Wednesday Reading Meme
What I Just Finished Reading: This week I read three books: Spare by Prince Harry, Skyhunter by Marie Lu, and Lost Boy Lost Girl by Peter Straub. Reviews below.
What I'm Reading Right Now: I'm about 1/4 of the way through The Maze Runner by James Dashner. This is technically a reread but I read this so long ago I don't remember much. persnickett's main fandom is now TMR (though the movie version) and I saw the book in a Little Free Library so I picked it up and thought I'd give it another go.
What I'm Planning to Read Next: I don't know! I might put up 5 books at the Give Me 5 challenge and let someone pick for me.
40. Spare by Prince Harry
I believe him.
The stories Harry shares in this memoir are so heartbreaking. It took him well into adulthood to deal with the trauma of Diana’s death, and why not? Maintaining appearances is more important in the Royal Family than simple human compassion. I can’t imagine growing up in a world where the people who are supposed to love and protect you corroborate with and leak fake stories to the press who are making your life hell, where physical affection is never shown, where there’s a hierarchy in every interaction.
One moment in particular stood out to me. Harry talks about begging the palace to sue the papers that were continually lying about his family, and being refused. It isn’t until someone suggests hiring his own lawyer, and this is when he’s in his 30s, that he has the eye-opening realization that that is a possibility. To me, it likened the Royal Family to a cult. Harry knew no other world, and he’d been so indoctrinated into its rules that he didn’t even realize that he could think outside the box.
Dates Read: April 17 to 21, 2023
Page Count: 410
5 out of 5 stars
Around The Year in 52 Books - Prompt 30 - related to a chess piece (39/40)
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 17 - read 17 books that have an E in the title (03/17)
Lost Challenges Coffee, Tea, Sugar Challenge - Task 03 - author with AR in name (07/15)
Challenge Factory Genre Roulette - Task 2 - read 2 non-fiction books (01/02) (02/15 total)
41. Skyhunter by Marie Lu
As an evil empire sweeps across the continent, Mara is the last surviving outpost fighting against the Federation invaders. However, only the natural born Marans are allowed to live with dignity behind the city’s walls; refugees huddle in shacks on its borders. The story follows a refugee who managed to make it into the elite ranks of Strikers, the warriors who fight off the attacking Ghosts, zombie-like creatures under the control of the enemy. Talin rescues a Federation escapee and together with her friends, they may have found a way to end the war for good.
This was a fun and rousing novel. The Strikers struggle with built-in animosity toward the Federation; the refugees find it hard to trust Strikers or Marans. In this backdrop secrets are discovered and connections are formed. I love the found family trope and this book has it in spades. There’s some great adventure and well-written action scenes, and I loved all the characters (though I realllly need more Jeran and Aramin.)
Yes, you do have to hand-wave some of the plot points a little (Adena is really a miracle worker with her mad science skillz) but I can happily do that when I’m on a rollicking ride like this one. This is the first book of two so it does end on a cliffhanger, and I’m eager to get to the sequel. Hopefully soon!
Dates Read: April 22 to 23, 2023
Page Count: 371
5 out of 5 stars
Around the Year in 52 Books - Prompt 21 - Asian diaspora author (40/52)
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 17 - read 17 books with an “E” in the title (04/17)
Lost Challenges Coffee, Tea, Sugar Challenge - Task 12 - colorful cover (08/15)
Challenge Factory Finish What You Started - April pick
Challenge Factory Genre Roulette - Task 5 - read 5 books tagged ‘fantasy’ (03/15) (04/15 total)
Challenge Factory Super Series - Spot 103 - first book in series Challenge Complete!
LJ Book Bingo - recced by under_the_silk_tree (06/12)
42. Lost Boy Lost Girl by Peter Straub
A writer returns to his home town when his sister-in-law commits suicide and his nephew Mark goes missing. In what I believe may be typical Straub fashion, this one mixes the pragmatic and the paranormal. There’s both a haunted house/supernatural presence and a child murdering pedophile, and how the two mix and match is where the story shines. In flashbacks we discover what Mark and his friend Jimbo discover that puts the events in motion.
Straub was, of course, a supremely talented writer, and this book had me staying up until 3:30am to finish it. The reader is never quite sure if it’s the paranormal or the real world at play, and there are some genuinely creepy moments. But ultimately the ending was a little disappointing. Some of the revelations just didn’t match up to me, and it felt like Straub was going for a happy/hopeful ending that I thought was anything but.
Dates Read: April 23 to 24, 2023
Page Count: 336
4 out of 5 stars
Around The Year in 52 Books - Prompt 37 - theme of returning home
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 13 - read 13 books that take place in a country other than your own [USA] (11/13)
Challenge Factory Dusty Bookshelf- April pick
Challenge Factory Genre Roulette - Task 5 - read 5 books tagged ‘fantasy’ (03/05) (04/15 total)
.
What I'm Reading Right Now: I'm about 1/4 of the way through The Maze Runner by James Dashner. This is technically a reread but I read this so long ago I don't remember much. persnickett's main fandom is now TMR (though the movie version) and I saw the book in a Little Free Library so I picked it up and thought I'd give it another go.
What I'm Planning to Read Next: I don't know! I might put up 5 books at the Give Me 5 challenge and let someone pick for me.
40. Spare by Prince Harry
I believe him.
The stories Harry shares in this memoir are so heartbreaking. It took him well into adulthood to deal with the trauma of Diana’s death, and why not? Maintaining appearances is more important in the Royal Family than simple human compassion. I can’t imagine growing up in a world where the people who are supposed to love and protect you corroborate with and leak fake stories to the press who are making your life hell, where physical affection is never shown, where there’s a hierarchy in every interaction.
One moment in particular stood out to me. Harry talks about begging the palace to sue the papers that were continually lying about his family, and being refused. It isn’t until someone suggests hiring his own lawyer, and this is when he’s in his 30s, that he has the eye-opening realization that that is a possibility. To me, it likened the Royal Family to a cult. Harry knew no other world, and he’d been so indoctrinated into its rules that he didn’t even realize that he could think outside the box.
Dates Read: April 17 to 21, 2023
Page Count: 410
5 out of 5 stars
Around The Year in 52 Books - Prompt 30 - related to a chess piece (39/40)
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 17 - read 17 books that have an E in the title (03/17)
Lost Challenges Coffee, Tea, Sugar Challenge - Task 03 - author with AR in name (07/15)
Challenge Factory Genre Roulette - Task 2 - read 2 non-fiction books (01/02) (02/15 total)
41. Skyhunter by Marie Lu
As an evil empire sweeps across the continent, Mara is the last surviving outpost fighting against the Federation invaders. However, only the natural born Marans are allowed to live with dignity behind the city’s walls; refugees huddle in shacks on its borders. The story follows a refugee who managed to make it into the elite ranks of Strikers, the warriors who fight off the attacking Ghosts, zombie-like creatures under the control of the enemy. Talin rescues a Federation escapee and together with her friends, they may have found a way to end the war for good.
This was a fun and rousing novel. The Strikers struggle with built-in animosity toward the Federation; the refugees find it hard to trust Strikers or Marans. In this backdrop secrets are discovered and connections are formed. I love the found family trope and this book has it in spades. There’s some great adventure and well-written action scenes, and I loved all the characters (though I realllly need more Jeran and Aramin.)
Yes, you do have to hand-wave some of the plot points a little (Adena is really a miracle worker with her mad science skillz) but I can happily do that when I’m on a rollicking ride like this one. This is the first book of two so it does end on a cliffhanger, and I’m eager to get to the sequel. Hopefully soon!
Dates Read: April 22 to 23, 2023
Page Count: 371
5 out of 5 stars
Around the Year in 52 Books - Prompt 21 - Asian diaspora author (40/52)
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 17 - read 17 books with an “E” in the title (04/17)
Lost Challenges Coffee, Tea, Sugar Challenge - Task 12 - colorful cover (08/15)
Challenge Factory Finish What You Started - April pick
Challenge Factory Genre Roulette - Task 5 - read 5 books tagged ‘fantasy’ (03/15) (04/15 total)
Challenge Factory Super Series - Spot 103 - first book in series Challenge Complete!
LJ Book Bingo - recced by under_the_silk_tree (06/12)
42. Lost Boy Lost Girl by Peter Straub
A writer returns to his home town when his sister-in-law commits suicide and his nephew Mark goes missing. In what I believe may be typical Straub fashion, this one mixes the pragmatic and the paranormal. There’s both a haunted house/supernatural presence and a child murdering pedophile, and how the two mix and match is where the story shines. In flashbacks we discover what Mark and his friend Jimbo discover that puts the events in motion.
Straub was, of course, a supremely talented writer, and this book had me staying up until 3:30am to finish it. The reader is never quite sure if it’s the paranormal or the real world at play, and there are some genuinely creepy moments. But ultimately the ending was a little disappointing. Some of the revelations just didn’t match up to me, and it felt like Straub was going for a happy/hopeful ending that I thought was anything but.
Dates Read: April 23 to 24, 2023
Page Count: 336
4 out of 5 stars
Around The Year in 52 Books - Prompt 37 - theme of returning home
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 13 - read 13 books that take place in a country other than your own [USA] (11/13)
Challenge Factory Dusty Bookshelf- April pick
Challenge Factory Genre Roulette - Task 5 - read 5 books tagged ‘fantasy’ (03/05) (04/15 total)
.