[media] Wednesday Reading
I’m a Book Depository affiliate, and will receive a small credit if you order from BD using any of the BD links below. There is no additional cost to you.
First Wednesday Reading of the year for me. My reading goals this year are pretty similar to last year: read at least 100 books, 50 of which come from my To Read list. My other goal is to sort out a library card here, which I still haven't done.
What I've Read
WILL OF THE EMPRESS by Tamora Pierce: Started the year off with a reread. I love the chosen family aspect of this series so much, as well as the way their magic works. Daja is the absolute best, forever and always. So much love for her.
CUPCAKES, TRINKETS AND OTHER DEADLY MAGIC by Meghan Ciana Doidge (Dowswer #1): (Amazon link because the ebook is free as of the date of this post.) Picked this up because someone mentioned it in one of their Wednesday Reading posts, and I liked it enough to pick up the next book once I finished this one. Basically, a witch whose powers are purportedly pretty weak owns a cupcake shop in Toronto, and her world is turned upside down when werewolves start to turn up dead and she's dragged into the supernatural investigation. The world building is interesting, but the main character is often incredibly (sometimes willfully) obtuse, flat out ignoring things around her. This is addressed a little bit in the second book, but I still found it annoying. There's a bunch of casual ableism and body image stuff, too.
TRINKETS, TREASURES AND OTHER BLOODY MAGIC by Meghan Ciana Doidge (Dowser #2): The main character continues to deal with the fallout of book one. The story opens with a really terrible scene about the white characters trespassing on Native land and a bunch of stuff about wiping out the indigenous people (with their secret magic) who respond, and even though the main character points out some of the issues with this, it really came across as badly handled. I really liked the rest of the story's adventures (even though, again the main character being willfully obtuse), until the ending, which wasn't an ending at all. I later learned that though this is a longer series, the author considers the first three a trilogy that completes a part of the story, and then the next three will be another trilogy within the series. I might have found this ending less frustrating had I known that going in, but I'm not sure. I may just be too harsh on cliff hanger endings.
INDEXING by Seanan McGuire (Indexing #1): Another reread for me. The second book in the series is just finishing this month, so I reread the first one in preparation for it. I actually found myself enjoying the first one a lot more on the second read; the first time, I found the main character incredibly annoying, even though her brand of sharpness and anger is generally right up my alley, but loved the side characters and the world enough to finish it. This time, I really liked Henry, and absolutely adored the side characters and the world.
What I'm Reading
LISEY’S STORY by Stephen King: Yes, I am still reading this. I really like Lisey, and I love the way her history with her husband unfolds throughout the story, in pieces and present thoughts and scenes set back in what she remembers, but it is really slow paced and easy to put down, so it is taking forever.
TREASURES, DEMONS AND OTHER BLACK MAGIC by Meghan Ciana Doidge: I think I'm at least going to finish the first trilogy. I don't know if I'll continue it after. We'll see how much annoyance at the main character's "quirky" traits (and my dislike of first person narrators) balances against the stuff I do enjoy. So far, the stuff I enjoy is losing out, but maybe once I'm done with the cliffhanger ending, I'll like it more.
What I'll Read Next
DARK ALCHEMY by Laura Bickle (Dark Alchemy #1): I'm trying to avoid buying new books this year, except for a few favorite authors, but someone recommended the second book in the series to me recently, and I bought this book immediately. It sounds like western + magic + kick ass women, and I am here for that so hard. SO HARD.
Originally posted at carlamlee.com.
This entry was originally posted at Dreamwidth.org with
comments. Read the original post there. Comment here or there using OpenID.
First Wednesday Reading of the year for me. My reading goals this year are pretty similar to last year: read at least 100 books, 50 of which come from my To Read list. My other goal is to sort out a library card here, which I still haven't done.
What I've Read
WILL OF THE EMPRESS by Tamora Pierce: Started the year off with a reread. I love the chosen family aspect of this series so much, as well as the way their magic works. Daja is the absolute best, forever and always. So much love for her.
CUPCAKES, TRINKETS AND OTHER DEADLY MAGIC by Meghan Ciana Doidge (Dowswer #1): (Amazon link because the ebook is free as of the date of this post.) Picked this up because someone mentioned it in one of their Wednesday Reading posts, and I liked it enough to pick up the next book once I finished this one. Basically, a witch whose powers are purportedly pretty weak owns a cupcake shop in Toronto, and her world is turned upside down when werewolves start to turn up dead and she's dragged into the supernatural investigation. The world building is interesting, but the main character is often incredibly (sometimes willfully) obtuse, flat out ignoring things around her. This is addressed a little bit in the second book, but I still found it annoying. There's a bunch of casual ableism and body image stuff, too.
TRINKETS, TREASURES AND OTHER BLOODY MAGIC by Meghan Ciana Doidge (Dowser #2): The main character continues to deal with the fallout of book one. The story opens with a really terrible scene about the white characters trespassing on Native land and a bunch of stuff about wiping out the indigenous people (with their secret magic) who respond, and even though the main character points out some of the issues with this, it really came across as badly handled. I really liked the rest of the story's adventures (even though, again the main character being willfully obtuse), until the ending, which wasn't an ending at all. I later learned that though this is a longer series, the author considers the first three a trilogy that completes a part of the story, and then the next three will be another trilogy within the series. I might have found this ending less frustrating had I known that going in, but I'm not sure. I may just be too harsh on cliff hanger endings.
INDEXING by Seanan McGuire (Indexing #1): Another reread for me. The second book in the series is just finishing this month, so I reread the first one in preparation for it. I actually found myself enjoying the first one a lot more on the second read; the first time, I found the main character incredibly annoying, even though her brand of sharpness and anger is generally right up my alley, but loved the side characters and the world enough to finish it. This time, I really liked Henry, and absolutely adored the side characters and the world.
What I'm Reading
LISEY’S STORY by Stephen King: Yes, I am still reading this. I really like Lisey, and I love the way her history with her husband unfolds throughout the story, in pieces and present thoughts and scenes set back in what she remembers, but it is really slow paced and easy to put down, so it is taking forever.
TREASURES, DEMONS AND OTHER BLACK MAGIC by Meghan Ciana Doidge: I think I'm at least going to finish the first trilogy. I don't know if I'll continue it after. We'll see how much annoyance at the main character's "quirky" traits (and my dislike of first person narrators) balances against the stuff I do enjoy. So far, the stuff I enjoy is losing out, but maybe once I'm done with the cliffhanger ending, I'll like it more.
What I'll Read Next
DARK ALCHEMY by Laura Bickle (Dark Alchemy #1): I'm trying to avoid buying new books this year, except for a few favorite authors, but someone recommended the second book in the series to me recently, and I bought this book immediately. It sounds like western + magic + kick ass women, and I am here for that so hard. SO HARD.
Originally posted at carlamlee.com.
This entry was originally posted at Dreamwidth.org with
comments. Read the original post there. Comment here or there using OpenID.