December Currently Reading ’21 | Blogmas Day 5

Five days of Blogmas down! Today’s post is about all the books I’m currently reading, the vast majority of them being buddy reads. Since a baby happened recently they’ve all kinda halted for a bit, but I’m back into it now, albeit a bit more slowly than before. Luckily all my buddies are understanding that I’m usually covered in some sort of human fluid and therefore read slower now. Thanks buddies.

Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie – This is my buddy read with Zezee @Zezeewithbooks! We’re a bit over half way through at this point and I gotta say I’m pretty invested. I’m enjoying this book more than the first one (which I also liked so woot).

Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett – This is my buddy read with Meredith @Allboutthembooksandstuff, and I’m also rather enjoying this one! Foundryside – book one – was one of my favorite books earlier this year so I’m hoping this one will be just as good.

Dracula by Bram Stoker – This is my current audio book! I picked it up back around Halloween for a spooky read and just kinda fell by the wayside with it. With all the buddy reads, this one should honestly probably go on the back burner list but eh. I’ll get back to it at some point.

A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L Armentrout – Another buddy read! This time with a buddy irl. The first one we both found pretty entertaining so we’ve picked this one up as well! So far it’s weird but I think I dig it?

And that’s it! There was another book I was reading on my own, but that has definitely gone to the back burner so it’s not even worth mentioning, as I haven’t touched it in like… weeks. It’s fine.

Til tomorrow!

January Currently Reading! ’21

Well hi! Today is my first post after Blogmas, and it’s what I’m currently reading!

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett – I’m only a couple chapters into this one, and I’m reading it with my buddy Meredith @allboutthembooksandstuff!

So far it’s definitely interesting, and I’m already picking up on some humor laced throughout the narrative that I really like. I’m hoping this becomes a new favorite!

The Book of the Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick – Technically I was aiming to finish this during the dead days – between Christmas and New Year’s – but I didn’t finish in time. It’s pretty good though. It has a nice rich tone to it that I really like.

Hood by Stephen R Lawhead – This is one of the oldest books I own. I’ve had it since I was about fifteen years old and never read it. Soooo I picked it up on audio book and am listening to it. So far it’s pretty decent. The writing at the beginning was a bit difficult to get into but now that I’m into it, I’m enjoying it.

And that’s it! I do plan on picking up another buddy read here in a couple days but as I’m not ‘currently’ reading it, it doesn’t make the list. 😛 So it’ll either show up on the wrap up if I finish it this month or on next month’s currently reading. We’ll see!

Happy reading friends.

December Currently Reading! ’20

Happy December! Today is my Friday, as I took tomorrow off work, so I’m hoping I get a good chunk farther into everything I mention today this weekend. And then next week, I have a full five day work week, and then a normal weekend, and then another work week, and then I’m on vacation until January 4th. I’m so excited.

This is what I’m currently reading!

Mogworld by Yahtzee Croshaw – This is my current audio book! Last month, I made a pile of books where I wasn’t sure if I wanted them anymore. So basically what I’m doing is I start one, read a chapter or two, and make a decision to either keep reading or just get rid of it it if doesn’t immediately catch my interest. This one was in that pile and passed with flying colors. I’m so, so, so entertained by this. It follows a magic student who dies immediately, and then get revived by a necromancer and then is really grumpy about it. It’s absolutely hilarious, and it’s probably gonna be five stars unless it randomly takes a nose dive.

The Moth Diaries by Rachel Klein – This is another one of those books on that pile, and this one aaaalso passed. I’m not 100% invested yet but I’m definitely fascinated and want to keep reading. It follows a girl at a boarding school who is convinced her classmate is a vampire… but she’s telling the story through journal entries that her therapist recommended she share, because she was diagnosed with some sort of delusionary disorder. So it’s fascinating. Is the classmate a vampire, or is her mind playing tricks on her? It reads almost like a gothic horror, it’s neat!

Renegade’s Magic by Robin Hobb – This is a buddy read I’m doing with Zezee @Zezeewithbooks! So far, I’m rather enjoying it. I’m not as emotionally invested as I usually am with a Hobb book, but it’s still pretty good. I’m waiting for this explosive emotional ending that I know is coming. She never ends books without making me go ‘;~; buh’. This is the third book in the Soldier Son trilogy and the last Hobb novel I have yet to finish. So after this, I think we’re gonna pick up Margaret Weis’s books. I just need something long and invest-y, man. I need it.

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin – This is another buddy read! This one I’m doing with an irl friend. It’s something we decided to start on December 1st (though technically I haven’t picked it up yet, bad Emily bad) as a way to celebrate both of us winning Nanowrimo (which we both did, yay!) I’m hoping I like this. I’ve heard good things.

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And that’s it for books. I did decided to do an instagram challenge for December, so those pictures might pop up in future posts – we’ll see. Though if you do wanna be buddies on ig, add me! (Shameless plug, shh)

Happy reading!

September Currently Reading! ’20

Happy September! This is what I’m currently reading!

Forest Mage by Robin Hobb – This is my current buddy read with Zezee @Zezeewithbooks, and honestly it’s putting me through a number. It’s such emotional turmoil! But weirdly I’m still liking it. But man, my heart.

A Dance With Fate by Juliet Marillier – This book came out on Sept 1st, and I picked it up right away. Me and a buddy read the first one together and we made a special trip to the store together to get the second one! And now we’re reading that too! So far it’s pretty good. I love Marillier’s stuff.

1776 by David McCullough – This is my current audiobook and a nonfiction to boot. I like nonfiction but I definitely have to be in the mood for it. Right now, this is fitting the bill! I’m a bit over half way through it, and am rather enjoying it.

The Wolf by Leo Carew – To be honest, I haven’t picked this up in a bit. I’m very hesitant to put it back on my back-burner list though – I want to finish it. Other books just keep getting in the way, particularly buddy reads where I have an obligation to put them first, y’know? But I am enjoying this, I just need to make the time for it. I’m hoping to get it done this month.

And that’s it! I’m also in the middle of a few manga series, but I’m not mid-volume in any, so I’m not including them above 😛 They’ll be in my wrap up at the end of the month.

Happy reading!

August Currently Reading! ’20

Happy Sunday! Today I’m gonna talk about the books I’m currently reading!

The Wolf by Leo Carew – I’m reading this for Finishathon, and today is actually the last day for it. Finishathon was kind of a bust – I literally just read this or not at all, haha. Welp, I’m rusty when it comes to readathons, so hopefully the next one will go better. I do intend on finishing this though – I’m rather liking it.

The Harp of Kings by Juliet Marillier – This book is not part of the readathon, which was my demise. I got farther in this than I did my readathon book! So far it’s pretty decent, and I’m hoping Juliet Marillier puts her characters through some nice development arcs. We’ll see!

Reamde by Neal Stephenson – This one I’m developing a love-hate relationship with. The story is awesome. Hell even the four page long tangents I really enjoy. I’m not a huge fan of the writing though, particularly the vocabulary the author uses. I’ll get more into that later though because I already know I want to write a full thing for this. Overall though, it’s decent.

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And that’s it! Short and sweet this month. Happy reading!

July Currently Reading! ’20

Happy July! This is what I’m currently reading!

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins – Picked this up in prep for reading the prequel that came out. As of writing this, I’m three chapters in. I’m rather liking it. Everyone and their mom has read this book so, no synopsis from me!

Shaman’s Crossing by Robin Hobb – This is the first book in the Solder Son trilogy, the last remaining series written by Robin Hobb that I haven’t read yet. It’s also the only trilogy written under this name that’s not part of the Realm of the Elderlings world. I’m buddy reading this with Zezee @Zezeewithbooks and we’re both rather enjoying it so far. It follows the second son of a second son, destined to be a soldier in a world set on the frontier. The main character Navare lives on the edge of the kingdom, where the Plainspeople of the unclaimed lands can be interacted with. The magic in this is really neat – shamans and spirit realms and all sorts of things. I dig it. As of writing this, I’m just over the half way point, so I’m expecting this to be complete by the end of the month.

Reamde by Neal Stephenson – This is my current audio book! This one’s a chunker. The book comes in at over 1000 pages, and the audio book is over 38 hours. I listen at 1.5 speed though, so I should have it done in about 29 or 30. This book follows a guy who creates a virtual video game world, and goes into economics of gold farming and yada yada. So far, the plot so far is really neat. The main character though is grating on my nerves. I’m hoping the audiobook will keep me interested – so far it’s the saving grace, hah.

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And that’s it! Happy reading!

June Currently Reading!

Today is almost June and it’s blowing my mind, people. This is what I’m currently reading:

The Blood Mirror by Brent Weeks – I feel like I’ve been talking about this one for ages, but I’m still chuggin along. I rather like it so I’m hoping to finish it this month.

The Inheritance & Other Stories by Robin Hobb/Megan Lindholm – I’m buddy reading this with Zezee @Zezeewithbooks and I’m bad because I was supposed to have it done today. In theory by the time this goes up it’ll actually be done – I only have about fifty pages left and I can knock that out in an hour. Regardless though, this is a short story collection and usually that’s not my jam, but I’m rather enjoying these. Probably because they’re Hobb-y.

If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio – This one is my current audio book and a bit outside my usual genre. I’m liking it so far though – the narration is compelling and the characters are interesting!

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And that’s it! I’m keeping my currently reading books minimum right now – my ‘main’ read, a buddy read, and an audio book. The format is helping me keep books from falling to the wayside and get stuck on the back burner for years. If you’ve read any of the above, lemme know! Happy reading!

May Currently Reading! ’20

Well hi! This is what I’m currently reading:

The Blood Mirror by Brent Weeks – This book is finally off the back-burner! I’ve been reading this for literally ages but haven’t actually touched it in so long. Well, now it’s the book I’m focusing on, and I’m determined to finish it.

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire – This is my current audiobook and as of writing this I have a bit less than an hour left. So far, this is pretty good I think.

Shaman King by Hiroyuki Takei – I’m not listing a volume here because my goal is to read all of them. I mentioned in my wrap up yesterday that I lent my sister all twenty eight volumes of Black Butler so I’d have someone to talk to about it, and it return, she lent me the 32 volume series of Shaman King, which… she loves and doesn’t have anyone to talk to about it. So we’re trading!

The Inheritance & Other Stories by Robin Hobb and Megan Linholm (which are… the same person) – This is my current buddy read! I’m reading this with Zezee @Zezeewithbooks and it’s the final piece of the Realm of the Elderlings world that we haven’t read yet. Well, a couple of the stories are – this is a short story collection, and I think one or two of them are tied to the Elderlings. And once we read them, we’ll be completely done with that world (physically BUT IT’LL ALWAYS BE IN MY HEART). I’m so sad, man.

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And that’s it! If you’ve read any of the above, lemme know!

September Currently Reading! | ’19

Happy September! This month I’m participating in Space Opera September, but I’m also doing a buddy read and also also reading manga here and there. So lots of books planned. These are the books I’m reading as of right now!

Caliban’s War by James S. A. Corey – Book two in the Expanse series, I picked this up to fulfill prompt four in Space Opera September: Read a space opera over 500 pages long. This chonker comes in at 595, so it’s perfect. I’m really liking it so far, which doesn’t surprise me, considering I consider the first one an all-time favorite. Speaking of, me reading this and gooing about it inspired my husband to pick up the first one. I about peed.

Anyways, goodreads synopsis of book 1, in case you’re interested:

Humanity has colonized the solar system – Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt and beyond – but the stars are still out of our reach.

Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon a derelict ship, the Scopuli, they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. A secret that someone is willing to kill for – and kill on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew. War is brewing in the system unless he can find out who left the ship and why.

Detective Miller is looking for a girl. One girl in a system of billions, but her parents have money and money talks. When the trail leads him to the Scopuli and rebel sympathizer Holden, he realizes that this girl may be the key to everything.

Holden and Miller must thread the needle between the Earth government, the Outer Planet revolutionaries, and secretive corporations – and the odds are against them. But out in the Belt, the rules are different, and one small ship can change the fate of the universe.

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Assassin’s Fate by Robin Hobb – Man, I am not ready for this. I’m buddy reading this with Zezee @Zezeewithbooks, and we’ve been slowly making our way through this world for the past three years. Sixteen books of Fitz, the Fool, The Wit, The Skill, Dragons, Wolves, and a hell of a lot of emotional turmoil. This is the last book, and I know it’s going to absolutely shatter my heart. I’m not ready I’M NOT READY.

With that, I’m really liking it so far. ;~;

If you are interested, here is the goodreads synopsis for book 1, allll the way back when Fitz was a wittle ting:

In a faraway land where members of the royal family are named for the virtues they embody, one young boy will become a walking enigma.

Born on the wrong side of the sheets, Fitz, son of Chivalry Farseer, is a royal bastard, cast out into the world, friendless and lonely. Only his magical link with animals – the old art known as the Wit – gives him solace and companionship. But the Wit, if used too often, is a perilous magic, and one abhorred by the nobility.

So when Fitz is finally adopted into the royal household, he must give up his old ways and embrace a new life of weaponry, scribing, courtly manners; and how to kill a man secretly, as he trains to become a royal assassin.

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Back burner books

The back burners are back. Basically they’re books I’m ‘reading’ but haven’t touched in a while due to a readathon taking precedence, getting distracted by other books, etc. I’ll get to these in October!

Sweet Filthy Boy by Christina Lauren

Weird title aside, this book is actually pretty good. The love interest is sweet and wholesome, which is lovely. I feel the main character is more or less developed as well, but let’s be honest: the character development was not these authors’ main goal. I don’t have much left in this, maybe 150 pages, so I should be able to finish it shortly into October.

 

The Blood Mirror by Brent Weeks

Despite the fact that I know this book is gonna get a 4 or even a 5 stars from me, it keeps ending up on the back burner. Unfortunately it’s hard to incorporate into readathons. But with book five coming out next month, it’ll be my top priority as soon as I finish all the space opera books. October will be a readathon-less month for me, solely so I can focus on this. 😀

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And that’s it! I’ve also read 11 or 12 manga so far this month, but as none of them are ‘currently’ being read, I’ll just mention them in my wrap up if they don’t get their own reviews. Some of them definitely will.

What are you reading this month? Lemme know! Happy reading!

July Currently Reading | ’19

Hello! These are the books I’m currently reading!

Windwitch by Susan Dennard – This is my current audiobook and I’m rather digging it. It’s the second book in the Truthwitch series, and continues immediately where the first book left off. I mentioned finishing the first one yesterday, and so far I’m liking this one just as much as the previous. The character introductions and developments so far in it are pretty neat. As of right now, I’m roughly 20% of the way through it.

The Blood Mirror by Brent Weeks – I restarted this book last month, after having it sit on page 270 for over a year. The fifth books comes out this fall and I wanna finish it before then. Rereading it though, at least the first couple hundred pages, was definitely a good idea. I forgot so much! I’m very much enjoying this – currently on page 54.

Fool’s Quest by Robin Hobb – This is my current buddyread with Zezee @Zezeewithbooks! This is the fifteenth book in Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings world and the second book in the final trilogy, Fitz and the Fool. So far I’m rather digging it, specifically within the last hundred pages I’ve read or so. The pace has really picked up and I’m hoping the two of us can finish this book this month. Currently on page 304.

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And that’s it! I’m itching to pick up so many books right now but I’m really trying to keep books off the backburner. I’ll pick up a new one when I finish the Weeks book. :”D Until then, happy reading!