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?
I’ve got a pretty good mixture this week – a YA action/dystopian, a YA magical romantic comedy, and a horror anthology. Not one fantasy in the crowd!
I just started Survive the Dome, so I don’t have a good feel for it yet. I will say the action begins almost immediately, and I’m breathless at the situation the MC finds himself in.
Jamal Lawson just wanted to be a part of something. As an aspiring journalist, he packs up his camera and heads to Baltimore to document a rally protesting police brutality after another Black man is murdered.
But before it even really begins, the city implements a new safety protocol…the Dome. The Dome surrounds the city, forcing those within to subscribe to a total militarized shutdown. No one can get in, and no one can get out.
Alone in a strange place, Jamal doesn’t know where to turn…until he meets hacker Marco, who knows more than he lets on, and Catherine, an AWOL basic-training-graduate, whose parents helped build the initial plans for the Dome.
As unrest inside of Baltimore grows throughout the days-long lockdown, Marco, Catherine, and Jamal take the fight directly to the chief of police. But the city is corrupt from the inside out, and it’s going to take everything they have to survive.
I’d just finished a super heavy dark fantasy and So This Is Ever After was exactly what I needed. Guys, I laughed my way through this and read it in two days over the weekend. Can’t recommend it enough.
Carry On meets Arthurian legend in this funny, subversive young adult fantasy about what happens after the chosen one wins the kingdom and has to get married to keep it…and to stay alive.
Arek hadn’t thought much about what would happen after he completed the prophecy that said he was destined to save the Kingdom of Ere from its evil ruler. So now that he’s finally managed to (somewhat clumsily) behead the evil king (turns out magical swords yanked from bogs don’t come pre-sharpened), he and his rag-tag group of quest companions are at a bit of a loss for what to do next.
As a temporary safeguard, Arek’s best friend and mage, Matt, convinces him to assume the throne until the true heir can be rescued from her tower. Except that she’s dead. Now Arek is stuck as king, a role that comes with a magical catch: choose a spouse by your eighteenth birthday, or wither away into nothing.
With his eighteenth birthday only three months away, and only Matt in on the secret, Arek embarks on a desperate bid to find a spouse to save his life—starting with his quest companions. But his attempts at wooing his friends go painfully and hilariously wrong…until he discovers that love might have been in front of him all along.
I can’t express how excited I am to read this anthology with contributions from some heavy hitters in the horror genre. Woohoo!
Dark Stars, edited by John F.D. Taff, is a tribute to horror’s longstanding short fiction legacy, featuring 12 terrifying original stories from today’s most noteworthy authors, with an introduction by bestselling author Josh Malerman and an afterword by Ramsey Campbell.
Created as an homage to the 1980 classic horror anthology, Dark Forces, edited by Kirby McCauley, this collection contains 12 original novelettes showcasing today’s top horror talent. Dark Stars features all-new stories from award-winning authors and up-and-coming voices like Stephen Graham Jones, Priya Sharma, Usman T. Malik, Caroline Kepnes, and Alma Katsu, with seasoned author John F.D. Taff at the helm. An afterword from original Dark Forces contributor Ramsey Campbell is a poignant finale to this bone-chilling collection.
Within these pages you’ll find tales of dead men walking, an insidious secret summer fling, an island harboring unspeakable power, and a dark hallway that beckons. You’ll encounter terrible monsters—both human and supernatural—and be forever changed. The stories in Dark Stars run the gamut from traditional to modern, from dark fantasy to neo-noir, from explorations of beloved horror tropes to the unknown—possibly unknowable—threats.
It’s all in here because it’s all out there, now, in horror.
So This is Ever After looks great!
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That was such a fun read, Caro! I laughed so hard in places then rolled my eyes in other parts because these characters were so oblivious to how they felt about each other.
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I might need to get it then!!
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Wow! All of these sound good, Teri. So This is Ever After is going on my list now. Love that cover too—all of them really. Happy reading!
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It released yesterday. Such a fun, feel-good read, Jenn.
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That horror anthology sounds REALLY GOOD. Happy reading, Teri.
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It’s got a few authors I’ve read before, and I’m so excited to have them all together in one collection. Hoping for lots of shivers.
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These all look tempting! Thanks for sharing, and here’s MY WWW POST
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It’s a great batch for sure this week, Laurel-Rain. Thanks for dropping by!
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Now those are three really different books! A great collection, Teri. I like that they cross so many different genres.
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I try to read them in publication order according to NetGalley, and sometimes I’ll get a good variety. Then there are other times I slog through 3-4 heavy fantasies in a row. I’m enjoying the mix.
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Teri.
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An interesting selection of books, Teri. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on them.
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Should be coming up in about a month or so. I may have to start featuring more than one review per post until I’m caught up!
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So This is Ever After sounds hilarious. I love the part about his sword not being sharp after getting pulled from a bog- who knew? 🙂
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When I read he was the ruler over the Kingdom of Ere in the realm of Chickpea, I knew I was in for a good time, Jacquie. Beheading someone is even nastier when your sword is dull – you should always be prepared.
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Lol, I’ll keep that in mind 🙂
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Enjoy your reading!
I´m currently reading The Call of the Bone Ships!
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Thanks, Evelyn! I’m always a dragon fan!
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It’s great to have a mix, Teri. It sounds like “So This Is Ever After” is entertaining to you. A delightful way to spend your weekend!
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I had a fabulous time reading So This Is Ever After, Miriam. I spent a warm Sunday afternoon on the patio reading – it was perfect.
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Good to hear you had a warm Sunday. The weather in most of the State is worrisome.
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That is a great mix of things!! Survive the Dome sounds good! Happy reading!
My WWW!
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It’s not often I have such a variety, but that’s the way the NG list worked this week, Leslie – keeps things interesting.
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I know how that goes! Glad it’s keeping things interesting though!
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So This is Ever After really appeals to me, I’m going to put it on my TBR. Great list of reading, Teri!
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Thanks, Wendy! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Honestly, I’d probably read it again and laugh just as much.
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So This is Ever After looks like such a fun read. ❤️
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I loved it, Tessa. Spent a couple of laugh-filled days reading on the patio. Really hope the author decides to continue with these characters.
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I have to get my hands on So This is Ever After and The Dome. They both look amazing!
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Both were very different, but amazing reads. Hope you get a chance to try them out, Molly!
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Dark Stars sounds cool! 🙂
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I’ve read about half of it so far, and it’s had its ups and downs – kind of expected with a collection.
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Some good reads, Teri. Thank you for sharing. I’m going to check out, So This Is Ever After. 😊
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Be prepared to giggle, snort, and laugh out loud with that one, Gwen!
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