WWW Wednesday 16th December 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

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi book coverI’m reading non-fiction! And a graphic novel! This is not a drill! 😉

What it’s about: Here, in one volume: Marjane Satrapi’s best-selling, internationally acclaimed memoir-in-comic-strips.

Persepolis is the story of Satrapi’s unforgettable childhood and coming of age within a large and loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; of the contradictions between private life and public life in a country plagued by political upheaval; of her high school years in Vienna facing the trials of adolescence far from her family; of her homecoming–both sweet and terrible; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her beloved homeland. It is the chronicle of a girlhood and adolescence at once outrageous and familiar, a young life entwined with the history of her country yet filled with the universal trials and joys of growing up.

Edgy, searingly observant, and candid, often heartbreaking but threaded throughout with raw humor and hard-earned wisdom–Persepolis is a stunning work from one of the most highly regarded, singularly talented graphic artists at work today.

2. The last books I read

Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti

Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld book coverZeroes by Scott Westerfeld book coverThis was ok, but lacked the action I was expecting. Until the last 100 pages that is, which were awesome and bode well for sequels. Here’s my full review.

What it’s about: Don’t call them heroes. But these six Californian teens have powers that set them apart

Ethan aka Scam has a voice inside him that’ll say whatever people want to hear, whether it’s true or not. Which is handy, except when it isn’t – like when the voice starts gabbing in the middle of a bank robbery. The only people who can help are the other Zeroes, who aren’t exactly best friends these days.

Enter Nate, aka Bellwether, the group’s ‘glorious leader.’ After Scam’s SOS, he pulls the scattered Zeroes back together. But when the rescue blows up in their faces, the Zeroes find themselves propelled into whirlwind encounters with ever more dangerous criminals. At the heart of the chaos they find Kelsie, who can take a crowd in the palm of her hand and tame it or let it loose as she pleases.

AND

The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Boys by Maggie StiefvaterGreat stuff! I’m so glad I listened to recommendations and picked this up. I hope to find time to continue with the series in the New Year. Here’s my full review.

The (short) blurb: From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

 

3. What I’ll read next

Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff book coverI have yet to see a bad review of this book. I got it as an early Christmas present to myself and can’t wait to read it!

The (very short) blurb: Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes..

 

AND

The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman book coverI keep seeing recommendations for this popping up all over the place.

What it’s about (very long version): After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season and shore leaves are granted every other year at best, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby.

Tom, whose records as a lighthouse keeper are meticulous and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately. But Isabel has taken the tiny baby to her breast. Against Tom’s judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them.

M. L. Stedman’s mesmerizing, beautifully written novel seduces us into accommodating Isabel’s decision to keep this “gift from God.” And we are swept into a story about extraordinarily compelling characters seeking to find their North Star in a world where there is no right answer, where justice for one person is another’s tragic loss.

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.

Lamington chocolate coconut cake a great alternative to yule log 2 (2)

If you like coconut and chocolate, check out my Lamington cake recipe.

 Claire Huston / Art and Soul
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46 thoughts on “WWW Wednesday 16th December 2015”

  2. I really want to read Illuminae. There’s a fair queue for it at my library, so I might just buy it for myself like you did. By some kind of miracle, there are no holds on the Raven Boys, though, so I’ve snagged that for myself.

    Thanks for visiting my WWW post! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • That is exactly what happened to me. I would have been waiting years to get my hands on Illuminae so just treated myself. But there is a large pile of Maggie Stiefvater at the library. Perhaps it’s because I’m coming to The Raven Cycle so late? Although that’s not a bad thing – means I won’t have ages to wait to get to the final installment which comes out this spring.
      Thanks for visiting my post and happy reading 🙂

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      Reply

  16. Persepolis sounds great! I always love exploring new genres. 😀 Hopefully I will be able to finish The Raven Boys soon so I can see if I enjoyed as much as you did… And I am going to read Illuminae some time soon as well! Great minds think alike. 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  19. The light between oceans sounds amazing! maybe because I just read a lighthouse novel? But if you like that one, you might like Echoes in the glass. It’s a YA historical fiction, cute and interesting. I think I just love lighthouses and oceans 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  22. I’m glad you enjoyed The Raven Boys! And I can’t wait to see what you think about Illuminae. I want to add it to my TBR but I think I’ll wait to see your opinion about it first 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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