in this book was a mess, and the romance seemed really forced to me. The tone of the story felt inconsistent, and I’m not sure the author knew the audience. So much of the story felt YA, but then some parts were very much adult. It was just an odd juxtaposition that I didn’t really enjoy. I probably won’t be picking up the sequel despite being somewhat interested in where the story goes next.

What are you currently reading?

To Cage a God by Elizabeth May (22%) – I’m enjoying the premise and setting of this one quite a bit. However, it feels a bit too slow. Not a whole lot has happened so far besides the infiltration of the palace, which seems to be happening at a snail’s pace. I like the characters, though, and the writing is enjoyable. So, I’m curious to see where this one will go.

All That’s Left in the World by Erik J. Brown (43%) – This post-apocalyptic story has been good so far. It hits a little too close to home, though, with the pandemic still being so fresh. I like both of the main characters, especially Jamieson. I find his struggle to remain a good person despite the end of the world both endearing and compelling. I hope it doesn’t come back to bite him.

Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust (23%) – I made a tiny bit of progress on this one last night. I’m still enjoying the prose, but I am beginning to wonder about the point of this story. lol. It is just all very tangential and stream of consciousness without much to drive the narrative.

What will you read next?

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown, Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff, The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez

I hope you’ve all had a great week! What have you been reading? Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think? Let me know in the comments!