WWW Wednesdays: What Am I Reading? #amreading

On By Teri PolenIn WWW Wednesdays

WWW Wednesday is a meme from Sam at Taking On A World Of Words

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

After impatiently reading my way through my TBR to get to this book, I finally reached Ruthless Gods (Something Dark and Holy #2) by Emily A. Duncan.  I’m only 10% in, and it’s a fairly long book.  The first book in this series took my breath away, so I have high hopes for this followup.

Darkness never works alone…

Nadya doesn’t trust her magic anymore. Serefin is fighting off a voice in his head that doesn’t belong to him. Malachiasz is at war with who–and what–he’s become.

As their group is continually torn apart, the girl, the prince, and the monster find their fates irrevocably intertwined. They’re pieces on a board, being orchestrated by someone… or something. The voices that Serefin hears in the darkness, the ones that Nadya believes are her gods, the ones that Malachiasz is desperate to meet—those voices want a stake in the world, and they refuse to stay quiet any longer. 

For my book club, I just finished Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.  A friend and I listened to it while on a road trip over a long weekend.  While the writing was beautiful and the characterization done well, both of us grew a bit weary over the long passages of descriptions – and the numerous times the main character made grits.  I don’t think I’m cut out for literary fiction.

For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life–until the unthinkable happens.

Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps. 

Next, I’ll read Hard Wired by Len Vlahos.  You guys know what a sci-fi nut I am, and this one has a Matrix feel with a main character who didn’t realize he was an AI.

From Morris finalist Len Vlahos comes a contemporary sci-fi story about a boy who might not be human—for fans of Westworld and Black Mirror.

Quinn thinks he’s a normal boy with an average life. That is, until he finds a trail of clues the father he barely knew left behind.

After Quinn unravels his father’s puzzles, he “wakes up” … and realizes his world was nothing more than a virtual construct. In reality, he’s the first fully-aware A.I. in the world, part of an experiment run by a team of scientists—including the man he thought was his father.

As the scientists continue to study him, Quinn’s new existence becomes a waking nightmare. Determined to control his own destiny, he finds allies in other teens—including crush Shea—and plots his escape. But what does true freedom look like when you’re not human?

Acclaimed Morris Award finalist Len Vlahos pens a high-stakes contemporary-rooted sci-fi that asks big questions about humanity. 

39 thoughts on “WWW Wednesdays: What Am I Reading? #amreading”

    1. Most of the reviews for it are outstanding, Darlene, and friends in my other book club recommended it highly, but it just wasn’t for me. Still, I like to play outside my usual sandbox and read something different. I read A Catcher in the Rye years ago and from what I can remember, think I liked it?

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  3. “Not cut out for literary fiction.” That made me laugh. You just haven’t found the right literary piece yet.

    I haven’t read that one, but I do like to take a breather once in a while and read something nearly lyrical. Probably could do without all the grits, though. lol

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    1. Haha! I’ve read some literary fiction that I’ve enjoyed, but haven’t ventured into that area for quite a while. I think I’m too impatient of a reader to slow down and enjoy the prose sometimes.

      And there were a lot of grits. I laughed at a couple other reviewers mentioning the same thing.

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  4. You’re comment about long passages caught my eye, Teri. I recently read on a well known writing blog that the days of long descriptive passages are over. Readers want more dialogue along with a fast moving plot. Makes sense given that our society wants everything instantly…even a “The End.”

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    2. That’s interesting, Jill. Judging by the number of reviews Where the Crawdads Sing received, I’m surprised. I know it’s not just literary fiction or women’s fiction with long passages of description – I’m a King fan, and even he can get a little prolific with description. Since I read a lot of YA, I’ve grown more impatient for faster pacing in other genres, so I figured it was just me and my preferences. But you’re right – we’ve become a society who craves instant gratification.

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  7. Oh, I LOVED Where the Crawdads Sing, especially those beautiful long passages of prose. I saw Jill’s comment up above, and I’ve heard the trend is for shorter passages of description as well. It makes me sad that we live in such a fast-forward, instant gratification world. I still love sinking into books with long beautiful passages. I think I’m probably in the minority opinion these days, but the great thing about books is there’s still something for everyone. Happy reading, Teri!

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    2. I think I saw where you’d mentioned reading it. Several friends in my other book club raved about it. My friend that listened with me is a big Pat Conroy fan, so I was surprised she grew impatient with the longer descriptions also. Maybe it had something to do with being tangled up in Atlanta traffic, lol. I’m going to have to research those articles, because I assumed it was me in the minority.

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      1. To be honest, I’m not sure I could LISTEN to long passages of prose. I’m not a good listener unless it’s music or a topic I’m really intrigued by. I’ve never listened to an audio book for that reason, but reading….that’s different for me.
        And no, I think you’re viewpoint is probably the majority these days!

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  8. Thanks for giving us your opinion of Where the Crawdads Sing, Teri. I also liked the comments about long passages. I do dialogue with short passages in between. I’m not sure which is best but I also read a well-known writing blog where the idea of too much dialogue is a problem. I think the moral here is to read and write what you love.

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  9. I’m so excited that you loved Wicked Saints, because I should be picking that up soon, and then Ruthless Gods, and I can’t wait! I hope the second one lives up to your expectations.

    I’ve had Where the Crawdads Sing recommended to me so many times, but I always pause a bit because it’s literary fiction, and I don’t have a great history of enjoying that. xD

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    1. I enjoy seeing what others are reading also, Annika. Folks in airports or on beaches probably think I’m some weird, nosy lady, because I’m always trying to see the titles of the books they’re reading, lol. The Crawdads weren’t for me, but I’m glad I read the book.

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  13. I’ve heard nothing but good things about Where the Crawdads Sing and one day hope to actually read it for myself. I just finished A Bend in the Toad by Nicholas Sparks this morning now I need to make some progress in the other books I’m reading: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Little Women/Good Wives by Louisa May Alcott and After Care by L.B. Dunbar once I finish those I’m not really sure what I’m going to read.

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    1. One of my friends in book club loved The Seven Husbands – she just mentioned it again last week. I read a Sparks book many years ago early in his career, but I can’t even remember which one it was. Happy Reading, Misty!

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      1. Yeah I’ve heard nothing but good things about The Seven Husbands. I’m not too far into it so I don’t have much of an opinion on it yet. I’ve read all but 6 of his books now I think but I will be getting to those this year. Thank you and happy reading to you as well.

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  14. Hard Wired sounds like it might be a winner. Looking forward to your review of it, Teri. LOL, I’m still chuckling about your remark about not being cut out for “literary” books. I’m not either. Haha… there’s no wonder some people think we (southerners) eat grits with everything, every meal. That one has gotten quite a bit of hype, so I’m glad to have your opinion. Hugs on the wing!

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    1. My friend and I were headed to Charleston, SC and after hearing grits mentioned so many times in the book, everywhere we ate, they were on the menu. And my friend ordered them with every meal and loved them!

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