The Weekly Wrap: October 26th to November 1st

Weekly Review

1. What I’ve Read This Week
2. My Reading Progress
3. Want to Read Updates

Upcoming

4. TBR for the Upcoming Week
5. Looking Forward

This past week has been hectic despite only post one book review. I read way more books than expected but fell four books short of completing my October Hopefuls (see here) list. However, one of the books I did finish was the third book in The Damning series Gluttony by Katie May.

Gluttony has been on my Kindle waiting to be read since its release in May! That’s a long freaking time (eight months to be exact). Reading the book, I couldn’t believe I had put it off for such a long time–I was reminded why I enjoyed the first two books in the series so much! There’s a badass heroine, fated mates and a reverse harem romance all set in a paranormal world–of course, with a prophecy that requires unravelling.

I read four books from my Up Next shelf this past week, which I’m really proud of!

The theme of last week’s review was Whodunnit Mysteries, where the plot of the book is discovering–from an eclectic cast of characters–who committed the crime (or attempted the crime). I really enjoy how this theme allows for a careful exploration of the characters; no facet of their characterization is left unturned or unquestioned.

Last week’s review, Anxious People by Fredrik Backman, is a crime about a failed bank robbery that turns into a hostage drama. However, the real story is the commentary on the pervasive loneliness and lack of connection people feel. Anxious People explores human connection and forgiveness through its mystery.

This upcoming week I’ll be “completing” the theme with a second book review.

Finally, I’ve discovered the book app Bookly that keeps track of my minutes spent reading and other stats. However, it also can record thoughts and quotes of a current read, which I’m going to be testing with my physical books. Hopefully, it’ll mean I don’t have to annotate my hardcopy books or record quotes in my notebook.

Get the book: 🇬🇧 ~ 🇺🇸

Get the book: 🇬🇧 ~ 🇺🇸

You will like Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik if you appreciate:
✨ Space opera (lots of space travel!)
✨ Sci-Fi Fantasy
✨ Opposites Attract Romance
✨ Action and Adventure

Get the book: 🇺🇸

You will like Here For It; Or, How to Save Your Soul in America: Essays by R. Eric Thomas if you appreciate:
✨ LGBTQIA+ Memoir
✨ Essay collection
✨ Exploration of being Black and queer in the USA (and the resulting 2016 election)
✨ Laugh out loud funny

Get the book: 🇬🇧 ~ 🇺🇸

You will like Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia if you appreciate:
✨ Historical Fiction
✨ Mythology
✨ Strong AF Heroine
✨ Fairy tale retelling of Mexican folklore

I have six books that I need (must) read this week–four of them are rolled over from my October Hopefuls List (and are therefore on my November Hopefuls List):

1. How to Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
2. Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
3. How to Get Over A Boy by Chidera Eggerue
4. Untamed by Glennon Doyle

The remaining two books are The Cabin by Jasinda Wilder and the second book in the Six of Crows series, Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo.

The Cabin looks like it’ll be a devastatingly sad book–it’s about the Heroine, Nadia, receiving a letter from her husband a year after he died (from cancer) because he knew she wouldn’t want to move on. The book is particularly heartbreaking because the reader gets to know Nadia and her husband as a couple as they meet at the beginning of the book, and he passes around midway.

Get the book: 🇬🇧 ~ 🇺🇸

I’m a relatively new (active) Bookstagram member, so I’ve never heard of the well-known November challenge: #NonfictionNovember. I have so many nonfiction books on my bookshelf waiting to be read (hardcopy and ebook), so I’m really excited to participate in this Bookstagram theme/challenge. I’m hoping I’ll finally make my way through a few nonfiction books that have been sitting on my shelves for months.

One of those is How to Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. I’m 41% of the way through and already have 91 highlights. That’s a demonstration of how important I’m finding the book and how carefully and methodically I’m reading it. Which equates to a plodding reading pace 😅. So, this week I want to–at a minimum–finish reading How to Be An Antiracist.