<–The State of the Reader: 12/15/21 The State of the Reader: 1/12/22–>
A biweekly 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.
Purchased: 3
- For the Wolf by Hannah F. Whitten (Wilderwood) – $1.99 @ Amazon Kindle
- Jackalope Wives and Other Stories by T. Kingfisher – $3.99 @ Amazon Kindle
- The Raven and the Reindeer by T. Kingfisher – $3.99 @ Amazon Kindle
Total: $9.97
Books Finished: 2
Title: Every Heart a Doorway
Series: Wayward Children
Author: Seanan McGuire
Date Added: August 6, 2017
Date Started: Decembeer 1, 2021
Date Finished: December 16, 2021
Media: eBook/Kindle
I knew this was the first novel in a series, but I was a little surprised by how abruptly it ended. It wasn’t bad by any means, but I think I was expecting other characters’ stories to wrap up. That happens in other installments though. The next one is about the twins Jack and Jill, and it’s before they come to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children. Speaking of Eleanor I think I expected to see more of her in here, so I’m wondering if she has her own novel, too. What I really liked about this book is the LGBTQ+ rep. Nancy is ace and Kade is a trans boy. I’m kind of hoping they get together (I’m a hopeless shipper lol). Next year I really want to catch up on my series continuations, so I’ll have to throw this one on that pile, too.
Title: Dark Matter
Author: Blake Crouch
Date Added: August 28, 2021
Date Started: December 15, 2021
Date Finished: December 29, 2021
Media: eBook/Kindle (Library)
I think it’s hilarious I started this the night after I posted my last SOTR and finished it right before this one so it never wound up in Currently Reading. Also, I fucking love the library. I need to figure out what I’m going to borrow next. I know I have a few things on hold, but I’m sure there’s something on my list that’s available right now. Anyway, I enjoyed this. There was a little bit of trope in it I’m not fond of, but conceptually it was excellent. I don’t really care about the science accuracy. It’s quantum physics. I’m not Stephen Hawking. I added his Recursion to my TBR list and I’m interested in his Wayward Pines series, but it’s not available on Kindle or at the library (not digitally) so I’ll see what I can do.
Currently Reading
Title: The Vela
Series Title: The Vela
Authors: Yoon Ha Lee, Becky Chambers, Rivers Solomon, and SL Huang
Date Added: October 2, 2021
Date Started: December 21, 2021
Media: eBook/Kindle
Progress: 10%
I want to say the title as “WAY-la,” because that’s how Enya says it in her song “Anywhere Is.” Vela, which means “sails,” is a constellation representing the sails (duh) of the ship of Jason and the Argonauts. I remember in high school choir the debates about how to pronounce the Latin “v.” I googled this not that long ago, but the answer wasn’t completely clear. I think it’s the difference between “church Latin” and…idk whatever non-church Latin is (look I’m tired). I just know “veni veni venias” sounds really ridiculous if you pronounce the “v” as a “w,” but the word “wine” comes from “vino” or some other word that begins with “v.”
Anyway…now that the impromptu Latin lesson (lol yeah because I’m qualified to “teach” that) is over, I’d be farther in this if I wasn’t rushing to finish Dark Matter before I had to return it. The characters haven’t even gotten to the titular ship yet, but I do like how the annoying, president’s kid character is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.
Title: Ireland’s Immortals: A History of the Gods of Irish Myth
Author: Mark Williams
Date Added: October 5, 2017
Date Started: December 15, 2021
Media: Hardback
Progress: 21%
I finished Chapter 3 of this and was on the fence about whether or not to keep going or switch to another research/reference, but I just started reading it again. I think I’m going to read Chapter 4 and then switch to something else.
Title: My Little Pony/Transformers: Friendship in Disguise
Series: My Little Pony/Transformers
Author: Ian Flynn
Date Added: October 2, 2021
Date Started: October 30, 2021
Media: Paperback
I read a little bit more! I love that Rarity and Arcee have already become friends. I really should try to finish this before the end of the year. It’s not like it would take that long, but then again I’m at an even 30 books, and I like that, too lol.
Title: Elric of Melniboné
Series: The Elric Saga
Author: Michael Moorcock
Date Added: October 21, 2016
Date Started: October 14, 2021
Media: Paperback
Progress: 59%
I’ve been reading around two chapters each session now. I’m enjoying this more than I expected. Elric is actually an enjoyable character. Maybe it’s because I can relate to his sort of “over it” attitude; it’s very 2020+ and he’d fit right in with the general malaise of today lol.
Title: A Sky Beyond the Storm
Series: An Ember in the Ashes
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Date Added: November 1, 2020
Date Started: March 17, 2021
Media: Hardback
Progress: 76%
I’m in the last part of the book! I’m not going to finish it before the end of the year but that’s okay.
When can I make my 2022 challenge, Goodreads? I don’t want to forget about it!
So my New Year plans consist of a cheese, meat, and cracker tray, wine, and watching the newest Matrix movie. I’m not going anywhere.
Oh! And I was sick as a dog on Sunday (what a phrase…where did that even come from??? I just googled it…interesting). So me and the hubs ordered from a new place, well not new, but we’d never ordered from there before. We both got sandwiches with chicken and I got some cinnamon sticks with dipping frosting. I thought it was the cinnamon sticks because they were too sweet and I, uh, ate a lot of them, but now we think the chicken was bad. I threw up four times, and three of the times were after I’d taken Pepto. It was bad. After the fourth I was light-headed because, well, I had nothing in my stomach and was obviously dehydrated. I kept almost passing out; it suuuucked. The day after (Monday) I DoorDashed (omg it’s a verb now…) bland food from Acme: applesauce, bananas, oatmeal, crackers, and ginger ale. Ginger ale is an old school remedy. We’d pour and stir it with a spoon to get out the carbonation, since ginger is good for upset stomachs. My muscles are still sore from it (throwing up apparently works your abs and back muscles ugh). Also since we had a busy day on Christmas I was already recovering from that. After I do anything my fibromyalgia flares and I’ll be sore for a few days, so this was the worst timing. Suffice it to say we’ll never order from there again. I feel bad because they have good ratings, and it might’ve just been a bad batch of chicken, but yeah, not taking that chance.
I was actually a little worried I might have caught the rona because we were around people on Saturday. All vaccinated, but the newest variant doesn’t seem to GAF about that. I keep going between hot and cold, but I have no congestion or lung symptoms, nor have I lost my sense of smell, and my husband isn’t sick. I checked with my brother and he says him and his wife are fine. I think I just got hit with the double whammy of potential food poisoning and my typical exhaustion after activities.
What are your plans for NYE? Please don’t be a super spreader!
<–The State of the Reader: 12/15/21 The State of the Reader: 1/12/22–>
The Shameful Narcissist Speaks 
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We are supposed to celebrate the New Year with Moth and her husband but now I’m not feeling so hot so we’ll see. I took an at home covid test and it came back negative but I might take another one tonight/tomorrow morning. What shitty timing!
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I’ve heard of it coming back negative the first time because it hasn’t had time to ping positive. Hopefully the second one was negative. My BFF and her hubs have gotten over theirs, but she still has no sense of smell and her taste is all jacked up. Like stuff tastes gross, and it can take months if ever to come back. She’s really bummed about it. I hope it’s only temporary.
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I ended up doing a PCR test at work. Those bad boys are 98% accurate and it came back negative before they left their house to come over so perfect timing.
That sucks about your friend! Thank goodness they’re fine but the smell/taste thing would suck so hard.
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Okay good. She’s JUST getting her sense of smell/taste back. She was getting this weird almost yeast like taste with things. I thought covid just did what the cold/flu did and suppressed it, but it destroys the neural connections WUT? Then they can grow back wrong so you taste things messed up. And some people never get their normal smell/taste back 😲
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I wasn’t exactly sure how it worked but WTF indeed?! That is terrible. I really don’t wish that on anyone. Well, maybe a few pretty terrible people but that’s it! 😛
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Oof. That sounds awful. Sorry you went through that. 😦
Today was our first day back to work, and my job had on site covid testing (we usually only have it available on Fridays, but after Christmas and New Year’s Eve get togethers, they had it available for our first day back) and I’m very curious to see if/how many people get sent home tomorrow. It happened that way after Thanksgiving as well. A lot of our staff is already out sick, too.
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It was wretched, but I was SO glad it wasn’t covid. I was honestly worried I’d gotten that over Christmas since I was around people. I definitely had fever and chills, but I never lost my sense of smell or was congested.
I have a few friends who either have it, had it, or are sure they do and are trying to get tested for it. It’s almost a given if you’re out in public unless you have a N95 mask because it’s apparently small enough to get through a cloth one. I’m lucky enough to be able to work from home and never need to leave my house. It’s just so oof.
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Ugh, that’s exactly what happened to my husband and I. I just posted about it in my latest post, but yeah, long story short, went grocery shopping with regular masks on and BAM! Husband tested positive for covid. 😥
I’m really glad you are able to work from home through all of this. ❤ It's horrible out there.
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Yup, the omicron variant can get through regular masks and doesn’t seem to give a damn about the booster, but on the plus side it seems milder especially if you’re vaccinated, so that’s at least one good thing. And you know if he gets it you’re going to get it. Like how do you avoid someone you’re living with? It’s just not possible.
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