Melissa McShane > Recent Status Updates

I am so far behind in reviews I am reluctant to read anything new because it will add to The Pile. And no, I don't have to review everything I read, but I do it for Future Me, who appreciates it.

I've been feeling blah about reading in general lately. Since I respond well to challenges, I've decided to give myself something more definite than the GR reading challenge (which I am also doing). More on this when I get around to reviewing my first book of the year...

I'm eight reviews behind. I don't have the mental energy to be clever about them.

My reading has slowed to virtually nothing. I have no idea why. And the lack of reading fills me with guilt. I'm pretty sure that's not how it's supposed to work.

It says on the back that Connie Willis took 5 years to write this. I can believe it. It has such incredible depth.

I forgot how intense this book is when you know what's really going on even though it's been years since you read it last.

Finished the scene from Intisar Khanani's book Sunbolt. It's so good! Intriguing characters and so evocative. On to the next!

I've only read a couple of the books these excerpts are from, but look at all those wonderful authors! (My book Pretender to the Crown has an excerpt here too, and I feel quite honored to be part of this project.)

It's been interesting to see the characters finally coming together, and how they interact with each other.

War is coming, and things are moving into place. Not as much Jilo as I could want as a result, but it's interesting to see the Alliance stumbling together.

I'm into the third part and I feel impatient for things to get going. It's titled "The Alliance Meets" and I would really like to see that happen.

Shevraeth is not a huge part of the story (yet?) but I love every time he shows up. Also, Jilo's scene at the ending to part two was beautiful and heartbreaking.

Jilo remains my favorite character, though Atan's plight still interests me. I'm waiting for her to stand up to her stupid Council.

I've just met Atan's friend Rel and like him a lot. In other news, this is the first I've learned of the child spell (I haven't read as much in this world as of the author's other books) and I have misgivings.

It's going very slowly, though some of that is no doubt my terrible relationship with audiobooks. Still very interested in Jilo and poor Liere--half these kids sound like they have PTSD and need therapy or at least someone to talk to (it was very cheering when Senrid finally went to visit Liere). CJ remains annoying.

We now own three copies of this: the hardcover I bought, the giant paperback ARC I won, and the audio version my husband picked up. I'm currently listening to the audio and have the following observations: Jilo is fascinating, the Sartoran queen is in a real bind, and CJ's voice is like nails on a chalkboard.

As of 7/21, I've embarked on a 31-day reading challenge with my son. The goal? To see who can outread the other in total pages read. He's even more competitive than I am, so it's a real challenge. They have to be books we haven't read yet, and we have to complete the book to count it. So far, I'm ahead by four pages.

I want to know more about these wizards. It's not a complaint, just that I'm not yet getting a 100+ year old vibe from most of them. I have that problem with most characters who are very old and yet behave like they're stuck at 20-something. Is that really how ancient people would behave? Isn't it more likely they'd be serious curmudgeons?

I was having trouble keeping up with two profiles (especially with book updates), so I merged the two and my name will appear as Melissa McShane. Just in case anyone was wondering. Everything else stays the same.

Already hooked. It's incredibly intense.

Quick! Someone tell me if I should read Tis the Season before I get more deeply ensnared by The Road Home?

I always forget how much I love the alternating storylines of Jame and Torisen. Usually I get impatient because I like one better than the other, but here I'm equally engaged with both.

Interesting. So far it's what I expected--a very narrow look at a narrow part of Jane Austen's life.

This is so intense I'm having trouble reading it all at once. More intense than Deepsix, better characters than Michael Crichton....

And Hallie's recommendations continue to be 100% accurate.

And *finally* the story gets started!