<–The State of the Reader: 7/27/22         The State of the Reader: 8/24/22–>

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.

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Books Purchased: 2

• Signal Moon by Kate Quinn – $1.99 @ Amazon Kindle
• We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson – $1.99 @ Amazon Kindle

Total: $3.98

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Books Finished: 0

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Books DNF: 0

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Books On Hold: 1

Title: Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness
Author: Da’Shaun L. Harrison
Date Added: February 11, 2022
Date Started: May 2, 2022
Date On Hold: August 1, 2022

Media: Paperback
Progress: 13%

This book is too heavy for me right now.  I’ve been struggling with what to watch lately, too.  I know those two sentences don’t seem to fit together, but they do.  There’s been this awkward balance of me needing something that will hold my attention but not be too intense.  Anyway, I’m going to shelve this for a bit and come back to it later.

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Books Reading: 6

Title: Orishas, Goddesses, and Voodoo Queens: The Divine Feminine in the African Religious Traditions
Author: Lilith Dorsey
Date Added: May 29, 2020
Date Started: August 1, 2022

Media: Paperback
Progress: 3%

I don’t know who TF this person is reading introductions and forewords because I never did that in the past but here I am reading them AND taking notes.  I bought this a few years ago when a friend was posting about it, but am only now getting around to reading it.  I’d heard about the goddess Oshún because Beyoncé portrayed her on one of her albums (I really, really need to catch up with Bey.  She just put something new out and I still haven’t listened to Lemonade…), but the term “orisha” is pretty new to me.  I’ll also be honest.  I really like the makeup, but I don’t like to do things just for aesthetics without the meaning behind it, so here am I.

Title: Dark Places
Author: Gillian Flynn
Date Added: October 4, 2018
Date Started: August 1, 2022

Media: eBook/Library
Progress: 10%

I replaced one book with two.  This was available from the library, and while I had some spicy things to initially say about Gone Girl, ultimately I thought it was well done for the ire it stirred in me alone.  I already have ideas about this one.  Obviously what we think is true isn’t true, and my money is currently on the father being the true culprit, but knowing Gillian Flynn there will be some huge twist.

Title: The Ippos King
Series: Wraith Kings
Author: Grace Draven
Date Added: May 25, 2017
Date Started: June 29, 2022

Media: eBook/Kindle
Progress: 65%

A little over half way done and things are heating up.  I do like a slow burn, but I feel like the halfway point is where things should start to progress, so I’d say that part is pretty well timed.

Title: Ecofeminism
Series Title: Critique Influence Change
Authors: Maria Mies & Vandana Shiva
Date Added: July 13, 2020
Date Started: May 3, 2022

Media: Paperback
Progress: 7%

I finally finished the introduction!  After only *checks* three months.  It’s fine.  I got a lot of notes out of it, and this is one of the seminal references I need for my essays.  I’ve been working on compiling a list of those, and since ecofeminism is a basic of FFVII (and probably Horizon Zero Dawn…I could make the argument.  Don’t test me), this is a volume I’ll be spending a lot of time with, but this is something to be discussed more in my SOTW posts.

Title: The King in Yellow
Author: Robert W. Chambers
Date Added: August 4, 2019
Date Restarted: April 17, 2022

Media: eBook/Kindle
Progress: 63%

The current story I’m on is so damn boring.  I’m finding it hard to keep interest.  No mention of the eponymous king yet.  This is going to be one I’ll have to look up a summary on, because I’m barely paying attention.

Title: House of Sky and Breath
Series: Crescent City
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Date Added: March 7, 2021
Date Started: February 23, 2022

Media: Physical/Hardback
Progress: 45%

I wish I could get through more than one physical fiction/fantasy book a year, but I guess when you’re picking 800 page doorstoppers even ones you’re really into *shrug*.  My issue is I know once I start reading this I’m not going to want to stop and I might get pulled into two or three chapters.  It’s very similar to writing or another project.  I need enough time and brain power to properly devote to it.

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I’m six books behind now.  I have a couple I hope to finish soon, and Dark Places is a library book, so I have a time limit on that.  I can see Ippos King and The King in Yellow (lots of “kings” huh) on my Finished list in a few weeks, and I might pick up Draven’s Dragon (Phoenix?) Unleashed Series, or read the next book in her Master of Crows one.

I found a show to watch, buuuuut I’m already done lol.  Uncoupled.  NPH plays Michael, a gay real estate agent in NYC, whose boyfriend of 17 years Colin suddenly announces he’s breaking up with him right before his (Colin’s) surprise 50th birthday party.  This completely blindsides Michael who thought they’d been robbed because their housekeeper told him things were missing, but NOPE.  It was Colin moving out.  Each episode is only a half an hour and it’s light enough for me to not be drained, but I still love and care about all the characters.  There needs to be a second season, because I’m kind of in between shows again lol.  I have been watching Hilda, which is phenomenal.  I started crying randomly at the end of the last episode.  It wasn’t sad or anything like it just chill inducing, and I’ll just cry over the most random shit lol.  Season 3 of Locke & Key just dropped, but I was super meh about the end of last season so I’m not sure if or when I’m going to watch it.

Okay back to worldbuilding.  I figured out the thing I was stuck on last time, but I have much more to do.

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<–The State of the Reader: 7/27/22         The State of the Reader: 8/24/22–>