Wednesday Reading Meme
Crazy wind storm here today. We've got wind gusts up to 100km/hr. I've seen some footage of huge trees down & I've already lost my power once, so hopefully it'll stay on long enough for me to post this! I'm nervous about trying to work again with the possibility of the power going out again. The files I take have timeframes on when they're due and ugh. I'll think on it.
What I Just Finished Reading: Since last week I read The Book of Flora by Meg Elison and A Case of Possession by KJ Charles. Reviews below.
What I'm Reading Right Now: Nothing right now, since I just finished my book last night.
What I'm Planning to Read Next: I'm stilllllll waiting on my next library book to get transferred, so I may actually start The Chalk Man now.
14. The Book of Flora by Meg Elison
The conclusion of the Road to Nowhere trilogy finds a much older Flora living on an island and worried about news of an approaching army, and thinking back to what happened after her group arrived in Ommun after the death of the Lion in Estiel. It’s told in flashbacks to her journals then and current ones, with some prose mixed in, and mostly focuses on the issues of gender that were touched upon in the first book and expanded in the second. While this gave me a lot to think about and I am a big fan of character-driven writing, it did sometimes bog down the plot portion of the story and could tend to get a bit repetitive. The ending of the book almost put it into paranormal territory to me, and made no sense when related to the dark dystopia that had come before it. A rather disappointing ending to a great series.
Dates Read: February 06 to 10, 2023
Page Count: 324
4 out of 5 stars
Around the Year in 52 Books - Prompt 14 - with a con, deception or fake (14/52)
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 20 - read 20 books that are either set on water/water on cover/set in coastal town (02/20)
Challenge Factory Finish What You Started - February pick
15. A Case of Possession by KJ Charles
The second book in the Charm of Magpies series manages to be even more delightful than the first. Crane still hasn’t left to return to China, and he may just have to admit that his relationship with Stephen means more to him than he expected. Meanwhile, there’s a case with links to Crane’s past in Shanghai that also involves giant rats.
I was completely enamored with this tale (perhaps as much as Crane is enamored of Steph.) The mystery is interesting and I love Crane and Stephen’s relationship, and it all works because the setting is so beautifully rendered. The 19th century setting is the foundation through which it all works - Crane’s bossiness and his snark, Merrick’s loyalty and bluntness and sense of humour. And I loved Crane’s old friend Leonora, a badass woman in her own right - there’s a great throwaway line about how, in China, she “had once killed a cobra with her bare hands.” Definitely looking forward to the next book.
Dates Read: February 12 to 14, 2023
Page Count: 194
5 out of 5 stars
Around the Year in 52 Books - Prompt 48 - with an unusually large version of an animal (15/52)
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 13 - read 13 books set in a country other than your own (02/13)
Lost Challenges A to Z Covers - M Magpies (14/26)
Challenge Factory Super Series - “23” - 2nd book in series
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What I Just Finished Reading: Since last week I read The Book of Flora by Meg Elison and A Case of Possession by KJ Charles. Reviews below.
What I'm Reading Right Now: Nothing right now, since I just finished my book last night.
What I'm Planning to Read Next: I'm stilllllll waiting on my next library book to get transferred, so I may actually start The Chalk Man now.
14. The Book of Flora by Meg Elison
The conclusion of the Road to Nowhere trilogy finds a much older Flora living on an island and worried about news of an approaching army, and thinking back to what happened after her group arrived in Ommun after the death of the Lion in Estiel. It’s told in flashbacks to her journals then and current ones, with some prose mixed in, and mostly focuses on the issues of gender that were touched upon in the first book and expanded in the second. While this gave me a lot to think about and I am a big fan of character-driven writing, it did sometimes bog down the plot portion of the story and could tend to get a bit repetitive. The ending of the book almost put it into paranormal territory to me, and made no sense when related to the dark dystopia that had come before it. A rather disappointing ending to a great series.
Dates Read: February 06 to 10, 2023
Page Count: 324
4 out of 5 stars
Around the Year in 52 Books - Prompt 14 - with a con, deception or fake (14/52)
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 20 - read 20 books that are either set on water/water on cover/set in coastal town (02/20)
Challenge Factory Finish What You Started - February pick
15. A Case of Possession by KJ Charles
The second book in the Charm of Magpies series manages to be even more delightful than the first. Crane still hasn’t left to return to China, and he may just have to admit that his relationship with Stephen means more to him than he expected. Meanwhile, there’s a case with links to Crane’s past in Shanghai that also involves giant rats.
I was completely enamored with this tale (perhaps as much as Crane is enamored of Steph.) The mystery is interesting and I love Crane and Stephen’s relationship, and it all works because the setting is so beautifully rendered. The 19th century setting is the foundation through which it all works - Crane’s bossiness and his snark, Merrick’s loyalty and bluntness and sense of humour. And I loved Crane’s old friend Leonora, a badass woman in her own right - there’s a great throwaway line about how, in China, she “had once killed a cobra with her bare hands.” Definitely looking forward to the next book.
Dates Read: February 12 to 14, 2023
Page Count: 194
5 out of 5 stars
Around the Year in 52 Books - Prompt 48 - with an unusually large version of an animal (15/52)
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 13 - read 13 books set in a country other than your own (02/13)
Lost Challenges A to Z Covers - M Magpies (14/26)
Challenge Factory Super Series - “23” - 2nd book in series
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