Category: WWW Wednesday Page 1 of 33

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?

This is the third (and, I think, final) “hey, what am I reading” kind of post for the week. If I’d planned better, maybe I could’ve broken them up more. But I didn’t. So at least I can move on now.

<img class=”aligncenter” src=”http://www.hcnewton.com/irrreader/wwwweds.jpg” alt=”The WWW Wednesday logo with the Irresponsible Reader pilcrow icon in the corner />

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 Devils by Joe Abercrombie	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	Some Sort of Justice by Peter Grainger, read by Gildart Jackson

I heard just a little bit of the alternate history involved in Abercrombie’s fantasy novel on Monday. That alone seems worth cracking it open.

I’m about 10% into What’s Next, and already I’m glad I finally stopped putting this off.

It took less than 20 minutes of listening to Gildart Jackson for me to be content in Grainger’s world again. Ahhh…

What did you recently finish reading?

Three Hitmen and a Baby by Rob Hart	Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line by Elle Cosimano, read by Angela Dawe

The latest installment in the Assassins Anonymous series is just as fun, action-packed, and full-of-heart as its predecessors. Hart pulls no punches here (unlike his characters, who are trying to avoid all that).

The Lucy and Ethel of amateur detectives are up to their usual antics. I think this was better than their recent excursion to Atlantic City, which tested my patience.

What do you think you’ll read next?

The Brothers McKay by Craig Johnson	Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen, read by George K. Wilson

This is possibly the longest that I’ve let a new Walt Longmire gone unread in years. Hope to crack it open no later than this weekend.

I’ve been curious about Hiaasen for ages. This just showed up as a new addition to my library’s audio collection. Figured I might as well try it.

How are you all starting the month?

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?

Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein	The Best Dog in the World: Essays on Love edited by Alice Hoffman	Unread: A Memoir of Learning (and Loving) to Read on TikTok by Oliver James, read by James Shippy

I’ve heard countless times that the movie is different than Heinlein’s novel. And boy howdy, everyone was right. I think I’m liking the book–but Heinlein had some issues.

I think I made the right call reading The Best Dog in the World one essay at a time–if I’d gone cover-to-cover, it probably would’ve taken a day, and I’d have been checked out for most of it. Still enjoying it.

I’m digging Unread–I’d like a little more depth and a little less repetition, but it’s still a solid read.

What did you recently finish reading?

Robert B. Parker’s Booked by Alison Gaylin	Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell, read by Ann Marie Gideon

I think Gaylin tapped into a big trait (some would say flaw) of Sunny in a solid way in this book that Parker and Lupica didn’t. It was a fun read, too.

Last week, I said I was picking up Cultish because of Mrs. Irresponsible Reader. I didn’t tell her that, though, which is good, because I don’t have a lot of good things to say.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Remington Platypus by Steve Nash	After the Fall by Edward Ashton, read by John Pirhalla

I’ve been trying to get to Remington Platypus since the end of December. Finally! (The BookTempter’s TBR Challenge is helping)

I’m a little worried that After the Fall is going to be one of those books that’s better for my eyes than the ears, but I want to give it a shot.

Have you been reading anything good lately?

After an annoying run of having to return library books before I can read them, I’m 3 for 3 this month (well, 2.2 at the moment, but it’ll be 3 in a day or two). That’s a relief–also, they’ve all been worth prioritizing. My wallet also appreciates that.

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 Photonic Effect by Mike Chen	The Best Dog in the World: Essays on Love edited by Alice Hoffman	The Final Vow by M.W. Craven, John Banks

The Photonic Effect starts out as Chen’s SF-iest book yet.

It’d be really nice if more of the essays about the love of/from a dog weren’t eulogies. Surely these people can talk about fantastic living dogs, right? (still, it’s such a good one)

Still early into revisting The Final Vow, but we’re just at the point where things are starting to pick up.

What did you recently finish reading?

Go Gentle by Maria Semple	The Arkadians by Lloyd Alexander, read by Words Take Wing Repertory Co

Go Gentle wasn’t as good as Where’d You Go, Bernadette (few things are), but it was much better than Today Will Be Different. So I’m calling that a win. I truly spent most of the novel trying to figure out where Semple was going next–and I was always, always wrong. Her choices were far better than I could’ve guessed.

The Arkadians wasn’t Alexander at his best, but it was plenty of fun.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Robert B. Parker’s Booked by Alison Gaylin	Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell, read by Ann Marie Gideon

It’s time to check-in on Sunny Randall.

I’m not really sure what Cultish is beyond the subtitle, but Mrs. Irresponsible Reader just finished it and told me I’d probably really appreciate it.

Okay, that’s my list–what do you have?