Weekly Reading Wrap-Up: 11 January 2019

Happy Friday! It has been a roller coaster of a week and while I’ve been reading loads, I didn’t manage to finish anything (I shall explain in a moment).  Things might get a little erratic here on the blog as Scottish Fiance and I get all of the planning wrapped up for our wedding (just over four weeks to go!) and chase down RSVPs, but try not to miss me too much!

I’m currently in the midst of the Off the Grid Readathon, so fingers crossed I have many more reading updates next week!

 

Books I DNFed

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge

One of the reasons I’ve not finished any books recently is the fact that I’ve DNFed two (!!) this week for different reasons. Stalking Jack the Ripper was a book I knew I’d either love or hate, and it turned out to be the latter. I can definitely deal with suspension of disbelief when it comes to historical fiction — that’s not my issue with this book at all — but the characters and story really have to work. I found Audrey Rose completely insufferable, particularly when she starts throwing temper tantrums in the middle of the book. She’s supposed to be this incredibly intelligent and logical young woman, but there was nothing in her characterisation to indicate this. Plus Thomas was kind of an asshole, as cute as he was supposed to be.  I believe I made it just over halfway through the book before setting it aside. I was promised murder and detective work, not childish characters acting foolishly.

The Twisted Tree is a book that I DNFed not because it was bad in any way, but because it simply wasn’t grabbing me. I sometimes struggle when contemporary and fantasy settings are meshed together, and while the book was creepy, it just didn’t quite capture my interest. I would definitely still recommend this book if you’re thinking of picking it up!

 

Books I am currently reading

The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Hanrahan

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

I’m currently only reading two books, aren’t you proud? My main read is The Gutter Prayer and it is completely blowing my mind. I think this is probably the most unique and refreshing fantasy novel I’ve ever read. I’m even taking it slow so I can absorb the whole story, which is very unusual for me. I’m just about halfway through this 500-page book!

Throne of Glass is my current audiobook, but it is on hold slightly because I’m going to buddy read it with the amazing Josie Jaffrey! I’m liking it well enough so far, but it definitely goes in the same category as The Selection for me — a hot dumpster fire of trashy fun. I don’t know if I’ll keep up with the series, but I’m glad I’ve given it a go.  And say anything you want about Sarah J. Maas, she writes such compulsively readable books!

 

Books I bought

A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood

In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire

The Wicked King by Holly Black

The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

The Warden by Anthony Trollope

I have a wide variety of books I picked up this week!  A Sky Painted Gold is one I am not 100% sure about, despite amazing reviews, so I grabbed it from my local charity shop. In an Absent Dream is a preorder and the fourth book in an amazing series. The Wicked King and The Dark Days Club are books I bought because of Emma from Howl’s Moving Library, and The Warden is a Victorian novel I have a strong connection with. I picked this one up in the Folio Society sale and it is beautiful!

 

NetGalley approvals

Slayer by Kiersten White

I’m working on watching/rewatching Buffy, having only seen the first two seasons, and was so excited to see Slayer up on NetGalley. It apparently does not assume any Buffy knowledge, so I’m going to dive in ASAP!

 

Off the Grid Readathon TBR

The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Hanrahan

The Armored Saint by Myke Cole

In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire

The Wicked King by Holly Black

An ambitious TBR?  Maybe. But I’m going to do my best, despite a busy weekend!  I did a video of my TBR and thoughts on each books, so check it out if you want to see more!

 

That’s it for this week. I’m really hoping that the readathon will improve my luck with books this month — two DNFs in a week is not great!

 

 

How has your week been for reading? Did you get anything new? Have you read any of these books? Let me know!