It’s been quite the week. I did not get done quite as much reading as I had hoped, but two out of the three books were absolutely fantastic. Plus, I am three books away from finishing my May review copies and the books I have left are the ones I have been most anticipating. I am excited about being able to start June books in June. (It’s the little things.)
FINISHED SINCE THE LAST UPDATE:
Claire Legrand’s latest novel is fascinating but reader be warned. It is a difficult one. The story is complex and written in such a way that you learn about the world only in the context of the heroine’s situations. There are no paragraphs of descriptions or explanations to discuss the socio-political nature of the world. There are no history lessons to explain current events. If you miss a clue, then you are left not quite understanding what happens later. That being said, I loved it. Yes, it has magic and strong women, but I loved that we have to work for answers. I loved being shown and not being told anything. I loved being forced to put together the clues because it made the answers more rewarding. I am fascinated by the two worlds Ms. Legrand created and am very excited to see where the story goes next.
After reading some of the reviews for Elisabeth Cohen’s novel, I can see why reactions are mixed. To me, it reads like Jane Austen – heavily satirical. Very heavily satirical. As in, you have to take every word Shelley thinks and says with a grain of salt. The other issue I see with the novel is that unless you have experience working in the business world, you are going to miss a lot. The whole novel is mocking business buzz words and thought processes. If you don’t know them, you can’t understand why they are funny in the context of the novel. I personally got quite a chuckle out of this one because Shelley is the living embodiment of every business practice and thought process set forth by any so-called expert. She is not meant to be likeable; she is meant to make a point, which she does very well.
The sequel to Stephanie Garber’s magical Caraval series is everything I wanted and more. I want to crawl inside the pages and live in this world. It did take me a bit to realize that the story is about the OTHER sister this time around, but once I got that I fell in love. Hard. It has been a long time since I mourned finishing a novel, but I was seriously bereft when I finished this one. I want to go back and read the first novel again just to experience this world all over again.
DID NOT FINISH:
Nothing
CURRENT READ:
CURRENT LISTEN:
NEXT UP:
May Review Copies:
So, what are you reading?
Man, you’re doing an inspiring amount of reading. I had an absolute down week last week and read nothing whatsoever and it was terrible. I’m trying to get back into things this week though! I read America Is Not the Heart and I just just JUST finished this book called Asking for a Friend that’s a little history of advice columnists. It was fun!
That is such a cute name for a book about advice columnists!
I am trying to take advantage of a slower schedule and focus on reading. It helps I deleted all gaming apps from my phone, and the news is SO horrible that I am staying away from social media as well.
I read Caraval, and I remember enjoying it while I was reading, but it wasn’t too memorable after. I don’t know if I’ll continue the series.
That Furyborn cover is beautiful!
The second book is MUCH better. The story is actually going someplace, and I like Tella much more than I liked her sister.
I’ve got The Glitch on hold at the library. I was in the business world and all that jargon drove me insane, so maybe it will be a good fit for me.
Just remember to read it like satire, and you should be okay. Have fun!
I hope you’re enjoying the new Ruth Ware book. I still need to read Caraval. One of those books I bought the minute it came out and still haven’t read.