Wednesday Reading Meme
What I Just Finished Reading: Since last week I read three books: The Ferryman by Justin Cronin, Under The Empyrean Sky by Chuck Wendig, and Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen. Reviews below. I also DNFed on The Dreyfus Affair by Peter Lefcourt. Within the first 2 chapters the horrible MC considers killing his puppy, slams said puppy across the room for enthusiastically greeting him at the door, and can't tell his 8 year old twin daughters apart. I HATED this guy.
What I'm Reading Right Now: I just started The Two Lila Bennetts by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke.
What I'm Planning To Read Next: I'm trying to finish off my reading challenges that have only one or two prompts left with books on my Want To Read list, so I think it'll be either My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix, Empty Graves: Tales of the Living Dead by Jonathan Maberry, or something by Linwood Barclay.
54. The Ferryman by Justin Cronin
In the near-ish future, humankind has concluded its mess of destroying the world and Earth is in the midst of an extinction-level event. However, a group of people are protected from the chaos on the island of Prospera, where they live out their days blissfully unaware. But the ‘support staff’ that live in squalor on the island Annex have just about had it up to here, and things are about to change.
I absolutely loved the first three-quarters of this book. I was completely invested in the characters and the twists and turns of the plotline. And though the general idea of the big reveal at the end was fairly well telegraphed and I knew to expect it, I did find that that last one-quarter ruined a lot of the book for me. This is like a book within a book,and one story was simply far more compelling than the other. I ended up completely disappointed.
Dates Read: May 15 to 17, 2023
Page Count: 538
3 out of 5 stars
Around the Year in 52 Books - Prompt 51 - published in 2023 (49/52)
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 16 - read 16 books from your favourite genre (06/16)
Challenge Factory Dusty Bookshelf - May pick
Crazy Challenge Connection Aaah Walkers - Prompt 3 - a book with 1 or 3 in total page count (03/52)
55. Under The Empyrean Sky by Chuck Wendig
In a future totalitarian state, Empyreans live in skybound flotillas while Heartlanders suffer through genetic mutations on Earth, which is blighted by an aggressive corn crop that is somewhat carnivorous and that they are forced to tend. Young Cael, a scavenger, dreams of earning enough money to buy his way into a better life, but his friends are skeptical. Then they discover something that changes everything.
This is a sparkling YA book that, after some initial setup of the landscape, chugs along at an energetic pace. The characters are nicely fleshed out and realistic - perhaps a bit too realistic in the MC, Cael, who lashes out as his would-be girlfriend Gwennie in a fashion that is far too common, and I wish there’d been some fall-out for that - and the world-building is phenomenal. I could hear the corn whispering in the wind… and perhaps sending out a squirming tendril to scratch and bite.
Dates Read: May 20 to 21, 2023
Page Count:368
5 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 17 - read 17 books that have an E in the title (11/17)
LJ Book Bingo - recced by gilda_elise (09/12)
Challenge Factory Give Me Five pick
Crazy Challenge Connection Aaah Walkers - Prompt 04 - read book 1 to 4 in a series (04/52)
56. Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen
Andy Mills is a gay detective in 1952 San Francisco. He’s just been outed on the force, ridiculed and fired when he’s hired by a rather eccentric family to investigate the death of their matriarch. At Lavender House, their remote property, the family and their staff are all gay, and it’s the one place where they can be free to be themselves.
This was a really good book on many levels. It was an eye-opening look at what life was like for queer people pre-Stonewall, and I have no doubt the awful things that happen or are discussed in this book actually occurred. The ignorance and hatefulness of some of the straight characters is balanced by Andy’s shifting viewpoints as he slowly realizes how trapped he was in his old life, and by the supporting characters whose stories both match and contrast his own. I particularly loved Pat and his wise words and gentle manner. It features one of my favourite themes of found family, and the mystery itself was really interesting, with multiple possible killers and intriguing backstories. The author also absolutely nails the setting and the tone. All in all, a great read.
Dates Read: May 21 to 23, 2023
Page Count: 320
5 out of 5 stars
Around The Year in 52 Books - Prompt 26 - related to pride (50/52)
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 14 - read 14 books set in any state [California] (03/14)
Lost Challenges Tea, Coffee, Sugar Challenge - Prompt 07 - set in the 1950s (14/15)
Lost Challenges Want To Read Bingo - G47 (05/25)
Crazy Challenge Connection Aaah Walkers - Prompt 08 - a book where family is an important theme (05/52)
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What I'm Reading Right Now: I just started The Two Lila Bennetts by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke.
What I'm Planning To Read Next: I'm trying to finish off my reading challenges that have only one or two prompts left with books on my Want To Read list, so I think it'll be either My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix, Empty Graves: Tales of the Living Dead by Jonathan Maberry, or something by Linwood Barclay.
54. The Ferryman by Justin Cronin
In the near-ish future, humankind has concluded its mess of destroying the world and Earth is in the midst of an extinction-level event. However, a group of people are protected from the chaos on the island of Prospera, where they live out their days blissfully unaware. But the ‘support staff’ that live in squalor on the island Annex have just about had it up to here, and things are about to change.
I absolutely loved the first three-quarters of this book. I was completely invested in the characters and the twists and turns of the plotline. And though the general idea of the big reveal at the end was fairly well telegraphed and I knew to expect it, I did find that that last one-quarter ruined a lot of the book for me. This is like a book within a book,and one story was simply far more compelling than the other. I ended up completely disappointed.
Dates Read: May 15 to 17, 2023
Page Count: 538
3 out of 5 stars
Around the Year in 52 Books - Prompt 51 - published in 2023 (49/52)
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 16 - read 16 books from your favourite genre (06/16)
Challenge Factory Dusty Bookshelf - May pick
Crazy Challenge Connection Aaah Walkers - Prompt 3 - a book with 1 or 3 in total page count (03/52)
55. Under The Empyrean Sky by Chuck Wendig
In a future totalitarian state, Empyreans live in skybound flotillas while Heartlanders suffer through genetic mutations on Earth, which is blighted by an aggressive corn crop that is somewhat carnivorous and that they are forced to tend. Young Cael, a scavenger, dreams of earning enough money to buy his way into a better life, but his friends are skeptical. Then they discover something that changes everything.
This is a sparkling YA book that, after some initial setup of the landscape, chugs along at an energetic pace. The characters are nicely fleshed out and realistic - perhaps a bit too realistic in the MC, Cael, who lashes out as his would-be girlfriend Gwennie in a fashion that is far too common, and I wish there’d been some fall-out for that - and the world-building is phenomenal. I could hear the corn whispering in the wind… and perhaps sending out a squirming tendril to scratch and bite.
Dates Read: May 20 to 21, 2023
Page Count:368
5 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 17 - read 17 books that have an E in the title (11/17)
LJ Book Bingo - recced by gilda_elise (09/12)
Challenge Factory Give Me Five pick
Crazy Challenge Connection Aaah Walkers - Prompt 04 - read book 1 to 4 in a series (04/52)
56. Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen
Andy Mills is a gay detective in 1952 San Francisco. He’s just been outed on the force, ridiculed and fired when he’s hired by a rather eccentric family to investigate the death of their matriarch. At Lavender House, their remote property, the family and their staff are all gay, and it’s the one place where they can be free to be themselves.
This was a really good book on many levels. It was an eye-opening look at what life was like for queer people pre-Stonewall, and I have no doubt the awful things that happen or are discussed in this book actually occurred. The ignorance and hatefulness of some of the straight characters is balanced by Andy’s shifting viewpoints as he slowly realizes how trapped he was in his old life, and by the supporting characters whose stories both match and contrast his own. I particularly loved Pat and his wise words and gentle manner. It features one of my favourite themes of found family, and the mystery itself was really interesting, with multiple possible killers and intriguing backstories. The author also absolutely nails the setting and the tone. All in all, a great read.
Dates Read: May 21 to 23, 2023
Page Count: 320
5 out of 5 stars
Around The Year in 52 Books - Prompt 26 - related to pride (50/52)
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 14 - read 14 books set in any state [California] (03/14)
Lost Challenges Tea, Coffee, Sugar Challenge - Prompt 07 - set in the 1950s (14/15)
Lost Challenges Want To Read Bingo - G47 (05/25)
Crazy Challenge Connection Aaah Walkers - Prompt 08 - a book where family is an important theme (05/52)
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