WWW Wednesday

April 20th, 2022

Note: WWW is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

Hi Readers!

I have way too many books on my currently reading pile…

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton
Another book from the Women’s Prize longlist. I don’t want to dwell on this, I have done a review, but I gave this two stars. It just personally didn’t work for me unfortunately. I also just DNFed This One Sky Day from the longlist.

Emma by Jane Austen
When Spring comes around, I think of Austen.
I had so much fun reading this over Easter. This is actually the first time I’ve read it since watching the 2020 movie and it’s made me realise just how incredible an adaptation that is. It just got the humour and each character so perfectly.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
I started this a few days ago and it was not what I was expecting, but I am rather enjoying it. I’ve read the first part, I want to hopefully finish it this weekend.

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
I know this is stupid, but I did start this last week and then put it down because it wasn’t the right weather…
I just like to read romance in the sun and I will actually be able to do that this week, and I’m really looking forward to picking it back up because I was having fun with it.

Virginia Woolf by Hermione Lee
This is an incredible biography, but it is taking me a while and will probably be in my ‘currently reading’ for the next month.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
I’m am painfully and slowly making my way through this. I’m reading it with the Bronte along, but I am not a fan of this book. I much prefer Emily’s poetry.

Still Life by Sarah Winman
I was supposed to read this over Easter, ended up just reading Emma and the Woolf biography. So hopefully I can start this over the weekend.

Thanks For Reading,
Jess X

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Reading The Women’s Prize Longlist + Easter Weekend Reading Plans | WWW Wednesday

April 13th, 2022

Note: WWW is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

Hi Readers!

This has been a very exciting week of reading and I can’t wait to share with you my thoughts on some of these books! At the moment I’m knee deep in the Women’s Prize longlist and taking a break from a rather disappointing classic.
But the Easter weekend is coming up and I plan on picking up an old favourite, and a much anticipated read.

The Island Of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
This is the last book I had to read from my post where I predicted five future favourites. I’ve never been overly successful with these predictions, but this one was the exception! This book right here is everything I have ever dreamed of. I can’t wait to share my thoughts, but it’s one of those books where I loved it so much, trying to put that down into words is quite an intimidating task, because I’m scared I won’t do it justice. But I will do my best!

Emma by Jane Austen
I just love reading Jane Austen over Easter, and this one has a particularly perfect Springtime feel to it. I love the humour in this book, and the male romantic interest is also one of my favourites from Austen.
This is the first time I’m reading this book since watching the Autumn De Wilde 2020 adaptation, and I love seeing all the comedic moments they pulled from it. I’m also annotating this time around and I’m having the best time.

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton
One of my most anticipated reads from the Women’s Prize. Now that I’ve read The Island of Missing Trees, I do feel like I’ve read this years winner. In fact, I will stage a protest if it doesn’t. But I’d still like to read more from the longlist before the shortlist is announced. This one has been compared to Daisy Jones and the Six but with more of a focus on race which sounds pretty good to me.

I’m probably going to continue reading the Women’s Prize. But I have very ambitious plans for the Easter weekend. I’ll definitely still be reading Emma, but I also have these books on the horizen…

Virginia Woolf by Hermione Lee
I’ve finished one biography, now onto another. Last Summer I read quite a few of Woolf’s novels and I’m already wanting to reread some of them. But I want to go into them with more background knowledge of their author.
She was such an interesting person who went totally against the norm, and I just idolize her.

Still Life by Sarah Winman
I might pick this one up? I’m not totally sure yet. I just picked it up from the library so I do have a bit of time, but it just looks like a good Easter Sunday book to me.
I’m not entirely sure what this is about, but I know a lot of people were shocked this didn’t make the Women’s Prize longlist, so I wanted to prioritise is anyway. I’ve enjoyed Winman before so hopefully this story is as beautiful and it’s cover.

This One Sky Day by Leone Ross
This could be my next read, or I might save it for next week. I haven’t decided yet.
I have actually read the first page and I did say in last weeks WWW that this would be my next read. But Island of Missing Trees just ended up becoming a priority, and something I just didn’t want to rush through. Hopefully I’ll get to this before next weeks WWW!

Honeycomb by Joanne M. Harris
This is the last one, I promise.
I know this looks like an insane amount of books, but Honeycomb is actually a collection of fairytales/mythology short stories filled with illustrations. I saw this displayed in my library and thought the cover looks just the picture of Spring and I’d love to slowly make my way through it over Easter.

How are you guys spending Easter/the long weekend? On top of all this reading, I also have hot cross buns to make (normal and gluten free). It’s my Nans birthday tomorrow, and we’re having a dinner with her. But mostly, I’ll be reading!

Thanks For Reading,
Jess X

WWW Wednesday | Fantasy and Women’s Prize Longlistee’s

April 6th, 2022

Note: WWW is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

Hi Readers!

I hope your weeks are going wonderfully! I’ve had quite a few of my library reservations come in, so I am now fully immersed in the Women’s Prize longlist, and I’m liking what I’m seeing so far…

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas
I loved my reread of this a lot, and I really want to go straight to the second book. But I have too many other books I need to prioritise right now. So it’s an agonizing wait until I have read the arcs/library books I need to get to first…

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
This is the April read for the Brontëalong and this is the one I am most looking forward to, because whilst I have read it before, it was when I was a teenager and I definitely didn’t appreciate anything about it. I went into it hoping for something like Jane Austen, but that’s certainly not what this book it!
I’m only five chapters in, but I’m already loving it and we haven’t even got to the real story yet. My memory of this book is more hazy than I thought as I’d completely forgotten the existance of Mr Lockwood. It feels like a fresh start.

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
Did I say I was going to be reading this next in last weeks WWW? Maybe…
Honestly, I just felt like reading this book in the sun! But it’s been gloomy and cold, and island just reminds me of warmth, and I want to feel the warmth of the sun on my face when I’m reading a book like this.
I have started it though, and this weekends weather is supposed to be perking up a bit. So hopefully I can finish it then!

This One Sky Day by Leone Ross
I have actually given the first few pages of this a read already, and they have blown me away! I didn’t have the highest hopes for this book honestly because this is one of the Women’s Prize longlisted books I was less eager to read.
It just so happened that my library reservation came in before the other longlisted books, so I thought I’d give it a try anyway, and thank goodness I did!
Hopefully the rest of the book is just as good as those first pages are.

What are you currently reading?

Thanks For Reading,
Jess X

WWW | First Book On Women’s Prize Longlist And Snow Day Reads

March 30th, 2022

Note: WWW is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

Hi Readers!

I’m having an exciting reading time at the moment. I’ve finally made a dent on the Women’s Prize longlist, and it looks like we might be waking up to a little snow tomorrow, and I do like a good snowy read (I haven’t had any of those yet this year).

The Book Of Form And Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki
I was quite excited when I saw this go from ‘pending‘ to ‘in transit‘ on my library portal, because out of all of the Women’s Prize longlisted books, this was in my top five most eager to read.
I finished it yesterday and I’m still trying to determine my thoughts, but I think unfortunately it is a three star. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting, and there was a lot I liked, and a lot I think could have been done differently.
I need to think about it some more, but I will share a review hopefully soon.

Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte
I’m going to be spending this Wednesday evening reading and possibly finishing Agnes Grey.
I’m reading this alongside the Brontealong and their live show is happening on Saturday, and I usually like a couple of days to determine my thoughts about a book before discussing it, so I would like to finish this in the next couple of days.
So far this is nothing special for me. I’m not disliking it, but the writing isn’t blowing me away like the last Bronte book we read ‘Jane Eyre’ did. It feels wrong to even compare them to be honest.

The Island Of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
So as I mentioned it’s been promised to us that we’re getting a layer of snow tomorrow and possibly Friday, and at first I did not see this book as a ‘read whilst it’s snowing outside’ type book. But I read the first page and it appears there’s a storm and the writing seems so beautiful and atmospheric.
It also just came in from the library and I don’t want to wait any longer. I have waited long enough for this book!
This is also on the Women’s Prize longlist so I am finally making good progress on that.


What are you currently reading?

Thanks For Reading,
Jess X