Recent Updates and Currently Reading | September 25

I've been on a mission over the last few months to fall in love with reading again. I have never fallen out of love with it - but I've had so many obligations to the reading community for so many years now that I'm striving to get back to the purest form of reading what I want. I took the last couple of weeks off from the book community - social media, blogging, etc. - to be alone with what I was reading. It was a nice break! The only thing I missed was the blogging community.I'm glad to be back, but also glad to be in a better head space.

Question! Do any of you keep a physical journal such as a bullet or reading journal? If you have any blog posts showing off your journal, I'd love for you to leave me a link so I can see it/them!

Finished Reading

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ - I finished my reread of The Way of Kings! I may do a reread review - we'll see, but I'm glad I read it again.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ - This was a recent Book of the Month pick, but my book club also picked it for our September read.

Paper Girls, Volume 4 by Brian K. Vaughan ⭐⭐⭐★★ and Paper Girls, Volume 5 by Brian K. Vaughan ⭐⭐⭐★★ - I'm still enjoying these, but these last two weren't as great as the first three.

Currently Reading

Babel by R.F. Kuang - I'm slowly making my way through Babel. I'm enjoying it - especially the language/translation stuff, but I'm hoping the story picks up more than it has so far.

Fairy Tale by Stephen King - I'm also slowly making my way through Fairy Tale. I've been in a bad head space so I've been proceeding with caution through this one. So far it has my whole heart. No matter what story Stephen King writes, I will always, always enjoy his writing.

Currently Watching

I'll probably miss a few things here since I've been on a little hiatus, but I've been watching some great things. Let me know if you're watching any of these!

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This post is being shared as part of The Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz, Book Date It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Caffeinated Book Reviewer's The Sunday Post.

Recent Updates and Currently Reading | September 4

Happy September! I'm in a great reading mood today. I had such a great reading day yesterday, I want to chunk all of my Sunday responsibilities out the window today. We'll see! 

I am ready for all things fall. Part of what I'm planning to do today (hopefully with an audiobook going) is start decorating for fall. I do have a question for you guys - do you have a favorite pumpkin spice tea? My go to caffeine/decaf teas are:

I try to only drink caffeine before lunch since my anxiety makes me a terrible sleeper.

Posted Last Week

Book Review | The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson ⭐⭐⭐⭐★

Finished Reading

One Piece, Volume 5: For Whom the Bell Tolls by Eiichiro Oda ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ - This volume was a bit mixed for me. I loved the ending of the Usopp storyline, but I didn't care so much for the beginning of the next arc. I got emotional over Usopp's story, though, so it still got 4 stars from me.

Paper Girls, Volume 3 by Brian K. Vaughan ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ - This is still really fun. I had to renew the next few volumes at the library because I just haven't had the time (or mental capacity) to read much lately.

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Aaah! My reading soul was RENEWED yesterday. After a long, hot day I plopped down and read all of this magnificent book. Last week I mentioned rereading The Fall of the House of Usher in preparation of reading What Moves the Dead. I'm sooo glad I did. I highly recommend it since What Moves the Dead is a re-imagining of The Fall of the House of Usher. What Moves the Dead is so good! I'll have a review out soon.

Currently Reading

Babel by R.F. Kuang - I'm slowly making my way through Babel. I'm 90 pages in, and things are starting to get dark and strange. I'm enjoying it, and I will continue to take my time with it.

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson - My reread is still going well with The Way of Kings! I'm about 700 pages in now out of 1007.

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston - I started reading Amari and the Night Brothers. So far it reminds me of Brandon Sanderson's Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. It's quirky, and I like it.

Added to the TBR

Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune - Under the Whispering Door is my book club's pick for October. Excited to finally read T.J. Klune soon.

Unmasked (Fright Watch #3) by Lorien Lawrence - The new Fright Watch book is out! I loved the first two books. They are middle grade horror books about kids that are basically the supernatural neighborhood watch. So fun!

Amari and the Great Game by B.B. Alston - The next Amari book was also released this past week. Hopefully I can get to it soon after finishing the first one.

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This post is being shared as part of The Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz, Book Date It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Caffeinated Book Reviewer's The Sunday Post.

Book Review | The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson

Three hundred years after the events of the Mistborn trilogy, Scadrial is now on the verge of modernity, with railroads to supplement the canals, electric lighting in the streets and the homes of the wealthy, and the first steel-framed skyscrapers racing for the clouds.

Kelsier, Vin, Elend, Sazed, Spook, and the rest are now part of history—or religion. Yet even as science and technology are reaching new heights, the old magics of Allomancy and Feruchemy continue to play a role in this reborn world. Out in the frontier lands known as the Roughs, they are crucial tools for the brave men and women attempting to establish order and justice.

One such is Waxillium Ladrian, a rare Twinborn who can Push on metals with his Allomancy and use Feruchemy to become lighter or heavier at will.

After twenty years in the Roughs, Wax has been forced by family tragedy to return to the metropolis of Elendel. Now he must reluctantly put away his guns and assume the duties and dignity incumbent upon the head of a noble house. Or so he thinks, until he learns the hard way that the mansions and elegant tree-lined streets of the city can be even more dangerous than the dusty plains of the Roughs.

No spoilers below for the the Mistborn series - just love.

The Alloy of Law is the fourth book in Sanderson's Mistborn series, but it's the first book of Mistborn era 2. In other words - the original Mistborn trilogy is era 1 and era 2 takes place 300 years after the original trilogy.

The final book in Mistborn era 2 comes out in November. I took long breaks between the first three Mistborn books (read them 2018-2020) so I wasn't sure I would be able to (or want to) catch up to book #7 by November. It turns out The Alloy of Law is so shallow compared to the original trilogy! I don't mean this in a bad way. The original trilogy was so deeply layered with worldbuilding and character development and magic - and The Allow of Law is just a fun read set in the same universe.

I had no idea how a western was going to work in the Mistborn world. Now I feel like an idiot. It's obvious now how fun gunslinging would be with Sanderson's magic system. The Alloy of Law reads like a steampunk superhero book without a lot of surprises, but I enjoyed it. I definitely want to read Shadows of Self in September and The Bands of Mourning in October to get ready for the era 2 finale. Nothing beats a Sanderson ending!

If you've never read Sanderson and you've made it this far - hey - the Mistborn series is a great place to start. Book 1 is The Final Empire - usually just referred to as "Mistborn". It's a very accessible trilogy and will absolutely build your trust in Sanderson's ability to tell - and finish! - a story. I've heard Warbreaker is another great place to start with Sanderson as it's an accessible standalone.

So what is Mistborn all about? The original idea was "What if the Dark Lord won? What would that world look like?" The first era is one of my favorite series of all time. A lot of people say they like era 2 even more. I'm still sceptical, but I'm excited to finally be reading it now! It's great to be back in this world.

4/5 stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐★

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Recent Updates and Currently Reading | August 28

We are heading into spooky season! Horror Spotlight is having a readathon September 1 - 15 if you'd like to join us. Any diverse horror counts - just use the hashtag #SpotlightReadathon on socials so we can share.

Do you change what you read based on the time of year? "Beach reads" in the summer, darker books in the fall? I don't think I do, but I love how dark other people's feeds get in the fall!

Finished Reading

The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ - This was fun and such an easy read!

The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe ⭐⭐⭐★★ - This was a reread in preparation of reading What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher.

Currently Reading

Babel by R.F. Kuang - I have built up my expectations for this one SO HIGH. I hope I wind up loving it as much as I think I'm going to.

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson - My reread is going great. I'm 600 pages in with no regrets.

One Piece, Volume 5: For Whom the Bell Tolls by Eiichiro Oda - I need more time in the day! My 9 year old is now obsessed with One Piece and he has passed me up in the anime which means I am now being spoiled. He can't help it - he's bursting to talk about it.

Added to the TBR

Babel by R.F. Kuang - This was released last week, and I've thrown out the TBR to read it.

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This post is being shared as part of The Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz, Book Date It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Caffeinated Book Reviewer's The Sunday Post.

Recent Updates and Currently Reading | August 21

Happy weekend book lovers. It was a stressful week for me so the reading was super light. I didn't finish anything, but I did make some progress. 

I'm curious - what do you do instead of reading when your mind can't focus? Lately for me it's just watching YouTube: booktube, baseball, podcast clips, music related content... We are getting very close to the time of year where my answer is Hallmark Christmas movies.

Posted Last Week

Books I Love That Were Written Over Ten Years Ago

On My Wishlist | Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

Currently Reading

The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson - I'm really enjoying this. I love being back in the Mistborn world, and I definitely plan to get caught up on era 2 before The Lost Metal comes out in November.

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson - Stormfather I'm remembering how long this book is. I'm glad I'm rereading it because I'm able to focus more on the story this time since I've been through all of the worldbuilding before, but I'm 400 pages in and still have over 600 pages to go. It's great, but it's every bit as long as it is.

One Piece, Volume 5: For Whom the Bell Tolls by Eiichiro Oda - Yay - my hold for volume 5 finally came up at the library! I'm almost done reading it. This one actually made me tear up, and I don't think I'm supposed to be affected this strongly yet! This makes me excited for the next... 95 volumes 😳

Added to the TBR

This Appearing House by Ally Malinenko - I'm so excited about this release. I loved Ghost Girl by Ally Malinenko. {Review of Ghost Girl}

Currently Watching

I went out to the movies last night to see Bodies Bodies Bodies. It was different from the trailer, but it was fun!

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This post is being shared as part of The Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz, Book Date It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Caffeinated Book Reviewer's The Sunday Post.

Wishlist | Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

 Hell Bent is the sequel to Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House.

Alex Stern returns in another tale of murder and dark magic set among the Ivy League elite…

Galaxy “Alex” Stern is determined to break Darlington out of hell—even if it costs her a future at Lethe and at Yale. But Alex is playing with forces far beyond her control, and when faculty members begin to die off, she knows these aren’t just accidents. Something deadly is at work in New Haven, and if Alex is going to survive, she'll have to reckon with the monsters of her past and a darkness built into the university's very walls.

I loved Night House - the first book in this series.  My {review of Ninth House}. It was a great cross between fantasy and horror. I'm looking forward to reading Hell Bent at the beginning of 2023.

Bunnies are becoming the mascot for horror lately! I'm so sorry, bunnies. You are all becoming so scary.

Are you a Leigh Bardugo fan? Have you read Ninth House?

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This post is being shared as part of Can't-Wait Wednesday over at Wishful Endings.

Books I Love That Were Written Over Ten Years Ago

Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. 

Boy's Life by Robert McCammon {review of Boy's Life}

Swan Song by Robert McCammon {review of Swan Song}

The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons {review of The House Next Door}

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White 

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie {review of And Then There Were None}

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier {review of Rebecca}

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Princess Bride by William Goldman {review of The Princess Bride}

The Willows by Algernon Blackwood {review of The Willows}

Recent Updates and Currently Reading | August 14

We were back to school this week. It feels like it came out of nowhere this year. I'm not sure where the summers are going, but part of it is just the simple fact that they go back to school so early now. We had our first cross country meet of the year yesterday. My son had to be on the bus by 4:15am, and then we traveled to watch his first race.

I have a question for back to school moms. Do you have any favorite go to tips, tricks, snacks, meals for lunches? My kids ate at school a lot last year because the district still had covid money and didn't charge for meals. All of that has ended and lunches are way too expensive for mediocre food (as my son's computer science teacher delicately put it!) I'd like to give them some variety, and I worry about them eating enough being so active all day.

Finished Reading

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr ⭐⭐⭐★★ - I am hoping to have a full review up this week. I think this book is great for the right audience.

Paper Girls, Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ - I'm having a lot of fun with this series. I'm hoping to start the show soon.

Currently Reading

The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson - The Alloy of Law is Mistborn #4 (the first book in era 2 of Mistborn). I'm loving it. I'm hoping to read one a month until the final book of era 2 is released in November.

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson - You might remember I just read this in 2021. It took me all year. I don't know why I had such a strong desire this week to read it again, but I'm giving into my moods this year.

Added to the TBR

These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall - Yay! I love Kate Alice Marshall so much. This was a preorder, and I can't wait to read it!

Gunmetal Gods and Conqueror's Blood by Zamil Akhtar - I've been hearing such great things about these books so I grabbed the audiobooks to check them out.

I couldn't resist the ebook sale for the The Winnowing Flame Trilogy (The Ninth Rain, The Bitter Twins, The Poison Song) by Jen Williams. I love these covers so much, I'd still love to own them in hard copy some day, but I may just have to read them first and buy them if I love them.

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This post is being shared as part of The Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz, Book Date It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Caffeinated Book Reviewer's The Sunday Post.