And some more great reads this week!
Kat: Because they were nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Series, in the past few weeks I’ve been reading all of Seanan McGuire‘s INCRYPTID novels. I also read the latest of Elliott James‘ PAX ARCANA novel, Legend Has It, Mercedes Lackey‘s Arrow’s Fall (just released in audio) and the first two novels of Tanya Huff‘s KEEPER CHRONICLES, Summon the Keeper and The Second Summoning (also just released in audio). And today I’m finishing up Andrzej Sapkowski‘s latest WITCHER novel, Season of Storms. Most of these books were entertaining, but none of them rates above 3.5 stars.
Marion: Educated, by Tara Westover, is a memoir that was featured on the PBS News Hour reading group. Westover was home-schooled in a very isolated “prepper” household (it would be more accurate to say she learned how to read, period); she studied for the ACT on her own, took it, and got into college, ultimately attending Cambridge and Harvard and getting a PhD in history. In the process, she lost her family. The book is dark, but light and optimism shine through. It was emotionally difficult to read at times but I recommend it.
I won’t call Christopher Moore’s Noir a palate-cleanser, but it’s hard to imagine a more different book to read after Educated. And I’m halfway through Book One of Michael J. Sullivan’s new epic fantasy series, LEGENDS OF THE FIRST EMPIRE. Book One is The Age of Myth.
Taya: Recently, I read a book titled “Thief of Sparks” by Erik Kent Edstrom. Again, it’s not mainstream. I’ve been on a non mainstream kick lately. The book is voicey and quirky in a way that I think works. I think I’ll review it on the site.
Terry: My reading is still all over the place; I haven’t finished anything I mentioned last week, but I’ve read quite a bit else. I tore through No Middle Name, a collection of short stories in the JACK REACHER mystery series by Lee Child, which was great fun. I reread The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell, a novella in the NEWSFLESH series by Mira Grant, which was suspenseful and in some ways even elegant, if you can imagine elegance in the context of zombies — I really admire Mira Grant’s writing. I started Marked by Benedict Jacka, the latest in the ALEX VERUS series, and The Ruins of Ambrai, the first in the EXILES series by Melanie Rawn. Finally, I’ve started My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris, which is on the short list for the Hugo Award for best graphic novel, and I’m finding it captivating.
My hope is that I’ll actually have some free time this week to make some reading progress — I’m falling behind, and it’s not a good feeling!