WWW Wednesday 27-Apr-2022

Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.

As usual, just answer the three W questions:

What did you recently finish reading?

What are you currently reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

Recently Finished

I enjoy Greek mythology retelling but I didn’t find Medusa very exciting. Given that the retelling is from Medusa’s perspective, it could have been far better. 3 stars. 

I came across Galatea, a short story by Madeline Miller who also wrote Circe. I enjoyed reading Circe so I read it without hesitation. It’s quite different from the original story, though. Interesting read but too short that I think it would’ve been better if it was made a novella. 3 stars.

The Future Library is a heart-wrenching short story (or novella?) and I can’t believe it’s actually a real thing. You can check it out here. It talks about nature, love and loss. Very intriguing but also very sad. 4 stars.

It took me three long weeks to finish Hell of a Book. No, it isn’t a bad book. I was actually hooked when I started reading it and I also think it’s creative. But somehow, I lost interest in some parts. 3 stars.

Currently Reading

I’m halfway through Young Mungo and I’m liking it more than Shuggie Bain but let’s see how the second half of the book goes. I’ve also just started with The Porcelain Doll and since I’m not an expert in Russian history/politics, I really appreciate how easy it is to get into it plus also very easy to understand.

Reading Next

Still on my next reads is The Book of Mother, I’m supposed to start with it but haven’t yet so hopefully this coming week. I’m also adding to it An Unlasting Home and The Overnight Guest.

How was your reading week? Have you read any of these books?

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Top 5 Tuesday – Books About a Death

Happy Tuesday, Homo sapiens! Welcome to this week’s Top 5 Tuesday!

Top 5 Tuesday was originally hosted by Shanah at Bionic Bookworm and now found its home with Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.

Books About a Death

The Graveyard Book is the delightful and scary story of Bod Owens who was adopted by the occupants of a graveyard after his family was murdered by a mysterious assassin.

The Book Thief is a beautiful and heartbreaking novel narrated by Death itself.

In Tuesday with Morrie, Mitch Albom’s professor, Morrie Schwartz, had been his guardian angel. However, they drifted apart as they lived their lives. Before Morrie’s death, this relationship gets rekindled.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich is a novella about the terror of death and Ivan’s fear of dying.

Looking for Alaska is a book about death and how people live their last days.

Quote of the Week

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.

~Aristotle

WWW Wednesday 20-Apr-2022

Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.

As usual, just answer the three W questions:

What did you recently finish reading?

What are you currently reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

Recently Finished

I’m not a big poetry reader but I love Ocean Vuong and Time is a Mother is his second poetry collection and I loved it. 4 stars.

Smaller and Smaller Circles is a fairly mediocre crime novel set in the Philippines. The characters were interesting though I think adding a little bit more of a backstory for Father Saenz would have been better. The ending was very predictable but that’s okay. 3 stars.

I guess I expected too much from The Diamond Eye because I enjoyed The Alice Network a lot. The book is still wonderfully written although repetitive at some parts. I couldn’t totally engage myself in it and I didn’t particularly like any of the characters. But overall, still a good read but somewhat flat at times. 3 stars.

Currently Reading

I’m having a hard time to focus whenever I go back to reading Hell of a Book. I’m not sure why but I feel like it’s not the right time to read it? I dunno but I’ll give it another try this weekend. Anyhow, I’ve started with Young Mungo, the second book from Douglas Stuart (Shuggie Bain). I’ve only read a couple of chapters but I think it’s going to be a great read.

Up Next

Up next on my reading list are The Book of Mother, The Porcelain Doll and Medusa.

How was your reading week? Have you read any of these books? Please share!

Top 5 Tuesday – Books About a Wedding

Happy Tuesday, Homo sapiens! Welcome to this week’s Top 5 Tuesday!

Top 5 Tuesday was originally hosted by Shanah at Bionic Bookworm and now found its home with Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.

Books About a Wedding

This week’s topic is not very easy for me so I had to ask my bookish friends again to help me out. 🙂  And here are the five books they’ve recommended to me…

Have you read any of these books? What’s on your list? Please share!

Quote of the Week

When you get to the end of all the light you know and it’s time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: either you will be given something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly.

~Edward Teller

WWW Wednesday 13-Apr-2022

Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.

As usual, just answer the three W questions:

What did you recently finish reading?

What are you currently reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

Recently Finished

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea was a charming and magical read. There were some parts that I got bored but it ended pretty well for me. 4 stars!

The Dinner Guest started with a murder but of course, a lot of twists comes with it and it definitely had me guessing until the end. I enjoyed this book but I can’t really pinpoint why I can’t rate it higher than 3.5 stars. Hmm…

When the War Came Home is a gentle, heartwarming story set after the war. I adore this book a lot and surely, I will be reading more of Lesley Parr’s works. I loved the ending, too! 4 stars!

The Younger Wife started out strong and surely hooked me but I wasn’t satisfied with the ending and I just cannot overlook how the men here are almost perfect and the women are a mess. 3 stars.

Currently Reading

I’ve read almost a quarter of The Diamond Eye but I am not enjoying it a lot. Maybe I have to read more? I did not make much progress with Hell of a Book, I’m kinda losing interest actually.

Up Next

Can’ wait to start with Ocean Vuong’s new poem collection, Time is a Mother. I also discovered Smaller and Smaller Circles out of nowhere and I’m intrigued. The Book of Mother is on my next reads as well, I’ve been seeing this all over so I hope to get to it, too.

How was your reading week?

Top 5 Tuesday – Books About Birth

Happy Tuesday, Homo sapiens! Welcome to this week’s Top 5 Tuesday!

Top 5 Tuesday was originally hosted by Shanah at Bionic Bookworm and now found its home with Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.

Books About Birth

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood – A feminist dystopia that objectifies women as nothing more than reproductive systems.

The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O’Farrell – Two alternating stories, one in the 1950s, the other 50 years later. An excellent portrayal of motherhood and a mother’s love (according to my friend who shared this to me and I hope to reading soon).

The Birth House by Ami McKay – Set in the 1900s in Canada, the main character is an apprentice midwife caught in the middle between old ways of doing things vs the new ways in terms of child birth.

The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman – This is the story of a girl without a name, without parents and without a home until the village midwife found her and made her her apprentice. Eventually, she was challenged to deliver a baby in the midwife’s absence.

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue – Ireland, 1918. The world is ravaged by the Spanish flu. Nurse Julia is in charge of a small room for expectant mothers.

Have you read any of these? What’s on your list? Please share!

Quote of the Week

Most times, even if giving your heart away ends in heartbreak, the risk was still worth it. Sometimes, that risk gives you little miracles. and sometimes, that risk gives you life lessons that allow you to grow and learn more about yourself.

~Max Monroe

WWW Wednesday 06-Apr-2022

Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.

As usual, just answer the three W questions:

What did you recently finish reading?

What are you currently reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

Recently Finished

The Authenticity Project has a good premise. It started quite well but I got bored somewhere in the middle and it started to get predictable. It’s not a bad read so I’m still giving it 3 stars.

The Strange Library is a quick read. I was not supposed to read it actually but I suddenly miss reading a Murakami. 4 stars for this little gem.

Currently Reading

I’m looking forward to finishing The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea. Unfortunately, I didn’t make any progress with Hell of a Book but I’ll pick it up again in the weekend. The Dinner Guest keeps me guessing so I’m excited to find out which of my guesses are right. 🙂

Up Next

I’m very enthusiastic to reading The Diamond Eye. I enjoyed The Alice Network before, also by Kate Quinn, so I think I will enjoy this one, too. When the War Came Home is another recommendation so I hope to get to it as well. And I’m excited to get started with Time is a Mother, a collection of poems by none other than Ocean Vuong!

How was your reading week? Please share!

Top 5 Tuesday – Anticipated Reads for April to June 2022

Happy Tuesday, Homo sapiens! Welcome to this week’s Top 5 Tuesday!

Top 5 Tuesday was originally hosted by Shanah at Bionic Bookworm and now found its home with Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.

Anticipated Reads for April to June 2022

Well, well… there are a lot of books I anticipate reading this second quarter of the year but the first five titles that come to mind are these:

Expected publication: 12-April

Expected publication: 05-April (Today!)

Expected publication: 3-May

Expected publication: 7-June

Expected publication: 3-May

What’s on your list? Please share!

Spell the Month in Books – APRIL

Hello, Homo sapiens! Hello April!

Spell the Month in Books time again! The idea is to spell the month in books using the first letter in the first word of a title and it was originally created by Jana @ Reviews From the Stacks.

This time, I chose the books to spell the month with titles that I was able to write reviews about.

A – Any Human Heart

P- Pachinko

R – The Road

I – Isla and the Happily Ever After

L – A Little Life

Quote of the Week

There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true. The other is to refuse to believe what is true.

~Søren Kierkegaard

What I Read in March

That was fast! The first quarter of the year has passed, just like that! And today, I’m here to share with you the thirteen books I’ve read in March.

5-Star Reads

4-Star Reads

3.5-Star Reads

3-Star Reads

Have you read any of these titles?

What did you read in March? Please share!