ignite the books discussion

What are you reading right now? Talk about things you find interesting, or frustrating, or boring about them. Warn for spoilers, but other than that, go crazy.

What am I reading right now?

Transcendent by Leslie Livingston (I have no idea how to do link type stuff on my phone, so you'll just have to search it).

It's definitely an interesting/unusual take on Ragnarok/mythology (Greek and Egyptian've popped up too, though not as much as Norse) and on the whole I'm glad I decided to pick up this trilogy, though NGL the writing's pretty average for YA, so not really expecting a ending that'll wreck/heavily impact me. *side eyes Dead of Winter*

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.

If you like:

A. Emotional romances
B. Pretty, pretty prose
C. Retellings of Classical Myths
D. Muttering lines of that foreshadowing to yourself for days
or E. All the above

Then read this book and enjoy having your heart impaled. It's about Achilles and Patroclus, and how deep their relationship was during the Iliad.

I don't know how to go on without saying any spoilers, but you may cry more than once. Or maybe even get a little sniffly several times and reaching for chocolate by the end.

Both of these sound fantastic?? I am big on mythology stuff, adding these two to my TBR list immediately

I'm reading The Sin Eater's Daughter by Mel Salisbury and it's.. . . .. .. bor ing? I'm near 100 pages in and our dear protagonist has spent the whole time embroidering and singing.

She did kill a dude at the beginning though (not a spoiler do not fear), so, there's hope, I think.

OH but i'm LISTENING to Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins and it's FANTASTIC. It's about a southern belle who becomes a paladin and has to protect an oracle and oh my god it's fluffy and fun and the audiobook narrator does the most ridiculous southern accent that just makes it even more great.
A+ time with that one.

Rebel Belle is adorable and I was happy when reading it. Sure, there could have been more of an emphasis on the urban fantasy portion, but it has a fantastic start. The fight scenes were fun and the dialogue was perfect.

The shout-outs were also a joy when reading it.

Rachel wrote: "Rebel Belle is adorable and I was happy when reading it. Sure, there could have been more of an emphasis on the urban fantasy portion, but it has a fantastic start. The fight scenes were fun and th..."

Yeah there's a part of me that wishes it was a little more fleshed out with its magic like Hex Hall was, but mostly it's just so much fun that I don't mind it.

I've seen Rebel Belle a few times, but haven't thought all that mich about it beyond getting annoyed that it would get Bon Jovi stuck in my head. But that actually sounds really interesting.

I'm about to start the Raven Boys tomorrow. I've been waiting for when I have some time off work to devote to a series. Pray for me haha

That series is in my TBR pile, and keeps getting moved up the more I hear about it.

I'm currently reading Good Omens (why the hell have I waited so long to read this book, exactly?) and listening to The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra

Ashe wrote: "I'm currently reading Good Omens (why the hell have I waited so long to read this book, exactly?) and listening to The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra"

Good Omens is wonderful and amazing, and BBC recently did a radio series on it. You will be very happy.

Kael wrote: "That series is in my TBR pile, and keeps getting moved up the more I hear about it."

I remember reading the first book when it came out, but that feels so long ago. I definitely need to give it a try again.

Rebel Belle is great! I'm hoping the sequel will flesh out the world a little more, but either way, I love me some Rachel Hawkins.

I'm listening to Gone Girl right now (already been spoiled for the majority of it, alas) and I can't decide who I hate more: Nick or Amy.

I remember you mentioning how you enjoyed the Mistborn books. I finally caught up and had finished Alloy of Law a week back. The storyline is simpler (but the banter is A+!), and there are more books coming out soon.

When is the sequel coming out, anyway? It's called Miss Mayhem, right?

I think Miss Mayhem comes out this month? I wanna say next week even? I just checked Amazon like yesterday about this...

Ah, I still need to get Alloy of Law! The library's copy has been checked out for ages and I'm low on fun money, so I might finally be able to order it. I think I finally might start the Steelheart sequel this weekend.

Getting in on the Mistborn train...

I didn't mind that Alloy of Law had a simpler plot; especially considering all the massive changes Sanderson made. It gave me a little breathing room to try and figure out how the frick-frack the world had changed.

Mistborn is one of my absolute favourites and I loved The Alloy of Law. The fact that it was something Sanderson wrote as a break from his other writing "just for fun" is probably why the plot is simpler. But, yeah, book 5 of the Mistborn books comes out this October.

and yeahhh beginning of April, i think, is when Miss Mayhem comes out?

I feel like the Mistborn wrecked me for other books for a while. Such a good series with a great (BUT TERRIBLE WHY) ending.

I still can't bring myself to reread them and I read them YEARS ago when they first came out. But still I look and them and think 'mmmmm no, i'm not emotionally prepared to relive that trauma.'

but if you've not read Sanderson's Stormlight Archive series yet they're absolutely stunning as well.

The Stormlight Archive's the one that's like a zillion pages, right? That's another one I'm waiting on the library for. One or the other has been checked out whenever I've gone to look.

yeah it's 1,000+ pages. So good though, SO good. It helps that Sanderson's writing flows so well and reads quickly. They don't really feel like 1k page novels.

Just finished a Holly Black collection of short stories, The Poison Eaters. Which was very enjoyable! A couple were set in universes I was familiar with, a couple were totally new. Some good fae stuff, a fun story if you like the Curse Workers series, etc.

About to start The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes, which I know nothing about!

Welp just finished Transcendent, which didn't end quiet as I was expecting, but in a good way. Also this book brought back all my Sigyn/Loki feels....

Now onto Shadow Cabinet!

Victoria wrote: "I'm about to start the Raven Boys tomorrow. I've been waiting for when I have some time off work to devote to a series. Pray for me haha"

CAN'T PRAY TOO BUSY BEING SUPER EXCITED i just got on The Raven Cycle train and am having a lot of emotions about this stupid series

Jess wrote: "Rebel Belle is great! I'm hoping the sequel will flesh out the world a little more, but either way, I love me some Rachel Hawkins.

I'm listening to Gone Girl right now (already been spoiled for t..."

oh god Nick, so much Nick. Like Amy is a terrible fucking person, but at least she has some backbone to her? Nick is the wettest of blankets, the Nicest of Guys, it's awful and amazing.

I'm currently reading Wolfskin by Juliet Marillier (Daughter of the Forest, Wildwood Dancing, etc).

So basically it's a historical fantasy set in Norway (around 800 CE, I guess) about a boy who wants to be a Wolfskin warrior, and his deadly friendship with a boy named Somerled. There's also some romance in here, but I haven't gotten to that part yet.

There's also a chunk of the book that's set in the Orkney islands.

So far, it's the best.

Laura wrote: "I'm currently reading Wolfskin by Juliet Marillier (Daughter of the Forest, Wildwood Dancing, etc).

So basically it's a historical fantasy set in Norway (around 800 CE, I guess) about a boy who wa..."

Wolfskin and Foxmask are the only Marillier books I can never seem to get my hands on! I need to just buck up and order them on hold through my library.

Reading the The Eyre Affair. It's been on my to-read list for ages and I've finally gotten around to it.

I just finished Love, Rosie with my other book club and. It was a thing. Like it was cute?? But holy shit the miscommunication trope lasting for literally decades is actually the worst thing.

I'm not actively reading anything right now, but I am in the middle of Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness, The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken and The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray.

The first two I was listening to on audiobook and plan on finishing as ebooks - for SoN, it's just so LONG and I am not enjoying it as much as i did the first book to devote 24 hours of listening time to it. For TDM, i got intimidated by everyone talking about how sad and heartbreaking it is, which is really the sort of book i need to read at home rather than start crying about at work.

TSFT i...idk, the sheer meanness and petty behaviour between the girls even in the third book just got exhausting for me. I want to finish it, but after three books I also want for their relationships with each other to have moved beyond all of them being assholes to each other at various points.

Hannah wrote: "For TDM, i got intimidated by everyone talking about how sad and heartbreaking it is, which is really the sort of book i need to read at home rather than start crying about at work."

I read the series and enjoyed it - it had potential to irk me, because it had some elements that often push my buttons. Yet it worked out and I read them straight through. But I've always felt a bit shifty eyed about it because the story did not upset me the way so many people have said it did them. But that's not really so strange for me, so I'm not a good metric on upsetting story events, for the most part.

I'm reading The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, the third Haruki Murakami book I've read recently. Apparently a woman is going to disappear under some circumstance in all of his books.

Also reading Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard for another book group. Eeeeeeeeeh, it isn't doing anything for me.

And a few others, but trying to get through those two before starting a new one.

Song of Achilles is $3.08 USD for kindle right now if anyone wanted to check it out.

How is Red Queen? There's been a lot of buzz online about it so I bought it last week. But I haven't had a chance to start it.

I'm reading the Grisha trilogy, finally. Unfortunately I could not take out Siege and Storm from the library on Friday, so I have to wait until Monday... sigh.

Alix wrote: "I'm reading the Grisha trilogy, finally. Unfortunately I could not take out Siege and Storm from the library on Friday, so I have to wait until Monday... sigh."

I looooove the grisha trilogy...it gives me life. It's one of those books that you read and go, "why didn't I start this earlier?".

Sophia wrote: "I looooove the grisha ..."

I've heard nothing but good things about it. My only complaint is the super-small cast. I find it hard to believe that Alina only made one friend.

The cast significantly grows by the end of the trilogy!

Alix wrote: "I'm reading the Grisha trilogy, finally. Unfortunately I could not take out Siege and Storm from the library on Friday, so I have to wait until Monday... sigh."

I just got super excited, it is no secret at all that these are my absolute favourite books. I'm always super happy to see people getting into the series.

Whenever I know someone who's read the Grisha Trilogy, it's like I found my soulmate, my reaction is so excited.

I could (and have) talk about that series for HOURS.

So I'm glad you're reading it, Alix :D

If people want, I'l post my reactions somewhere?

Alix wrote: "If people want, I'l post my reactions somewhere?"

ooooh you definitely should, I get soo excited about it

yeaaaaaaaaah grisha is seriously my favorite ya trilogy!!

right now i'm trying to finish the last 7% of Patricia Briggs' new book (can't remember the actual title. dead heat? it's the latest in alpha & omega). it's painful, and i'm getting really tired of all the negative lady relationships that are becoming a more consistent theme in her books. might be done with the series ( & MT) after this

Well good thing I lost interest in Mercy Thompson in book 2 then...

Kael wrote: "Well good thing I lost interest in Mercy Thompson in book 2 then..."

Yeah they've been getting progressively worse. The latest MT was basically Mercy vs. THE HORRIBLE EX WIFE AND ALL THE WOMEN IN THE PACK HATE HER!!! (!!!!)

no thanks.

I just started reading, 'I'll Give You The Sun'.

Gwen wrote: "I just started reading, 'I'll Give You The Sun'."

I have not heard of this book, what's it about?

Instead of studying, I found Leigh Bardugo's short stories (free and legally!) on Tor.com.

Does the Grisha Trilogy have the same fairytale-like quality?

Grisha is slightly different because it's written in first person (blessedly first person past not present), but yeah those folktales are a good glimpse of her writing style. I'd say Grisha is a little simpler in style? Because the folktales are short so she packs a lot into a few pages.

She does have some gorgeous prose though holy shit. like i think third person lends itself towards ~prettier~ prose, but bardugo manages a lot with first without become too purple or over dramatic.

a lot.

I'm so stoked for Six of Crows because it's in third person and it's gonna be AMAZING.

I am actually going to become a mole person when Six of Crows is released. Nothing will get done until that book is read and undoubtedly cried over.

^
Same, Hannah. Same.