EPBOT Readers discussion

I apologize, I keep being super busy on Thursday/Friday and don't have a chance to write posts.

As a note, I have this group really open, so if you notice a post never gets made, feel free to start your own!

So the last two weeks I read:

They Both Die at the End - book that takes place in a single day. Normally I won't go into a book where it's obviously going to be depressing. I mean the title pretty much lets you know what you're in for. But I needed a book that takes place in a day, and people really seemed to like this. So I took a chance. It was so good, if so heartbreaking. I really loved it, even if I probably will never read it again.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - re-read of an old favorite. I had gotten an illustrated hardcover of this a few years ago and never got around to reading it. It was lovely! I appreciated that while it came out after the first movie came out, the artist really gave his own interpretation to the illustrations. It was different from the normal book art, while also not just looking like Daniel Radcliff, Emma Watson, Rupert Gint etc in illustration form.

The Tour - book set in the season you're in. I had a hard time finding a spring book, this one on amazon as an "Irish Spring read" and it was free with prime reading so I went for it. It was just ok. Also someone mentioned Summer in it, but I don't care, counting it.

Water for Elephants - book with over a million ratings on goodreads. Also a book with an elderly character for ATY. I remember this book being SO POPULAR a while ago. Don't really hear people talking much about it now, I can see why. It's not that it was bad, but it wasn't anything terribly amazing or special. I'm not sure why there was such a fuss over it, really. It was interesting, but not something that will stay with me forever.

Onyx and Ivory - finally finished the audio of this. It's not that I disliked it, but it wasn't a good audio book for me. 15 hours is hard for me to fit into my life, I was just so tired of listening to it. Also it delved into a lot of minutia that if i'd have been reading I could skim through. once I'd had it out for over a month and realized I still had 7 hours left I ended up nudging the speed to 1.25 just to try to shave a little bit of time off it. I'd consider reading the next one, but i'd have to find a physical copy.

Persuasion - book published posthumously, book published before 1950 for ATY. I really am not a Jane Austen fan, but I think i got through this one easier than the others I've tried by her. Still just ok for me, but I finished in a timely fashion.

Jane, Unlimited - choose your own adventure, ATY book from a polarizing or close call prompt suggestion (portal/dimensional fiction). I'm counting this as choose your own adventure even though that's not entirely accurate. The author wanted it to be choose your own adventure, but as she was writing and editing she decided the book just really wanted to be read straight through. So there comes a point where there's a major decision with five options, and the narrator picks one, follows it through and then it rewinds back to that moment. Each choice leads to a more fantastical option, it was really quite interesting. It did feel kind of like you read through the choose your own adventure part several times back to back, except there were nods to things that happened in other pathways that were coming out differently because Jane was in a different path.

currently reading:

How Long 'til Black Future Month? - this will be my book with a question in the title. Only read the first story so far, it was a little weird. But I've loved her novels so hoping it'll gather steam. Also from her forward, a lot of these are earlier writing to learn and practice for getting a novel published, and thus less polished.

QOTW:

Do you like having multiple books going at once, or are you a read one at a time person?

I generally have one book going at a time. I tend to get in a groove and don't want to jump around. However if I'm doing an audio book, I'll still be reading a print book. Occasionally if I'm reading something that's dry, or something like a book of essays or that's really emotionally draining I'll have a lightweight fiction book to read before bed or as break through the day. Although sometimes I end up getting too caught up in the fiction and just finishing that one, or i'm finding i'm dragging out the upsetting book too much and I just sit down and get it done so I can move on.

I've actually been reading a lot these past two weeks!

I finished Onyx and Ivory, which I really enjoyed a lot more than I thought I was going to. I'm very interested in reading the next book, now.

I read a fantasy duology (really one longer book split into two) that I absolutely adored: Clockwork Boys and The Wonder Engine by T. Kingfisher. I just devoured both these books, and loved them so very much. I am a sucker for heist stories and stories starring thieves and criminals to begin with, but then she threw in a slow-burn romance and great, fun characters. It probably isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it was exactly my sweet spot.

After that, I wanted a break from fantasy novels for a little while, to give myself a change to digest those last two books. I worked through some manga: Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 16, Noragami: Stray God, Vol. 5, Takane & Hana, Vol. 8, and Orange: Future.

Then, I went for some contemporaries, to get some more space from fantasy.

First, On the Come Up the next novel from Angie Thomas, whose The Hate U Give was a five star read for me. I didn't like this as well as her first novel, but it was still a really good, fun, important read.

For something lighter, I read The Bride Test by Helen Hoang, which I really enjoyed, although I liked it less than the first book in the series, The Kiss Quotient. There were some things I found problematic, like the heroine keeping important secrets from the hero, but all in all it was cute and sweet. And the author's note, of all things, made me almost cry.

I'm finally ready to dive back into fantasy, so right now I'm reading King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo. Now that I've finished all her prior series, I'm ready to start this. Not too far in yet, but really looking forward to finding out what happens to some favorites.

QOTW: I normally only read one book at a time, unless I'm reading something non-fiction or how-to for work. Sometimes if I'm listening to an audiobook, I'll juggle two, because I consume them differently.

I was back at Disney last week and then at my folks' for a few days, so I haven't had as much reading time as I like! But I did finish The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion, which I really liked - it had a whole new element of history in the second half that really drew me in, even though I'd already enjoyed the first part for different reasons. I really recommend it to any other Ya Ya fans, or anyone interested in women's role in WWII.

Since I finished that on a plane, I was limited to what was already downloaded as my next choice, so I read Mist, Metal, and Ash that I'd requested after finishing the first book a few months ago. It came in while I was traveling, so I decided to read it and return it so it could keep moving down the lengthy list of requests. I know a gave the first one the benefit of the doubt despite its flaws, but in this one, the flaws definitely outweighed the very cool premise - it's really disappointing, because this could have been a great series, but the pacing is odd, there's too much detail about some things and not enough about others, and the characters are too flat.

By the time I finished that one, IRL book club #1's read for the month finally had come in - and just in time, since the meeting is Sunday night! Luckily, I'm already halfway through Dear Evan Hansen after a single evening of reading, and it's definitely a page-turner. I've heard all of the music a million times, but haven't seen the show yet - it's coming here in September, so this is a good warm-up. Despite the book being based on the show (as opposed to the other way around), it really doesn't feel like a throw away tie-in - it's well written, and obviously a great story. I'm really enjoying it, and looking forward to diving back in tonight!

QOTW: I know I've repeatedly mentioned that I'm a one book at a time person - I get too mixed up if I've got more than one going! The only exception is if there's something I only have as a paper copy, I will generally continue reading other things on my phone/Kindle when I'm away from home or otherwise not near the paper book - but I try to avoid that as much as possible by having both electronic and paper copies of things (thanks, library!)

Only a little bit to report this week. Sometime soon I'll have different things to report!

I finished listening to Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia and started listening to book 4, Alcatraz Versus the Shattered Lens. My neighbor is away for the holiday weekend so I got a bunch of solo walking while listening to the book.

I am still reading Onyx and Ivory. There have been a few surprises and I'm sure more will come. It is enjoyable so far. I'm approaching 400 pages in.

I am pretty much a one book at a time person. I listen to audiobooks in a completely different way than I read books so having one (and only one) audiobook going at the same time I'm reading a physical book is how I operate. I do sometimes intersperse reading through a magazine while reading a book.

Here I go again, skipping multiple weeks and then dumping a big update :)

So, this month, I finished novels for these prompts:

Fool Moon Ravenclaw: book recommended by a Ravenclaw
and
Grave Peril Transfiguration: book about a huge change
Love me some Harry Dresden. Books 2 and 3 did not disappoint.

The Tao of Watercolor: A Revolutionary Approach to the Practice of Painting Luna: book about creativity or something unusual
I bought the book at a book fair because I like the author's art. I wasn't floored with her insight.

The Defenseless The Dark Mark: book with a dark cover
A free ebook from BookBub. Interesting premise, fairly by-the-book procedural that shifts POV between the investigators and the killer. Not sure I would seek out the other books in the series.

The Complete Emily the Strange: All Things Strange Care of Magical Creatures: book with an animal on the cover
I remember the character vividly, but I had never read her books. Some great art, one episode with a solid story, but a lot of mindless wandering in between.

Throne of Glass Gryffindor: book recommended by a Gryffindor
Way behind the times with this one. Enjoyed it quite a bit. Will read more in the series.

Phasma Professor McGonagall: book with a strong female lead
This was on my radar since it came out. I don't mind the story-within-a-story, but I was disappointed that her entire story is hearsay. I would have preferred getting inside Phasma's helmet.

So that brings me to 28/52 for the year, and past Harry-level completion (which is 24). Hermione, here I come!

Next prompt is my first ever audio consumption of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and something to fill the prompts of books that represent Ravenclaw or Gryffindor values.

QOTW: I read one book at a time, the only exception being when I have a physical book and an audiobook going concurrently.