It is Friday again, which calls for some reading updates. But first, a mini little book haul (two books only).
[Note: This post got really much longer than I thought it would. So, I included some helpful headers for your convenience. If you'd like, you can skip around between sections, so you don't have to read the stuff you aren't interested in.]
Book Haul Time!Yesterday I went to the bookstore and I got a couple highly anticipated reads for very cheap, too! Always good to support local bookstores when you can, so I was more than happy to help...
The first book I bought was A Book of Spirits and Thieves by Morgan Rhodes. Now, I was debating between this one and get the first book in the Falling Kingdoms series by the same author. However, I ended up getting this one. And better yet, I got the beautiful new hardcover for only $13.29! Score!
The second and final book I ended up picking up was Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson. Now, this one seems to be pretty well-known. It's the first book in the Malazan Book of the Empire series. The series is epic fantasy on an epic scale. I think there's more than ten books in the series, and a lot of them are over 1,000 pages along. Supposedly, the cast of characters is huge and the world and plots are all super complicated and converge repeatedly. I know I'll have to keep notes while I'm reading this book. I am so excited to start this series.
Friday Reads Time!
Perhaps slightly less exciting, is the books that I currently am reading. I'm actually in the middle of four books right now. How that happened, I don't know, but the topics and themes and genres are all so diverse that now, at least, I'll have a nice variety to choose from.
The book I've been reading longest is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, which is a classic that I'm sure you've all heard about. I'm reading it on my Kindle. I've read just under 200 pages (out of 322), and no spoilers but I'm really liking it so far! It's taking me longer than normal because I'm used to the quick and easy writing of current day YA books, so this classic is a bit more difficult for me. However I find it really funny at some parts. Jane is so witty and smart. I love how she stands up for herself.
Next, I'm reading a self-published book by Anna Kyss, called Wings of Shadow. This is the first book in the Underground Trilogy. I got this book for free as part of a Kindle collection called "Supernatural Touch", which I've already read several books of, and they've been hit or miss with me. I'm only on Chapter 8 of this one, so I'm too early in to give a definitive opinion but so far it's "just okay". It's a nice paranormal read though, with faeries, so that's a nice one to have in the mix.
Third (thanks for bearing with me on this), I am reading... (wait for it, wait for it), The Green Mile by Stephen King! Yes!! I know!! My first Stephen King novel! I dislike horror books so I was tentative to read it, but my dad reassured me it's one of the less scary ones. It's about a man who works as the person who works the electric chair for people on death row. I have this one as a physical copy and I am 136 pages through. King's writing is very cinematic and definitely keeps me turning the pages. I like it so far!
And last, but certainly not least, I am reading... A Book of Spirits and Thieves by Morgan Rhodes! (Yes, I know all the Falling Kingdoms fans will kill me for reading this one before the other series of books, but I just couldn't help it. The cover was too pretty and I was having a real hankering for YA Fantasy.) I just started this today and I'm already a third of the way through. Morgan Rhode's writing is just so addicting and I can't put this book down!
Life Stuff
A lot of bookish happenings have been going on around here lately. Non-bookishly, I'm having surgery next week (yikes), and I just got back from California (not yikes). It was a lovely trip, got to visit some family I don't see often and we stopped by the beach many a time. If you're from the Santa Cruz area, you'll also have visited the Boardwalk, probably, and so you know how much fun we had there! Overall a great trip! And I got a book from there too! Before I forget, one last little book to haul...
Lucky You by Carl Hiaasen is a book my uncle got me to read while I'm recovering so thank you, Uncle Cary! It sounds very intriguing, and I always love a good heist so that'll be so much fun to read!
Other Stuff (TV Shows)
Does anybody else know about the show "Merlin" on BBC? (Well, it used to be on BBC. It got cancelled after five seasons. Boo.) Well, if you do, and you watch it, you probably know my pain after that series finale. I'm glad I didn't watch it when it first aired on Christmas Eve of 2012 (yes, I'm behind, I'm sorry) because nothing like a heart-wrenching goodbye to your favorite TV show to make Christmas 1,000 times better. (*snif* I'm fine. I'm fine. *is not fine*)
To Conclude
This post got sooo long and rambly. If you've stuck with me to this part, then wow. You deserve some of the lemon cake that I helped bake today. Because you are awesome.
I'd love to hear what you are reading or what TV shows have broken your heart lately! Or what's going on in your life. Anything, really. Hope to hear from you!
Until next time, happy reading.
