Weekly Reading Update

I’m a little late for this week’s update, but it’s mainly because I’ve been spinning my wheels reading-wise. I did finish three books last week. Ok, technically I finished four books, but I don’t know if I’m going to talk about it because it was probably the worst piece of writing I’ve ever read in my life. Plus, it was only 50 pages. I didn’t manage to start Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow yet, either, but it’s still on my TBR for the month. Anyway, first up are the three books I managed to finish last week. As usual, all the links are for the respective books’ Goodreads pages.

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In the Shadow Garden and The Keeper’s Six

I’m putting these two books together because I wrote reviews for them. Read my review for In the Shadow Garden by Liz Parker here. It was the first five star read of 2023 for me, and just as amazing as I hoped it would be. You can also read my review for The Keeper’s Six by Kate Elliott here. Just like her other work I’ve read; this novella just made me want more! Plus, the cover is beautiful, and it makes a lot more sense once you read the story. Both of these books were definitely worth the read.

Crave

Yes, I know. It’s a vampire book that is obviously inspired by Twilight. Yes, this book is also campy and occasionally cringe, but sometimes I just need a candy bar. This was a re-read because I am trying to read this entire series this year, and I probably won’t be reviewing them. I will be including them in my Weekly Reading Updates, and I may even include some of my favorite quotes or random ramblings about the story. It’s not great literature, but it is a fun read.

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So, if you’ve been reading my blog at all, you know I have a hard time sticking to reading plans. I also apparently can’t read one book at a time either. I started three books this week. That’s right. Three books. I am also still reading a book I started last week. I probably won’t finish all of these this week, but we will see because I have a three-day weekend coming up. Here’s what I’m reading right now.

1. Crush by Tracy Wolff

This is book two in the Crave saga by Tracy Wolff. Book one ended on a doozy of a cliffhanger, so I started reading this one on my lunch break earlier in the week. I probably won’t read too much more of it this week. The other three books I’m reading will likely take precedent. I am enjoying the whole mystery around Grace’s origins, and I like the building mythology around all the paranormal creatures in these books. It may have been inspired by Twilight, but the ending for book one took a sharp left for sure.

2. Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire

I am a huge fan of everything I’ve read by Seanan McGuire so far. I love her Wayward Children series, and I’ve been wanting to branch out into her backlist more. This will be a re-read for Rosemary and Rue because I want to get caught up on the October Daye series this year. I also have plans to read and catch up on the InCryptids series by McGuire. Both series have very different tones, but they are both urban fantasies, which I love. I’ll probably sit down and finish this book one evening soon since I’m already a third of the way into it.

3. The Bladed Faith by David Dalglish

I was given a complimentary copy of this book by Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review. I’ve been meaning to read it for a few months now, and I finally started it on Monday. I’m not even going to lie. One of the main reasons I wanted to read this book is because the synopsis reminds me of the video game Dishonored. Only it’s about a prince whose kingdom is invaded, his parents beheaded in front of him, and he’s imprisoned for years until he breaks out and gets trained as an assassin to seek his revenge. So, it’s more like Dishonored than it’s not, right?

4. Empire of Exiles by Erin M. Evans

I’m still only about 50 pages into this book. I have found reading it to be a bit of a struggle. I’m mainly having issues with how much information about the world the author is trying to cram into the beginning of the book. It feels a little overwhelming to read right now. I do feel like once I push past the 100-page mark I will feel more comfortable in the setting and with the people to enjoy the story more. I’m going to try to finish this over the long weekend.

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So, that’s everything I’ve been reading the past week and a half since I posted previously. I hope to make plenty of progress with these. The crazy weather here has been making me sleepy and tired, so I haven’t gotten as much reading done as I may like. Now, I just have to keep myself from starting another book before I finish one of these!

Have you been making any reading progress so far in 2023? Do any of these books have a spot on your TBR? Let me know in the comments!