<–The State of the Reader: 8/15/18          The State of the Reader: 9/12/18–>

A weekly post updated every other Wednesday detailing my current reading projects and what new titles I’ve added to my to-read list.  Title links go to Goodreads, and if you have an account there feel free to friend me!  I’d love to see what you’re reading and/or planning to read.

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Books Purchased: 8

• Elric of Melniboné by Michael Moorcock – $8.41 @ Amazon
• Dark-Adapted Eyes by Scarlett Parrish – $5.99 @ Amazon
• Out of the Black by Evan Currie – $1.99 @ Amazon
• Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel – $0.99 @ Amazon
• Lumière by Jacqueline E. Garlick – $1.99 @ Amazon
• Obsidian Son by Shayne Silvers – $1.49 @ Amazon
• Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad – $0.00 @ Amazon
• Spindle Fire by Lexa Hillyer – $1.99 @ Amazon

There were a lot of sales these past two weeks, and I’ve started getting emails from Goodreads for deals.  I also conveniently just received Elric today in the mail.  I’ve been looking for this book forever.  It’s either ridiculously expensive or nonexistent, so I was happy to get it for less than $10.

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Books DNF: 2

Title: Monstress, Vol. 2: The Blood
Series Title: Monstress
Author: Marjorie Liu
Artist: Sana Takeda
Date Added: August 21, 2017
Date Started: August 9, 2018

Media: Paperback (Library)

When reading something becomes a chore and it’s not a reference, it’s time to put it to the side.  The artwork is gorgeous, but I really don’t like the main character, so I don’t really care about her journey and mission.  This is another one where you’d think I would; I mean she’s trying to piece together her dead mother’s life, but I was more interested in the little fox and the two-tailed cat.

Title: Preacher, Volume 1: Gone to Texas
Series Title: Preacher
Author: Garth Ennis
Artist: Steve Dillon
Date Added: September 13, 2017
Date Started: August 23, 2018
Date DNF: August 23, 2018

Media: Physical (Library)

I was already on the fence about this one when I came across the over the top racist sheriff repeatedly spouting racial slurs, or rather a particular racial slur (it’s set in Texas…not that hard to figure out).  Even before that the characters are all cliched.  Each one is hardened and sarcastic, and none of them come off as real people.  Despite this, there were aspects of it that would make you think it’d be right up my alley.  A small town preacher forcefully merges with a half-angel, half-demon being named Genesis; parts of it take place in Heaven with angels called Seraphi and Adephi, though the angels really weren’t my style.  The narrative also jumped around so much it came off as frenetic.  I know it’s a huge fan favorite, but it wasn’t for me.

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Books Finished: 1

Title: The Crow Box
Series Title: Shadow and Ink
Author: Nikki Rae
Date Added: July 8, 2016
Date Started: August 9, 2018
Date Finished: August 22, 2018
Reading Duration: 13 days

Media: eBook/Kindle

This book made me uncomfortable, which is not to say it’s bad.  I just didn’t like what the entity Six was doing to Corbin, regardless of his intentions.  It came off as manipulative and grooming, and there’s still no certainty what Six really is.  The whole intimacy between her and him (or it) made my skin crawl, and I was really hoping Corbin would stop giving into its requests/demands, but she just fell deeper in.  I won’t be reading the following story myself, but will probably see if I can find a spoilery review.  As an allegory or metaphor for mental illness The Crow Box is excellent, and the discomfort it causes is warranted just for that.

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Currently Reading

Title: The Riddle of the Wren
Author: Charles de Lint
Date Added: August 24, 2014
Date Started: August 26, 2018

Media: Paperback (Library)
Progress: 6%

This is such a book a would’ve read in high school, an old school fantasy type that starts off describing the locale before it gets to the main character.  I started reading Charles de Lint in high school, and this was published in 1984 so I just missed it by a decade.  It has the Missing Mom/Dickhead Dad paradigm hardcore.  So far I like both Minda (whom I keep calling “Midna”) and her friend Janey who’s described as a POC (yay!), and Minda has brown hair and brown eyes, which is something I was just bitching about in my Parallel review.

Title: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
Author: Claire North
Date Added: September 15, 2017
Date Started: August 23, 2018

Media: eBook/Kindle
Progress: 22%

You know how if you’re reading several books at a time, you’ll have a favorite?   THIS is my favorite.  Harry August lives and relives the same life over and over again, retaining the memories of them all.  The prologue opens with him dying at 78 when a young girl comes to him with a message to send back.  The world is ending sooner than expected and somewhere in time, this fate can be changed.  Writing that makes me think of Chrono Trigger.

I highly recommend this book.  It’s fascinating from the start and nearly impossible to put down.  I also recommend Chrono Trigger if you are of the gaming type 🙂

Title: The Graveyard Book
Author: Neil Gaiman
Date Added: April 13, 2013
Date Started: August 9, 2018

Media: Paperback
Progress: 50%

I’m enjoying coming across the same beats as The Jungle Book in this, though a major difference between Gaimain’s work and Kipling’s masterpiece is while Mowgli left the jungle never to return (I think?), one day Bod will be dead.

Title: The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender
Author: Leslye Walton
Date Added: August 2, 2016
Date Started: August 6, 2018

Media: Paperback
Progress: 70%

Ava is/was set to make the same error in judgment as her mother Viviane with respect to men.  Viviane is still pining for her first boyfriend while ignoring someone who would’ve made a much better match, and Ava was set to do the same thing, but came to her senses after a particular incident.  It’s a shame it’s not going to matter for her fate.

Title: Ireland’s Immortals: A History of the Gods of Irish Myth
Author: Mark Williams
Date Added: October 5, 2017
Date Started: July 6, 2018

Media: Hardback
Progress: 11%

I haven’t read as much of this as I would’ve liked because it’s very heavy reading with necessary note taking.  Hopefully, I’ll make some good progress during my two week vacation.

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I honestly only want to read Harry August.  That book is fucking brilliant, and I go through about three chapters a day.  It’s fairly long at 405 pages, but it’s such a fascinating, philosophical work that it’s hard to put down.

What books have you read lately that make you feel like that?  Leave some titles in the comments.

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<–The State of the Reader: 8/15/18          The State of the Reader: 9/12/18–>