Demi > Recent Status Updates

First one from the pile of children's books bought in England. Couldn't resist!

I think "Sweet singing salamanders!" is going to be my new exclamation phrase. I love kids books that get creative and playful and poetic with language.

Never read it in English. Finally, finally getting round to it! So much recognition. Guess it's what happens when you can quote parts of the films from memory. I feel like that meme of Leonardo DiCaprio pointing at the TV, in a good way.

The one Dutch book of the year.

Palate cleanser. Extra fun because it takes place in Norfolk and Norwich!

Highly entertaining. Nothing but love for Princess Donut and her Royal Bodyguard!

Not sure this is how 12-year-olds talk, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Sorry, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice will have to wait for a bit. So excited for this one, been waiting for two years! People of Roshar and beyond, let's go go go.

Austen is a poet. A sassy poet. "To such perseverance in wilful self-deception Elizabeth would make no reply." Her ability to sum up a situation or a character in one sentence is astounding. Took me more than a decade to finally enjoy and appreciate Austen, but better later than never: it feels like a whole world has just opened up!

Couldn't be bothered to lug the brick that is Rhythm of War to school when doing silent reading with my classes, so this is my school book. Intriguing and gripping for sure, but so far a little cliché about AI. Nevertheless, still hopeful this sci-fi psychological thriller might yet surprise me.

Re-reading before the fifth and final part of the series is released early December. Such a delight!

Hell yes, it's Sigrud. Final part in the trilogy, let's go!

So incredibly unsettling, whoa.

Some quick YA in between other books.

A YA version of Lord of the Flies? Let's see how it holds up.

Couldn't stand American Psycho anymore. So bloody boring. I will finish it, but by spending 15-30 minutes at a time on it as an academic exercise of sorts. Read about as much of Oathbringer in two days as I did for American Psycho in about 10ish days, that probably tells me all I should know. Back to Roshar and the Knights Radiant, bliss.

The main thing that stands out to me is that it. Is. So. Boring! Nothing of note has happened so far. A Clockwork Orange was all about violence and misogyny as well, but at least stuff happened. In American Psycho, we just follow the hollow life of a misogynistic psycho. It's surprisingly tedious. Will it change? Ironically, I guess that's what keeps me reading: I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.

First chapter done. As expected, this is probably going to be a long read. The ceaseless mention of brands - be it clothes, shoes, bags, wine, perfume, furniture, cars, CD players, TV screens - is already grating on me. I know it's done deliberately, but that doesn't make it much easier to get through. Oh well, let's see where it goes.

I was having a great time until I hit this last part. The two-year time skip doesn't do the plot any favours in terms of being able to understand it. The fact that a lot of the story/the writing has gotten very... psychedelic (I can't think of another way to describe it) doesn't help either. I have an inkling the ending might not be very satisfying. Guess we'll find out.

Just as good as the first time I read this. Maybe even better, actually, because I understand so much more now. As expected, the series proves highly re-readable.

'Tis the year of re-reading old favourites, it seems.

Reading an old favourite because I am in need of a comfort book. Still as captivated as I was the first time around.