Good evening, folks! It’s been a busy reading week around here, with the readathon today boosting my read count a little (okay, and short books helped there too). And I haven’t bought any books this week, though I’ve been putting together a preorder or so!
–WWW Wednesday.Chatting about Digging Up Armageddon and my Narnia reread!
–24-Hour Readathon. I decided to take part again on a whim. I’ve read 3.3 books so far and there’s a bunny pic at that post… *tempts*
Impulsive decision! I will take part in the 24-Hour Readathon tomorrow! I will not in fact be reading for 24 hours, alas: one, I’ve learnt that my sleep is too important to lose, so that’s 7-8 hours gone already, and two, I have work. But when I’m not doing other pre-scheduled things, I will try to read.
A speculative reading pile:
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (C.S. Lewis) [reread]
The Silver Chair (C.S. Lewis) [reread]
The Last Battle (C.S. Lewis) [reread]
The Steerswoman (Rosemary Kirstein) [reread]
Network Effect (Martha Wells)
Digging Up Armageddon (Eric Cline)
A Treacherous Curse (Deanna Raybourn)
Think of England (K.J. Charles)
That’s probably enough to be going on with… and goodness knows I’m likely to pick whatever I feel like in the moment, which means I could end up reading almost anything.
Anyone else taking part?
Aaand it’s time:
13:37: I’m starting off with The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, with the help of one very cuddly bunny…
Biscuit Bun always likes a good book!
And here’s the opening survey:
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? I’m in sunny(!?) South Yorkshire, UK. 2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Actually, it might be The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, because it’s so cosy and familiar. But Network Effect is pretty exciting too! 3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? I don’t particularly have snacks lined up, but dinner will be pasta carbonara and that will be tasty. 4) Tell us a little something about yourself! My hair is supposed to be bright turquoise but it always fades to this green. If anyone’s a hairdresser or very experienced with dyeing hair, feel free to advise me on how to dye over it with my natural darkish brown! (I love my turquoise hair, but I leave it to hairdressers. And I have plans for my post-lockdown hair that mean going back to my natural colour anyway.) 5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to? I’ve participated before but not for a while, because I don’t do well without sleep or with feeling obligated to sit down and read specific books. So I’m gonna be super flexible, and sleep plenty.
15:01: There, finished my first book. Not sure what next… but probably The Steerswoman, as long as Lisa doesn’t mind me getting on and finishing it without her!
16:15: I ended up reading The Silver Chair, and I’m finished with that. Now it’s work time, for around an hour!
18:07: I did an hour’s work and then I finished up The Steerswoman! I put A Treacherous Curse on today’s to-do list for the next book, so… maaaaybe that next? 2h35m reading, so far.
19:25: I’m about 30% of the way through A Treacherous Curse! Then I stopped for a stretch to admire my wife’s tidying efforts. It’s time for me to do some blog stuff now, and then probably dinner, and then back to reading as long as I still feel like it.
21:46: I’m now about 60% of the way through A Treacherous Curse, and I’ve read 3h49m in total.
22:53: It’s bedtime soon, but I did finish A Treacherous Curse! 4h35m reading in total, and four books read. Not bad, though two were short and I was already 60% of the way through The Steerswoman!
10:26: Well, I’ve slept and done my morning’s work, and now I’m going to start on Martha Wells’ Network Effect.
11:27: I read for half an hour and then got a bit fidgety — I’m only 14% of the way through the book, and I’m being so fidgety about books lately that “long” books daunt me… even when I love them. I’m going to see if I can settle for another reading stint, though!
Compared to prior readathons, this one has been really quiet in terms of interaction for me, though. It doesn’t really feel like as much of a community event. I miss that.
12:04: I got more into that reading session! 29% of the way through Network Effect now. I think I’m going to take a short break to do some of my to-do list for the day, and then rejoin for the last half hour.
12:47: I didn’t get back to it, so that leaves me at a total of four books finished, and 5h25m of reading. That’s a lot more than I’ve been managing lately, so yay!
It’s that time again! How is it Wednesday already? Check out Taking On A World Of Words to chat with everyone else who has posted what they’re reading right now!
What are you currently reading?
Fiction: I’m rereading the Narnia books. They’re just such a warm childhood thing, I couldn’t resist. I’m onto Prince Caspian at the moment, and a little annoyed I don’t think I can finish it up before bed. Then it’s The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which in memory is my absolute favourite forever. I wonder if it still holds up! I’m also still reading Laura Lam’s Goldilocks, and currently going “yessss science” about Naomi figuring out what’s up with her algae.
Non-fiction: I’m still reading Digging up Armageddon. It’s still doing waaaay too much gossiping about the archaeologists, and not talking enough about the archaeology, which is sad.
What have you recently finished reading?
Other than the Narnia books before this in the series, I read Love Around the Corner by Sally Malcolm. Cute, though the misunderstanding stuff is normally a turn-off for me. Another book in the series is actually also on Kindle Unlimited, so I might give that a whirl!
What will you be reading next?
Once I’ve finished rereading the Narnia books, I’m pretty much planning on plunging into a reread of the Earthsea books, in the lovely collected and illustrated version. Other than that, it’s anybody’s guess as always. I feel like I should be reading books that people have gifted me… but I’m trying very hard to ignore feeling like I “should” read this, that, or any other thing. I think most people who’ve gifted me books understand that I’m also getting happiness from having them in my TBR waiting for me!
Fiction: I’m still in the midst of rereading The Steerswoman (Rosemary Kirstein) for Wife Book Club. (Which is literally just me and my wife, but Wife Book Club sounds cute and funny.) I’ve also recently started The Ten Thousand Doors of January (Alix E. Harrow), which so far is lovely and keeping my attention quite well for something that I know will take me time.
I’m also partway through Laura Lam’s Goldilocks, which I should pick up for a few more chapters today. It’s on my Kindle, though, so I mostly read it on bath days.
Non-fiction: I’ve started reading Digging up Armageddon (Eric H. Cline), which is about archaeological work at the site of Megiddo. So far he’s going into all the drama about the dig headed by James Henry Breasted. It’s not uninteresting, but… I want the archaeology, not the drama about the archaeology.
What have you recently finished reading?
Fiction: Your Favorite Band Cannot Save You (Scotto Moore), which had a concept that interested me and just didn’t really reach me. It felt like it went all-out too soon and I didn’t get the tasty build-up I’d got on board for. I know it’s a novella, but still. The full review is on my blog already!
Non-fiction: The Rules of Contagion (Adam Kucharski), which was written at a rather opportune moment but is not really all about diseases — more about how disease-modelling can be used to shed light on other things that spread, like behaviours and computer viruses. Again, full review already up!
What will you be reading next?
I really don’t know. I’m really picky at the moment, even though I’m overall feeling better. As ever, I follow the Wimsey family motto: As my Whimsy takes me. I might even finish my reread of The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, the better to reach Strong Poison et al.
Well folks, it’s the weekend again! How’s everyone doing? I’ve had a few more review copies (are publicists going mad with power, just giving everyone books to make them stay home?!) and I’ve done a bit of reading, but not much. Still, feels like I’m getting back to normal a bit.
I got some book vouchers to help cheer me up, which both did the trick and flooded my shelves! This is just a selection — I might share the others next week!
Aaaand it’s Wednesday again, for a little while longer. Here’s the usual check-in!
What are you currently reading?
Non-fiction: I’ve circled back to The Rules of Contagion, by Adam Kurcharski. For a few weeks, it was too topical for me. Right now it’s just about topical enough to engage my brain with being curious instead of anxious. (As ever, all hail whoever once told me that curiosity is the opposite of anxiety; it often works, for me. If you think about it, anxiety is a protective thing that is keeping you from new/dangerous experiences, but on overdrive. Curiosity is all about finding out new things. Not very compatible!)
Fiction: I don’t appear to have much truly active right now. I’m still reading The Steerswoman with my wife (Wife Book Club!) but I haven’t really been making much progress. I’m holding her back! It’s a reread for me, but I really should try to catch up.
What have you recently finished reading?
I finally polished off Castle Skull last night, and I probably should have just DNFed it. I’m just not a John Dickson Carr fan, and his solutions tend to annoy me more than they satisfy. I really do not love his detectives one bit.
What will you be reading next?
Who knows? I did get my last book order from Portal Bookshop through, though: I now have Red, White and Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston, and that sounds really, really fun right now. (Concept: the son of a fictional female US president falls in love with a fictional British prince. Shenanigans ensue as they try not to sabotage anyone’s presidential campaign. Sign me up for this reality.)
Greetings, folks. It’s been a week. I don’t know what kind of week it’s been, to be honest. A weird one, but they all are right now. Let’s talk books instead.
Received to review:
I usually like Moreno-Garcia’s work, some with more enthusiasm than others. Looking forward to giving this a try.
New books:
From a friend. <3 Many thanks.
There should be more books here, but I basically just have tabs and tabs open trying to decide what books to buy with the book vouchers I was given. I had no idea Carola Dunn had written so many romances, for example, and I have no idea where to start.
–WWW Wednesday. Discussing What’s Your Pronoun? and Drowned Country, this week.
Out and about:
–Beeminder Blog: “Self-Isolation Strategies: Nikki’s Operation Safety Bubble.” This one’s all me, talking about how I’m using Beeminder to keep me healthy and sane during this difficult time. Some of it is generalisable to planning your life goals in general.
–Habitica Blog: “Behind the Scenes: Coping in a Crisis.” Habitica’s mods and staff worked together to create a post about how they’re coping with the current situation. And yes, I added a bit. Spot the Good Omens cameo in the photo of my bookshelves…
–NEAT science: “How do you define a species?“ In which I discuss the species definition, and when certain definitions might be useful.
Non-fiction: What’s Your Pronoun? by Dennis Baron. I’ve got a little bogged down in the history of invented pronouns, and it’s mostly actually so far about finding a gender-neutral pronoun for when you don’t know the gender of the person you’re talking about or are talking gender-neutral possibilities. The next bit I think has more about non-binary pronouns, which I’m more interested in.
Fiction: actually, nothing really actively. I still have Feed half-finished, and should pick it back up.
What have you recently finished reading?
An ARC of Emily Tesh’s Drowned Country.I enjoyed it at least as much as the first book; it makes a nice little duology, though I would happily read more adventures of Silver’s mother tearing around the country. I am not wholly sure about the end; it feels a little too pat, but also in a nice way.
What are you planning to read next?
As usual lately, I don’t really know. I’d like to finish or finally DNF Castle Skull (John Dickson Carr) and Salt: A World History (Mark Kurlansky), so maybe I will turn my attention back to those!
I said I’d get back to my normal format this week, but there’s not much to round up in the way of blog content. However, there’s plenty by way of books — yikes!
Received to review:
What a haul, right? Bless Netgalley.
New books purchased:
My eclectic tastes are well on show in this post, huh?
I’ll skip the books read this week as there’s basically just one.
