What began as a rescue mission in Hades turned into a story of finding the meaning of life while trekking through Hell and throwing in the most epic revenge tale since Edgar Allen Poe. A four-and-a-half star read only because I‘ve started rating R.F. Kuang novels compared to other R.F. Kuang novels

Looks like the library made the decision for me!

Decisions. Decisions. Decisions.

Read Banned Books. Because books from 1949 still make old white men in power nervous. Fascism is fragile, my friends.

Completely forgot this was #BannedBooksWeek, so closing it out by rereading Orwell‘s “1984” for the first time in 30 years. Good grief, it‘s been 30 years since I was 18!!!

An incredibly powerful and beautiful book. Rich in African mythology and magic. The tale of one girl‘s grief and struggles with her feelings of powerlessness against authorities who only wish to destroy her way of life with ultimately violent and deadly consequences. The plot twists keep this incredible story from falling into cliché, as Zelie finds her power buried beneath layers of trauma and sadness.

I bought Adeyemi‘s debut in 2018 so now I can finally hop in my DeLorean, head back in time, and take part in “The Tonight Show Summer Reads”. 😆

I hope everyone who celebrates had a Happy Batman Day yesterday!

Not my normal cup o‘ tea, but the plot ties to the American South and the enlightening look at the lesser known trades (pottery and whaling) of African slaves drew me onward. I mistakenly thought this a romance novel at the outset, but soon grasped the historical fiction supporting story arc underneath a sensitive narrative about generational trauma for black people coupled with personal tragedy and how that could shape lives.

Not my usual fare but enjoyable so far.

Could I love this series any more? Not legally in the United States, I‘m afraid. 😂

Mosscap once again shows more about their humanity than they ever learn about themselves throughout their life. I love that the robot teaches the monk!

The Monk & Robot books are definitely more my speed at the moment.

That was a romp! After my initial intimidation by the sheer size of this tomb, the story developed quickly from the opening page. The world building was masterfully interwoven into the story without the Dickensian or Tolkienesque paragraphs of exposition. The hero journey was well-paced and exciting. I‘m looking forward to the rest of the series. 5⭐️

5% in and couldn‘t care less. Moving on.

Came for the fantasy world building, stayed for the subtle commentary on Book Bans and this Streisand Effect nugget.

I‘ve been quite intimidated at the thought of reading Sanderson‘s stuff. I started out with a novella just to check out his writing style. So now I‘m diving into arguably his most recognizable work…

The Red Rising series plays political and societal drama out in grand fashion. In “Golden Son”, we watch Darrow continue to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds in his surreptitious quest to sow civil war throughout the Empire. And as in all trilogies, this Second Act was filled with plot twists and misdirections that have echoes of the Red Wedding and leaves our Odysseus broken and batter by the end.

I couldn‘t wait for my copy to arrive from the library so I‘m using up my Spotify credits for this one.

I plowed through this epic Book 1. I always picked up these much-hyped social media books with skepticism, but I gave it a good decade for the hype to die down. LOL. I devoured the first 20 chapters in one sitting and I was hooked. Darrow‘s quest is born out of revenge but sustained by love. Thank the gods of Olympus there are more books!

I knocked out the first 20 chapters yesterday in about 5.75 hours. Holy schnikes, this is a good book.

Ok let‘s see what all the hype is about.

A raw and brutal book about a brutal and savage voyage around Cape Horn as the British chased the Spanish armada in an attempt to claim naval dominance during the early days of their imperialism around the world. 4 ⭐️

Waited forever for this one to be available through my library on Libby.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

Library Challenge ends tomorrow. Read 2,264 minutes so far. 2025 MPRL Adult: Color Our World.

Short novellas seem to be my vibe as I‘m still organizing the house after the move. A robot and unsatisfied monk: yes please.

A slow, confusing start had me considering a DNF, but Clarke‘s prose drew me deeper into the book. I‘m glad I did as the author mixed Edgar Allen Poe with Stephen King with Robert Bloch but all in the subtlest of touches. “Piranesi” is a psychological thriller-fantasy if ever that was a genre. 4.5 ⭐️

Finally getting around to this one.

A character-driven novella about a magical forger with the heart of an artist and a court official who will do anything to save the life of the Emperor, and how they each must make tiny bargains against their own morals in order to ultimately do what is best for the Empire. 4/5 ⭐️

Who‘s on StoryGraph?

https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/awk_word_smith

First foray into Sanderson now that I‘m looking for a new sci-fi/fantasy writer to replace my old one.

Such an interesting concept, picking pieces from dystopian, sci-fi, horror, fantasy, and so many other niche genres. The Memory Police changes your expectations with every new page. I thoroughly enjoyed the twisting, meandering plot.

I‘ve heard very good things about this short novel. So far, we‘re off to a good start.

Another brilliant foray into the belly of the espionage industry by John le Carré. His final novel, race-against-time novel, and much faster pace than his early works. His son, Nick Cornwell put it best: [the novel] “does something that no other le Carré novel ever has. It shows a service fragmented: filled with its own political factions, not always kind to those it should cherish … and ultimately not sure, any more, that it can justify itself.”

Since I can no longer support my usual reading crutch author, I will have to go with my # 2 author who is now my # 1 – John le Carré.

One trip to the downtown library will complete my entire bingo card. #colormyworldchallenge

Reading Ta-Nehisi Coates‘s The Message was both a humbling and galvanizing experience. Coates‘s journey—spanning Senegal, South Carolina, and Palestine—compels readers to confront the stories we inherit and the myths we perpetuate, particularly those that uphold white supremacy and obscure the realities of marginalized people. I‘ll be buying a physical copy and referencing it for years to come on how to craft stories—fiction and nonfiction alike.

Despite all the acclaim surrounding this book, I could not muster one iota of sympathy or even empathy for the main character/narrator. I found the narrator to be unreliable but I‘m not sure if the author intended to use that storytelling method. I feel the intent was the main character was narrating as a confidential confession, but the ease with which he lied to friends and casual acquaintances made his confession feel hallow.

Getting my nonfiction itch scratched by the incomparable Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Already well on my way in the #ColorMyWorld Challenge through the #ChattanoogaPublicLibrary

Ok. I‘m back to reading The Secret History, but at this point I‘m pulling for the FBI to catch these little 🍑 🎩!

The story of three flawed brothers who set the medical world on the path to an opioid crisis within three generations. The Sacklers love to lavishly spend money on their philanthropic projects, but meticulously obscured the origins of their wealth until lawsuit after lawsuit after lawsuit brought to light their involvement in creating an epidemic of pain pills.

The Sackler family and the history of opioids. Sounds dry, but I‘ll give it a chance.

From dyslexia (my preferred learning disability—and before everyone gets all up in arms, I don‘t actually consider my dyslexia a disability, more like an inconvenience at this point in my life) to the Civil Rights Movement to the Conflict in Northern Ireland, Gladwell challenges the notion of The Underdog. [4.5 ⭐️]

I‘ve been meaning to read this for quite some time now.

A 70s rock band? 🎸
A love triangle? 🎸
Drugs & sobriety? 🎸
So we‘re talking about a fictionalized narrative of Fleetwood Mac?
You Can Go Your Own Way, but this Landslide was only 3 ⭐️ in my Dreams.

January: “The Ministry of Time”
February: “Heavenly Tyrant“
March: “The Hitchhiker‘s Guide to the Galaxy”
April: “Babel”

Sad to see my formatting pitted “Heavenly Tyrant” and “Babel” against each so early on in the bracket.

I‘m completely ensconced in a “Nothing Keeps My Attention” mood. So let‘s try a little 70‘s faux rock biography.

I don‘t even know what this book is about, but several bookstagram accounts recommended it. Highly recommended it. So we shall see.