WWW Wednesday 4th November 2015

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This meme is hosted by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. A similar meme, This Week in Books is hosted by Lipsyy Lost and Found.

Why not join in? Just answer the following three questions in a post and then put a link to that post in the Comments over at Taking on a World of Words.

The questions are:

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

1. What I’m reading at the moment

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

the handmaid's tale by Margaret Atwoodthe handmaid's tale by Margaret AtwoodIt’s interesting reading this again 15 years after the last time I read it. Now I’m a mother and that has a huge impact on my experience of the book.

What it’s about: Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now…

2. The last books I read

Moon Over Soho (Peter Grant #2) by Ben Aaronovitch

Moon Over Soho Peter Grant 2 by Ben AaronovitchThis was fine. Perfectly entertaining and exactly what you’d expect if you’ve read the first book, Rivers of London. I will read the rest of the books in the series eventually but I’ll wait and get them from the library. Here’s my full review.

What it’s about: London constable and apprentice Peter Grant suspects sorcery when Soho area musicians drop dead, their brain scans showing magical draining. Victim Cyrus left girlfriend Simone, who beds Peter. His dad “Lord Grant” taught him jazz, but master mage DCI Nightingale still recuperates, and a Pale Lady bites off essential bits for an animal chimera slave ring.

AND

84 Charing Cross Road and The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff

84 Charing Cross Road by Helen HanffLindsay at Bookboodle and I read this on Friday evening and chatted on Twitter as we went. It was fun and I enjoyed the book very much. If you haven’t seen it, here’s my review of both 84 Charing Cross Road and it’s “sequel” of sorts, The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street 🙂

The blurb: 84, Charing Cross Road is a charming record of bibliophilia, cultural difference, and imaginative sympathy. For 20 years, an outspoken New York writer and a rather more restrained London bookseller carried on an increasingly touching correspondence.

3. What I’ll read next

The Grisha Trilogy (Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh BardugoI’m hoping to get through these in the rest of the week and the weekend. I’ve had a quick look at Shadow and Bone and I think it’ll be an easy read, so hopefully finishing my marathon this weekend is achievable.

What it’s about. I’ll give you the blurb for Book 1 to avoid spoilers!: Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

 AND

24 Hours by Claire Seeber

24 Hours by Claire Seeber coverI got this from the Kindle store after seeing three recommendations from book bloggers. I haven’t read a thriller for a while, so I’m looking forward to something different.

The blurb: Here today. Dead tomorrow?
My best friend, Emily, is dead – killed last night in a hotel fire.
But it was meant to be me.
Now I have 24 hours to find my daughter.
Before he finds out I’m still alive.

24 Hours is a fast-paced, intelligent psychological thriller that will leave you breathless.

Have you read/are reading any of these? What are you reading? Let me know! 🙂

You can also find me on Twitter @ClaraVal and on Goodreads.

Lemon sponge cake with white icing and yellow feathered icing sliced 3

To give you all a break from chocolate (apparently there are people who need that…), last week I made lovely light lemon cake.

40 thoughts on “WWW Wednesday 4th November 2015”

  3. Kind of tempted to try Ben Aaronovitch as it does sound like my kind of series but I have so many other books to get through. I’m hoping to try the Invisible Library next which is supposed to be similar. Have you tried it?

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    • I’ve just done a ramble about The Invisible Library over at your WWW post! 🙂 I did enjoy it. It had a few plotting issues, but overall it was great fun and combined lots of things I enjoy (books, a Sherlock-style mystery and magic!). I have high hopes for the sequel.
      Thanks for visiting and happy reading! (your post made me realise I completely forgot to put Winter on my own post. Obviously everything will stop next Tuesday when that comes out).

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • Absolutely. I think that’s the only reason I wouldn’t give the book 5/5 stars. The books I give a maximum rating too I really have to enjoy. And I don’t think it’s possible to really “enjoy” reading The Handmaid’s Tale, as brilliant as it is in so many ways 🙂

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      Reply

  5. I read The Handmaid’s Tale for the first time last year and liked it a lot. I can definitely see how it would be a different experience when you have a family, I found it uncomfortable to read and I don’t have kids or a significant other.

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    Reply

    • I think it’s not more uncomfortable now (I think when we studied it at school we were more squeamish about the sex), just terribly sad. The moments when she remembers being with her daughter made me cry because the thought of someone removing my son from me is beyond awful. There was no way I could appreciate that as a teenager.
      I think there are lots of books I should go back a re-read!

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      Reply

      • Yes, agreed! There are definitely a lot of books that I read before that I think I would appreciate more now. The only problem is there are too many books I want to read, let alone re-read! I will definitely make a mental note to revisit The Handmaid’s Tale after I have a family one day 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

    • Hooray! I’m so confident book lovers will enjoy this book, every time someone tells me they’re going to read it I’m delighted 🙂
      Thanks – the baking is often rather experimental, but I’ve only had one disaster so far (macarons, we don’t talk about it). 😉
      I’ll check out your WWW post now…

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

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