What I Just Finished Reading: Three books this week, but alas two of them were stinkers. I read Allison Hewitt is Trapped by Madeleine Roux, A Symphony of Echoes by Jodi Taylor, and In The Great Quiet by Laura Vogt. Reviews below.

What I'm Reading Right Now: I just finished the Vogt book, so I'll start my next one tomorrow.

What I'm Planning to Read Next: I still didn't get to Mickey, the cat non-fiction book, but I'm kind of feeling T. Kingfisher right now. Paladin's Grace might be up next.

( 90. Allison Hewitt is Trapped by Madeleine RouxCollapse )

( 91. A Symphony of Echoes by Jodi TaylorCollapse )

( 92. In The Great Quiet by Laura VogtCollapse )
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This has been a weird week. I pulled something, I guess, in my neck or shoulder area because I can't sleep for more than 2.5 hours without waking in pain. I usually sleep sitting up/slouching/lounging in my big chaise because my bed is shit, so maybe I've cricked my neck doing that. It goes down into my arms so when I was out at the good thing of the weekend -- the library book sale woot woot -- I could barely pull my little granny buggy when it was empty. I slept on my bed last night and the shoulder/neck seems fine if I stay on my back... of course, after a while my lower back doesn't like that. /whine whine whine

The book sale was great, if long! It was in a neighbouring city so it took me 1.5 hours to get there (a walk to the bus stop plus 2 buses) and then the wait to get in was 1 hour and 10 minutes. I spent my time almost entirely at the .25 paperback tables because by the time I got in I was just too sore to move around. (I know, /whine whine whine some more.) I ended up with 17 books for $4.00!

In retrospect I realized that I should have just shoved anything that looked halfway decent into my bag and walked out of there with 50 books, it was just that much of a steal. Lesson learned for next year. ALSO, when I was waiting for my return bus at the stop I could still see the line, which by then was only about a 15 minute wait. Another lesson learned, next year go a little bit later.

Anyway, Wednesday Reading Meme:

What I Just Finished Reading: Only two books this week: The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick and Escape! by Stephen Fishbach. Reviews below.

What I'm Reading Right Now: I'm about halfway through Allison Hewitt is Trapped by Madeleine Roux, which started out fun and a bit different but is a bit of a slog right now. Hoping it'll pick up again.

What I'm Planning to Read Next: I'm picking up four library books today, so I think it'll either be Mickey, which is a non-fiction about a cat, or First Last Kiss a m/m book in honour of Pride month.

( 88. The Poppy Fields by Nikki ErlickCollapse )

( 89. Escape! by Stephen FishbachCollapse )
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I've started a new challenge! Since my current ones are winding down, I started the Deck of Cards challenge at Crazy Challenge Connection at Goodreads. This one is a teeny bit different: each card has an assigned prompt, and once you have all your cards you have to work on the five in your "hand" before you can move on. Then once you've completed a prompt for one of the cards in your hand, you then shift the next card into the deck into that spot. Something new!

What I Just Finished Reading: Busy week! I read 3 novels, 3 novellas, and 1 short story. I'm busy today so I'm not going to list them here, but reviews below.

I also DNFed Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham. I know, I know, it's a classic, but I was sooooo bored.

What I'm Reading Right Now: I've just started The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick, about three people traveling to an experimental retreat that promises to scrub away your grief while you sleep. It's interesting so far.

What I'm Planning to Read Next: Next will be Escape! by Stephen Fishbach, who is a two-time Survivor player who had written a fictional book about... a reality TV show that takes place on an island. Hmmm.

( 81. And to All A Good Bite by David RosenfeltCollapse )

( 82. Gringos and Flamingos by Scott NelsonCollapse )

( 83. Unknown Caller by Lisa UngerCollapse )

( 84. Hot For Slayer by Ali HazelwoodCollapse )

( 85. Lift Me Up by Milly JohnsonCollapse )

( 86. Detour by Jeff Rake and Rob HartCollapse )

( 87. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall SmithCollapse )
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What I Just Finished Reading: Four novels this week: Cat on a Hot Tin Woof by Spencer Quinn, Where The Heart Is by Billie Letts, Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann, and Boring Asian Female by Canwen Xu. Reviews below.

What I'm Reading Right Now: The final (as of now) book in the Andy Carpenter series, And To All A Good Bite by David Rosenfelt. It's been 32 books!

What I'm Planning to Read Next: There's a short story/novella theme at a monthly challenge at Challenge Factory this month, so I've been trying to clear out the short stuff on my Kindle. So next up I will probably tackle a couple of novellas and short stories from there.

( 77. Cat on a Hot Tin Woof by Spencer QuinnCollapse )

( 78. Where The Heart Is by Billie LettsCollapse )

( 79. Three Bags Full by Leonie SwannCollapse )

( 80. Boring Asian Female by Canwen XuCollapse )
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What I Just Finished Reading: Busy, busy, busy. Five books (though two of them were short) and two short stories. I read One Year After and The Final Day by William R. Forstchen, Dogged Pursuit by David Rosenfelt, Crossroads by TW Piperbrook, The Doll's House by Lisa Unger, The Replacement by Liv Constantine, and We Burned So Bright by TJ Klune. Reviews below.

I also had one DNF, Chain Gang All-Stars. The concept was interesting: future American for-profit prison system in which murderers can choose execution or to fight gladiator style in hopes of release if they make it three years. But the writing itself was so strange. It felt like he was trying too hard to be different, both in terms of his writing style and his characters, who then felt like CHARACTERS and not real people. And then the author also used footnotes to explain the terms he was using instead of incorporating it naturally into the text. I just hated the style so much I couldn't keep reading it.

What I'm Reading Right Now: OMG YOU GUYS, CHET IS BACK! I'm just starting the newly released Chet & Bernie mystery, Cat on a Hot Tin Woof. Oh Chet, I've missed you so!

What I'm Planning to Read Next: I think next might be Where The Heart Is by Billie Letts, about a young pregnant girl abandoned at a Walmart.

( 70. One Year After by William R. ForstchenCollapse )

( 71. Dogged Pursuit by David RosenfeltCollapse )

( 72. Crossroads by TW PiperbrookCollapse )

( 73. The Doll's House by Lisa UngerCollapse )

( 74. The Replacement by Liv ConstantineCollapse )

( 75. The Final Day by William R. ForstchenCollapse )

( 76. We Burned So Bright by TJ KluneCollapse )
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What I Just Finished Reading: Another good week for reading. Trying not to stress over lack of work results in lots of reading time. Three novels, one novella, and a short story: The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances by Glenn Dixon, The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark, The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe, and The Cost of Living by David Moody. Reviews below.

I also DNF'ed The Summer Girl by Jenny Blackhurst. I got 1/3 of the way through and it was just overall bland. Bland characters, bland plot, bland prose.

What I'm Reading Right Now: I'm 1/3rd through One Year After by William R. Forstchen, a sequel about EMPs that explode over various countries and the aftermath. It gets a little bogged down in the details, but I'm interested.

What I'm Planning To Read Next: I've got three other library books out and one waiting to be picked up. I should really focus on one of those. Maybe The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick. We'll see.

( 65. The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances by Glenn DixonCollapse )

( 66. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard OsmanCollapse )

( 67. The Ghostwriter by Julie ClarkCollapse )

( 68. The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen PoeCollapse )

( 69. The Cost of Living by David MoodyCollapse )
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What I Just Finished Reading: Four books this time, and a 75% success rating. Woot woot! I read Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor, Exiles by Mason Coile, Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend by MJ Wassner, and Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson. Reviews below.

What I'm Reading Right Now: I just started The Summer Girl by Jenny Blackhurt. No great surprises so far, but we'll see what's in store.

What I'm Planning to Read Next: I've got the ebook of The Thursday Night Murder Club by Richard Osman on my Kobo and it has to go back to the library in a week, so I'll hop onto that one next. Then, over at one of Challenge Factory's monthly challenges, the prompt is "book under 150 words" and I happen to have 2 novellas and 2 short stories on my Kindle, so hopefully on the weekend I can get to those and really shoot that book count up. :D

( 61. Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi TaylorCollapse )

( 62. Exiles by Mason CoileCollapse )

( 63. Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend by MJ WassmerCollapse )

( 64. Furiously Happy by Jenny LawsonCollapse )
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What I Just Finished Reading: Three books this week: The Good Samaritan by John Marrs, The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths, and The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman. The Crossing Places is the rose between two thorns. Reviews below.

What I'm Reading Right Now: I'm about halfway through Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor, about time traveling historians. It's fun.

What I'm Planning to Read Next: I'm under a flood of books right now. Exiles by Mason Coile just came in on an ebook hold at the library, so I have to get to it next to free it up for the next person. Same with Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher, where a physical copy is just waiting for me to pick it up, also from a hold, also with people waiting. So those will be my next two for sure.

( 58. The Good Samaritan by John MarrsCollapse )

( 59. The Crossing Places by Elly GriffithsCollapse )

( 60. The Rules of Magic by Alice HoffmanCollapse )
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What I Just Finished Reading: Five books this week: Rescue Dog Tales by Mikael Lindnord, Happiness Falls by Angie Kim, Too Old For This by Samantha Downing, The Forgotten Book Club by Kate Storey, and The Onset by TW Piperbrook. Reviews below.

What I'm Reading Right Now: I'm close to halfway through The Good Samaritan by John Marrs. This MC is eeeeevil.

What I'm Planning to Read Next: I got 7 more books out of the library today.. it's an addiction. LOL One of the monthly challenges that I do has a prompt this month of "water on cover" so I will probably try to choose one of two that fits that prompts, either Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend or The Crossing Places

( 53. Rescue Dog Tales by Mikael LindnordCollapse )

( 54. Happiness Falls by Angie KimCollapse )

( 55. Too Old For This by Samantha DowningCollapse )

( 56. The Forgotten Book Club by Kate StoreyCollapse )

( 57. The Onset by TW PiperbrookCollapse )
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What I Just Finished Reading: Three books and a novella this week: How To Seal Your Own Fate by Kristin Perrin, The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren, Foster by Claire Keegan, and Happy Place by Emily Henry. Reviews below.

I also had two DNFs. Don't Let The Forest In by CG Crews is filled with overly florid purple prose. I gave up at 20%. And Something To Talk About by Samantha Baca is not the quickest book I've ever DNF'ed -- that honour still goes to Little Women -- but it did only take me two chapters. Just a cringe-worthy attempt at banter with absolutely no lead up to the characters.

What I'm Reading Right Now: I'm almost done a short book, Rescue Dog Tales by Mikael Lindnord.

What I'm Planning to Read Next: I think next will be Happiness Falls by Angie Kim. It sounds really interesting, and it'll also knock off two Goodreads bookmarks and a Gridlock space. :)

( 49. How To Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen PerrinCollapse )

( 50. The Paradise Problem by Christina LaurenCollapse )

( 51. Foster by Claire KeeganCollapse )

( 52. Happy Place by Emily HenryCollapse )
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