Jim did not return from his business trip until the middle of the week, and you can see my reading took a hit with his absence. A demandingly playful puppy makes it highly difficult to read. Hopefully, as we settle back into our normal routine, that will change this week.
FINISHED SINCE THE LAST UPDATE:
Holy hell. Gretchen McNeil’s novel is amazing – good, old-fashioned gory horror complete with messed up rules and an entirely unique premise. It was SO intense that I did something I have never done before in my life – I skipped to the end and read the last few chapters. Then I went back and enjoyed the story because I was not so obsessed with what would happen to these characters. Plus, there is a sequel. This fact is squeal-worthy in my mind.
Continuing my audiobook feast of all things Gail Carriger, I started her Custard Protocol series with much excitement and anticipation. Unfortunately, there are one or two continuity issues that bother me. The most egregious in my mind is the fact that Ms. Carriger changed the name of a key character. Rather, she starts using his real name rather than the nickname she used through the previous five Alexia Tarabotti books. Since this is an important character in this series, the change is jarring. The rest of my concerns have more to do with the narrator than Ms. Carriger’s writing. Moira Quirk picks up the series where Emily Gray left off, and you can tell the two did not discuss anything. Nor did Ms. Quirk listen to the previous audio performances. Her pronunciations of names differ. She provides an accent to a character who never had one. She adds levels of imperiousness to Alexia and makes her sound like an absolute harridan rather than the pragmatic and unemotional but loving woman she is. These changes were almost enough to make me want to stop listening, even though I chose to continue. I finish the audio and move on to the next one still not happy with the choices Ms. Quirk makes as narrator, but the story is still charming, and I love catching glimpses of Lord and Lady Maccon. Plus, they are fun and easy listens, so when I have to constantly listen in snippets, I can pick up the story where I left off even if having listened to a few minutes at a time.
Nicky Drayden’s new novel is just as quirky as her previous novel. I cannot say I enjoyed it as much either. There are shifts in narrator perspective which are abrupt and difficult to discern at times. Plus, the point of the story is not very apparent at times. You have to wade through a lot of detail to understand what point she is trying to make. Still, I continue to give her props for something completely unique as well as highly inclusive and diverse.
DID NOT FINISH:
Still going strong.
CURRENT READ:
CURRENT LISTEN:
NEXT UP:
August Review Copies:
September Review Copies:
Sigh.
So, what are you reading?
Oh my gosh, so many review copies! Transcription’s one that I’m really looking forward to, although I’ve had inconsistent results with reading Kate Atkinson. This Monday I’m reading a book about Little Women, which I’m enjoying a lot — I always forget how friendly and readable pop nonfiction can be!
Sigh. I know. And that doesn’t include my October list which is even longer. Thankfully, I pretty much stopped requesting review copies that have a post-October publication date. I realized I had gotten myself into trouble and will be spending the rest of 2018 digging myself out of it. Challenge accepted!