WWW Wednesday | The Third

Hello everyone,

Here’s the weekly WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. Go check out her wonderful blog!

Want to take part yourself? All you have to do is answer three questions:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What have you recently finished reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

Please be aware that it’s been about two weeks since I last did this so there are LOTS of books here! Bear with me. Maybe you’ll find something you like 🙂

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WHAT I’M CURRENTLY READING

Wizard & Glass by Stephen King (book 4 in the Dark Tower series):

BLURB:

Roland and his band of followers have narrowly escaped one world and slipped into the next. There Roland tells them a tale of long-ago love and adventure involving a beautiful and quixotic woman named Susan Delgado. And there they will be drawn into an ancient mystery of spellbinding magic and supreme menace…

I’ve been excitedly waiting to continue this fantastic series and so far it’s no disappointment. There was a time when I thought I’d never pick up a King novel, believing that the horror genre was not for me. Well, I’m really glad that I decided to try! This series is one of my favourites and Stephen King has quickly become one of my inspirations as well. I can’t wait to try more of his classic novels. For now, I’m delighting in these 🙂

WHAT I RECENTLY FINISHED READING

Innocence  by Dean Koontz

BLURB:

He lives in solitude beneath the city, an exile from society, which will destroy him if he is ever seen. She dwells in seclusion, a fugitive from enemies who will do her harm if she is ever found. But the bond between them runs deeper than the tragedies that have scarred their lives. Something more than chance—and nothing less than destiny—has brought them together in a world whose hour of reckoning is fast approaching.

I loved this book. Really. Really loved it! Until the end. There was something about that ending that just came out of the blue, straying far from the path I had expected the book to take. I would still recommend it, but take caution: the ending might disappoint.

Abby Hayes series by Anne Mazer: Out of Sight, Out of Mind; Everything New Under the Sun; Too Close for Comfort; Good Things Come in Small Packages):

Yes. Easy and quick reads they really do make me smile. I realized that the series continues past the ones I own. I also realized that they are no longer being published. Luckily my local library still carries them. Wonder what they’ll think when a twenty-five year old shows up asking for a kid’s book 🙂

Here’s the blurb from the last one I read:

When Abby and her new friend, Hannah, take charge of a class project to assemble gift packages for underprivileged children, one thing after the next goes wrong. First their teacher, Mrs. Kantor, must leave school for a few weeks. The class is stuck with a mean substitute who won’t let them work on their gift boxes. Then, after their kind principal intervenes and work on the class project resumes, Hannah’s baby sister unintentionally destroys many of the gift boxes. Working as a team, Abby and Hannah think of a clever way to save the day, their budding friendship, and the class project.

 

Merchant of Dreams by Anne Lyle

Book Two of the Night’s Masque series, sequel to The Alchemist of Souls.(to avoid spoilers, here’s the blurb for book one):

When Tudor explorers returned from the New World, they brought back a name out of half-forgotten Viking legend: skraylings. Red-sailed ships followed in the explorers’ wake, bringing Native American goods–and a skrayling ambassador–to London. But what do these seemingly magical beings really want in Elizabeth I’s capital?
Mal Catlyn, a down-at-heel swordsman, is seconded to the ambassador’s bodyguard, but assassination attempts are the least of his problems. What he learns about the skraylings and their unholy powers could cost England her new ally–and Mal his soul.

I can honestly say that I enjoyed this book more than I expected to. The characters are well developed, the plot flows well, the descriptions are vivid and draw you right into the setting of 17th century Venice. A decent steampunk with enough to it to entertain and delight. I’ll definitely be reading the final entry!

King Without a Kingdom by Maurice Druon (last in the Accursed Kings series)

BLURB:

The reign of the Capetian kings has ended and John II, ‘The Good’, first of the Valois dynasty, has taken the throne. But through the eyes of his Cardinal, Perigord, we see that a monarch, as vain and cruel as he is incompetent, now sits on one of the most powerful thrones in Europe. And so, under his leadership does The Hundred Years War commence, one of the most prolonged and bloody conflicts in history, as England and France tear each other apart. Warring factions plunder the land, famine threatens its people and the Black Death spreads far and wide, as France bleeds around the new king.

I have enjoyed this series. Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres and the time period covered through this classic one is one of the most intriguing. I was all set to devour this book. And yet, and yet.

Don’t get me wrong. I did enjoy the book. But it lacked the usual punch I’ve come to expect. Part of the reason for that is the point of view used to tell the narrative. The entire story is told through the character of Cardinal Perigord as he speaks to his nephew about the events of the past. It takes a lot of conflict out of it, coming across as a storytelling exercise more than anything. It was still a very enjoyable read, but underwhelming.

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman (2nd in the American Gods series):

BLURB:

Fat Charlie Nancy’s normal life ended the moment his father dropped dead on a Florida karaoke stage. Charlie didn’t know his dad was a god. And he never knew he had a brother.

Now brother Spider’s on his doorstep — about to make Fat Charlie’s life more interesting… and a lot more dangerous.

I have read American Gods, and I’ll tell you right away that you do not have to read it first. The connection drawn between these two novels has little to do with plot, but rather with characters. That being said, do yourself a favour and read both of them.

Gaiman is such an amazing writer. He takes you on such a ride with these stories, always inspiring with beautiful descriptions, fascinating characters and explorations of the human experience!

Of all the books I read since the last WWW Wednesday, Anansi Boys is my favourite by a landslide!

WHAT I KNOW I’M READING NEXT

Some Things Never Change by Anne Mazer:
Blurb:

In the thirteenth book in this popular series, Abby and her best friend, Jessica, are reunited after a long time apart. They find that they have each changed, and so has their relationship.

When Abby’s best friend, Jessica, moved away, Abby was beside herself. But time has passed, and the gap Jessica’s absence left in Abby’s life has been filled by new friends, especially Hannah. Jessica’s done a lot of changing, too. She calls herself Jessy now, and instead of baggy overalls, she now wears hip teen clothes. She even has a boyfriend!

What’s that about some things never change 😉

Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

BLURB:

Insurrection is in the air in Ankh-Morpork. The Haves and Have-Nots are about to fall out all over again. Captain Sam Vimes of the city’s ramshackle Night Watch is used to this. It’s enough to drive a man to drink. Well, to drink more. But this time, something is different – the Have-Nots have found the key to a dormant, lethal weapon that even they don’t fully understand, and they’re about to unleash a campaign of terror on the city. Time for Captain Vimes to sober up.

I can’t wait to read this next installment in the Discworld series. I hear VERY good things about this one. Not surprising. Terry Pratchett will always be one of my favourite authors.

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Remember to check out Sam’s post today HERE! And look for the comments there to discover other people’s reading adventures. Feel free to share here as well 🙂 Let the love of the written word flourish!

May inspiration flow like ink upon your quill,

Faith