Category: WWW Wednesday Page 1 of 33

There’s no movement at all on the audiobook’s listed last week and today. Which irks me a litte bit–for no clear reason. Hopefully that’s taken care of by the 26th.

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Seems easy enough, right? Let’s take a peek at this week’s answers:

What are you currently reading?

The Last Rift Dragon by Shami Stovall	Parks and Rec: The Underdog TV Show That Lit’rally Inspired a Vision for a Better America by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong	The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook by Matt Dinniman, read by Jeff Hays

Without realizing it, I tore through the first 52% of The Last Rift Dragon yesterday. I’m more than eager to see what’s next, I’m already hoping for a sequel, and I’m not sure I want the book to end as quickly as I think it will.

I’m having fun with Armstrong’s book, but oddly enough, I think I chuckled more reading What’s Next. Still, it’s a strong book.

I’ll likely finish the third Dungeon Crawler Carl book today–some of what Dinniman has done in this book…wow. And a lot of what Hays has done…wow again.

What did you recently finish reading?

Cold Iron Task by James J. Butcher	Good Eggs by Rebecca Hardiman, read by Alana Kerr Collins, Gary Furlong & Siobhan Waring

Good gravy, how’re things getting worse for our protagonists in each book of the series. Can’t they get a win sometime?

I’m taking so long with The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook is still the most recent audiobook I finished.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Wool by Hugh Howey	Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto, read by Eunice Wong

I know very little about Wool–it’s some sort of runaway dystopian hit that started off life as a self-published work and then got picked up by a traditional publisher. Between the title Wool and the fact that AppleTV’s adaptation is called Silo I halfway assume there’s some sort of agricultural bent to it. But I’m pretty sure that’s a mistake on my part

As I said above, the newest Sutanto is still next. I don’t have a lot of time to get through it before it’s due, so hopefully work cooperates with me.

How’s your reading going?

Another week, another WWW Wednesday. The end of my 20 Books is in sight–and thankfully, I’m having a blast with them. (we’ll see about the rest of my summer hopefuls next).

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Seems easy enough, right? Let’s take a peek at this week’s answers:

What are you currently reading?

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto	Magic & Mystery Collection	The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook by Matt Dinniman, read by Jeff Hays

I just started Dial A for Aunties at lunch today, and am laughing already. I don’t know where this is going to go, but it’s going to be ridiculously fun.

I should be finishing the Magic & Mystery collection tonight, and I’ve been very satisfied with it.

I’ve listened to 13 minutes of the third Dungeon Crawler Carl book, and am very annoyed that I’ve been in an all-day meeting today, and will be in it all day tomorrow (unless people get really quiet, really fast). So it’ll be Friday before I can make real progress in it. I’m kicking myself for those 13 minutes…I should’ve known better.

What did you recently finish reading?

Crownfall by Michael Vadney	Good Eggs by Rebecca Hardiman, read by Alana Kerr Collins, Gary Furlong & Siobhan Waring

Crownfall was almost as good as I’d hoped it’d be–and the last 100-150 pages are just fantastic.

It turns out that Good Eggs had been on my Goodreads “Want to Read” list for a while, so my picking it up last week wasn’t the fluke I thought it was. It was a good novel, not one that blew me away, but one I’ll recommend.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Cold Iron Task by James J. Butcher	Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto, read by Eunice Wong

Last year, when Cold Iron Task came out, I was so behind with ARCs and Tour reading that I loaned it to a friend immediately so it wouldn’t be around to tempt me. Then when I got it back, I was still so occupied by other things that I set it aside and never got back to it. That ends this week–and hopefully I don’t repeat this cycle next month when the fourth book in the series releases 🙂

Am I possibly overdoing the Sutanto? Yes. But when a Libby hold comes in, you jump on it. Hopefully this protagonist is different enough from Meddelin that I don’t OD.

Do you have anything good cooking?

Another chaotic Tues. evening/Wednesday has left me running late with this. Zut alors.

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Seems easy enough, right? Let’s take a peek at this week’s answers:

What are you currently reading?

Deadly Does It by Abbi Waxman	Magic & Mystery Collection curated by John Joseph Adams	Cursed Cocktails by S.L. Rowland, read by Eric Jason Martin

Given my experience with Waxman in general, and these characters last year–plus what a friend said about this–I know I’m in for a very good couple of days with this.

I’ve read the first two stories in the Magic & Mystery collection, and they were very satisfying. Consider me a fan.

Like Sword & Thistle a couple of weeks back, when my library added these to the catalog, I figured it’d be fun to revisit them. It has been.

What did you recently finish reading?

Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton	Me, Myself, and Bob: A True Story About Dreams, God, and Talking Vegetables by Phil Vischer

I’m not entirely sure what Crichton was trying to do with his debut. I really liked parts of it. But the whole? Um…er…I dunno.

Vischer’s memoirs about the birth, rise, and fall of Big Idea was interesting to say the least, but…problematic, too.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Crownfall by Michael Vadney	Good Eggs by Rebecca Hardiman, read by Alana Kerr Collins, Gary Furlong & Siobhan Waring

I’ve talked about reading Crownfall so many times without actually doing it, I don’t know what to put here.

Good Eggs was just added to my library’s collection. It looks low-stakes and generally heartwarming. Sounds nice.

How’s the August weather (and assorted natural disasters around you) treating you? Are your current books doing better for you than those?

Sure I drown you in posts last week, and just a trickle this week… yeah, well. I meant to do one or two others today, but my mind was mostly willing and my flesh was bone tired. So, hopefully tomorrow. In the meantime, I did manage to put this together.

There’s a story to go with that bone-tiredness. I should probably tell it to you soon. But, as the man said, “no time for love, Dr. Jones,” I’ll tell you later.

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Seems easy enough, right? Let’s take a peek at this week’s answers:

What are you currently reading?

Detained: A boy’s journal of survival and resilience by D. Esperanza and Gerardo Iván Morales	Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull, read by E.B. Stevens

I’ve barely scratched the surface of Detained. But it’s a promising surface. I mean, as much as a first-person account of a teen’s time in Immigration Detention can be “promising.”

Book Two of Fablehaven is off to an uneven start, but it feels like it’s getting the momentum going around the 20% mark. I’ve forgotten so much of this in the 16 years since I read it 🙂

What did you recently finish reading?

A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett	Monster in the Moonlight by Annelise Ryan, read by Susan Bennett

A Trade of Blood is my favorite of this series by Bennett. And I’ve counted the first two among the best of the last couple of years. I’ll try to get my rave about it up in a day or two. Fantastic worldbuilding (still), great fantasy novel, compelling mystery, some of the best characters I’ve read this year…

Monster in the Moonlight was a pretty satisfying read in this series–it moved a couple of lingering arcs forward nicely (a book too late, IMHO) and the mystery was well executed.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton

Here’s what I know going in about Eaters of the Dead: 1. It’s Crichton’s first novel, 2. Our Fantasy Book Club is discussing it next, 3. It couldn’t have won any cover design awards.

I just realized that I hadn’t thought about my next audiobook. Will have to find something.

How are you wrapping up the month?

The hot streak I was on at the beginning of the summer has cooled a bit (on the books only, sadly, not outside). But it was bound to happen eventually, and I’m not reading anything bad. Just not-as-good-as-I’d-hoped.

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Seems easy enough, right? Let’s take a peek at this week’s answers:

What are you currently reading?

First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston	True Romance: A Noir Anthology edited by Troy Lambert & Vincent Zandri	The Patient by Tim Sullivan, read by Finlay Robertson

I’m taking too long to read First Mage, and I’m not sure why (other than taking 2 evenings off to working through Utomi’s Forever Desert series…but that wouldn’t explain it). Hoping to finish it this evening, but I’ve said that Friday, Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday, too.

True Romance continues to be a good collection, even if the one I read last night was a giant disappointment.

The Patient is as good as I’d hoped The Cyclist would be, if not better. My parasocial bromance with Tim Sullivan is back on.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Memory of the Ogisi by Moses Ose Utomi	The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst, read by Soneela Nankani

Utomi is…okay I don’t know how to put this. He’s easily the most efficient writer I’ve read this year. He can put as much into 100 pages as some people do in 350. And it’s all good.

Huh. I guess I knew how to say it.

Durst’s YA was fine–but I think I’ll stick with her non-YA stuff.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Asteroid Savage by Thomas Trang	The Daughters’ War by Christopher Buehlman, read by Nikki Garcia

I’m eager to try Trang’s SF (and the sequel that just came out, and the sequel to it that’ll come out in a few weeks)

I’m intimidated by Buehlman’s prequel to The Blacktongue Thief. I think I started it once before and bailed quickly (mostly due to time constraints). But I want to get it under my belt now so I’m fully prepared for the next book in the series.

How’s your July reading treating you?

Getting a couple of days off last week, and spending time in a hospital waiting room (surgery–not mine–went well) on Monday gave me a lot of time to read. I’m a little ahead of schedule now. Better yet, the books I’ve tackled this month have been universally better than I expected.

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Seems easy enough, right? Let’s take a peek at this week’s answers:

What are you currently reading?

The Lies of the Ajungo by Moses Ose Utomi	True Romance: A Noir Anthology edited by Troy Lambert & Vincent Zandri	Sword & Thistle by S.L. Rowland, read by Eric Jason Martin

Utomi’s novella will be my company for this evening. I’m quite looking forward to that.

I could use a little more romance in Lambert and Zandri’s compilation–but these short stories are intense enough that I’m not complaining.

My library has added some of Rowland’s Tales of Aedrea and I slapped my name on their hold list, I could use a little easy listening. So far, revisiting Sword & Thistle has been more enjoyable than I expected.

What did you recently finish reading?

A Murder Most Fungal by Adrian M Gibson

There’s no sophomore slump to be found in Gibson’s second book. That was something else.

What do you think you’ll read next?

First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston	The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst, read by Soneela Nankani

I cannot tell you how happy I am that I can jump into Johnston’s newest now.

I seem to enjoy Durst’s excursions into other worlds–now let’s see what she’s like on this Earth.

How’re your July reads treating you?

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Seems easy enough, right? Let’s take a peek at this week’s answers:

What are you currently reading?

Eyes of the Empire by JCM Berne	True Romance: A Noir Anthology edited by Troy Lambert & Vincent Zandri

Berne wastes no time in getting Rohan over his head with trouble in Book 5. And I’ve barely started it–I fear for our friendly neighborhood Tow Chief.

I’ve got myself another anthology to work through for the next few weeks. It started off with a bang, and I hope that continues.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Shadow Carver by Nadine Matheson	Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder by Rachel McCarthy James, read by Jennifer Pickens

This might be Matheson’s best yet–it’s at least comparable to her debut, which knocked my socks off. I lost sleep (some) and writing time (plenty) to this one.

James’ book didn’t live up to the humor or brilliance promised. It was on the bloody side, so I’ll give them that. Really, I finished it because I didn’t have anything else downloaded or want to start something so late in the work week (my employer is giving some bonus days off for the holiday).

What do you think you’ll read next?

Killer Vibes by Jack Friday	The Patient by Tim Sullivan, read by Finlay Robertson

I’m looking forward to meeting the supposed “laziest private investigator in Texas.” I expect he’s not, but it sounds like a fun contrast to those who are driven to action.

I’m taking a few days off work, so I’m not listening to any audiobooks over them. I think I’ll start with the third DS Cross book next week (barring a Library hold coming in and reprioritizing things)

What kinds of things are you reading to celebrate the holiday this weekend? (or read while you, like your furry companions, are avoiding the bombardment)

I’ve found myself staring at blank screens a lot this week and not filling them up with many words. I’m also really enjoying the stuff I’m reading, so it’s really tempting to blow off the blog and just read. Hopefully, this isn’t my only post today.

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Seems easy enough, right? Let’s take a peek at this week’s answers:

What are you currently reading?

Manitou by Glen Gabel	What’s Next: A Backstage Pass to The West Wing, Its Cast and Crew, and Its Enduring Legacy of Service by Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack	Fablehaven by Brandon Mull, read by E. B. Stevens

Gabel’s novel is not particularly the kind of thing I read often—but it’s compelling. I’d say there were a few too many characters in this book at page 124—but the mortality rate is high enough, I’m sure it’ll be manageable soon.

Well, I’m out of the Sorkin-era, and into the John Wells-era of The West Wing. So I guess I’ll be wrapping up this book soon.

I’m not crazy about E.B. Stevens’ narration, but it’s nice to revisit Fablehaven (the place and the book). I really can’t wait for the younger brother to mature a bit, though. I’m pretty sure I remember him doing so—I just hope I don’t have to wait for the last book for it.

What did you recently finish reading?

Eternal Blades by Vlad V. Imakaev	Ghalen by Walter Mosely, read by Dion Graham

Eternal Blades was action-packed fun. I hope I don’t have to wait too long for book 2. I also hope to get Imakaev interviewed here in some way.

I’m not sure I appreciated the place where Ghalen ended. But the trip was well worth it. I need to chew on it a bit.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Dead Men Don’t Play Fetch by David Rosenfelt	The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI: How to Think About Artificial Intelligence—Before It’s Too Late by Cory Doctorow

The worst part of a new Rosenfelt novel is trying to find something new to talk about with it. The best part is the reading. The rest is a problem for next week 🙂

Doctorow takes on AI. I expect this to be a downer of a read (and/or something that gets my dander up).

How are you filling the now-shortening days?

It’s time again for the Wednesday check-in. We’ve got some real winners here, folks:

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Seems easy enough, right? Let’s take a peek at this week’s answers:

What are you currently reading?

We Be Dragons by Michael Weitz	What’s Next: A Backstage Pass to The West Wing, Its Cast and Crew, and Its Enduring Legacy of Service by Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack	Ghalen by Walter Mosely, read by Dion Graham

We Be Dragons is a fun bit of historical fiction (I can’t stand to think of historical fiction set when I was a teen) with some fun fantasy elements.

What’s Next is almost as comforting as my umpteenth rewatch of the series. I’m taking my time and savoring it.

I’m going to try to listen to Mosely’s new one starting today, mostly because I have no idea when I’d get to it in print, and I’m vary curious. I’m not sure audio is the right format for me and this book, however. So, this could be a quick DNF without prejudice.

What did you recently finish reading?

Squeaky Clean by Callum McSorley	The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst, ready by Caitlin Davies

Oh wow. Everything I heard about McSorley’s book was bang-on right. This was so fun, so violent, so…I don’t know. I really didn’t know what to expect from chapter to chapter (page to page sometimes). Loved the ride.

The Enchanted Greenhouse wasn’t quite as good as The Spellshop, but it got the job done and was a very pleasant listen. Which means I’ll probably be back for more soon.

What do you think you’ll read next?

All Systems Red by Martha Wells	Fablehaven by Brandon Mull, read by E. B. Stevens

I’ve got summer reruns in my future. First off is the first Murderbot book so it’s fresh in my mind for the book club meeting next week.

Brandon Mull came up in conversation the other day, and it gave me a hankering to revisit the series (also, I’m curious about the sequel series, but it’s been so long since I read these with my kids that I have to refresh my memory)

What books are capturing your attention this week?

The last week and a half has found me fighting sleep almost every minute I’ve been awake–which hasn’t made for a lot of reading or writing. But the reading I’ve managed to do more than makes the struggle worth it. I’m on a great streak of winners right now–and hope it continues for a while.

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Seems easy enough, right? Let’s take a peek at this week’s answers:

What are you currently reading?

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman	What’s Next: A Backstage Pass to The West Wing, Its Cast and Crew, and Its Enduring Legacy of Service by Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack	Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen, read by George K. Wilson

The famed DCC starts off slow, not un-entertainingly. It needs to set up ground rules (literally) for the book/series. I think I’m close to finishing that part–and I’m eager to get to whatever comes next. I’m beginning to see the appeal of it all.

I feel like I could easily sit and tear through What’s Next in one sitting–despite the 600-ish page length. I’m glad I’m limiting myself to a chapter or two a day so I can relish it.

Hiassan has a lot of style and quirky characters. I’m really digging this.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Brothers McKay by Craig Johnson	Some Sort of Justice by Peter Grainger, read by Gildart Jackson

Johnson gave us one of the best Longmire novels this year. I was grinning throughout.

Grainger’s latest was more than satisfying. The only problem is that I’m going to have to wait another 12+ months for the next one.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Squeaky Clean by Callum McSorley	The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst, ready by Caitlin Davies

It’s been a while since I read about a morally grey Scottish police officer. I’m hoping McSorley’s DI Alison McCoist fixes that for me.

I’m dipping another toe into the world of The Spellshop. Time to find out if I’m a fan of Durst in general or just that book.

How’s your summer reading going? You have any winners?