It’s time again to ask ourselves the three W’s:
What would you do if you were denied your birthright?
Would you accept it and move on?
Would you try to steal it back?

Wait, no, that’s not right. We ask these three W’s:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words.

       

All This Time by Mikki Daughtry and Rachael Lippincott
★★☆☆☆ || Goodreads
Maybe this isn’t a huge surprise, since this book is contemporary romance and I’m not a huge fan of the genre. However, I heard such great things about Five Feet Apart that I had to give this a try. The book itself was okay, but it included several of my least favorite tropes, which I think is why I didn’t enjoy it as much. I really just hate these tropes in general, which isn’t necessarily the book’s fault. The main character, Kyle, is a bit of hot garbage in the beginning, but I will say that his growth and arc is good, so I’ll give him a bit of a pass. His supposed BFF, though, was just kind of a jerk, and I’m not giving him a pass at all. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. I did really like Marley, though! I think if you’re a fan of romance, you’ll probably have a better go with this than I did, as long as you don’t mind lots of discussions of grief.

Whispering Pines by Heidi Lang and Kati Bartkowski
★★★★★ || Goodreads
This book was fantastic! Perfect to kick off some fall reads.I’d say it leans more toward the side of supernatural than horror, though there are some pretty freaking creepy scenes in it. The eye-snatching creeper is every bit as creepy as you might imagine, though the big reveal about it didn’t really come as a surprise. Still, this was such a fun read. I was immediately drawn in and curious and wanted to know what would happen next. Rae and Caden are great characters, and I love them as a team. Plus, it looks like this is going to be a series, because the teasers in the last chapter? Phew. Not exactly a cliffhanger, per se, but definitely enough to make me look forward to the next book!

Sky Song by Abi Elphinstone
★★★★★ || Goodreads
I have finally read an Abi Elphinstone book, and gosh am I glad I did. I should start this by saying that Mari @ tirilu was 100% correct, and this author was fabulous. The writing is gorgeous and evocative of a whimsical, magical fairy tale. The story is filled with adventure and all sorts of great creatures, plus … inventions! The kind that combines STEM and magic, which is obviously the greatest combination ever. The climax felt a little easy and convenient, but that didn’t really impact my enjoyment of this book. It was beautiful in all the right ways, and I’ll for sure be picking up more Abi Elphinstone books in the future.

Listen. I’ve made absolutely no progress in Mistborn. I know. I can’t help it. I’m going to pick it up again for real. I honestly don’t even know why I’m having so much trouble getting into it? I’m sure I’ll love it when I actually sit down and finish it, but I just keep dragging my feet.

In more positive news, progress has been made in The Birth of Agent Big Butt, and I think it should be done by next week! The humor in it just isn’t my thing, but I sort of knew that going in, and Minion is enjoying it, which is a good thing since it’s for her age group and not mine, ha. We’ve finally met Alex, and I love her. She’s Minion’s favorite, too. She’s agreed to help me write a review, and we’ve already started thinking of what we’re going to do for it, so hopefully, if we’re able to do what we talked about today, it should be a pretty cute, fun review. 😉 So stay tuned for that.

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
Status: 9%

No one believes in them. But soon no one will forget them.

It’s 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

To hunt down the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin calls upon a band of unlikely experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian banished from his home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in arms if not blood.

Together, they will join Séverin as he explores the dark, glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the course of history–but only if they can stay alive.

This is a buddy read with Keri @ Are You My Book, and since we’ve decided we’re equally bad buddy readers, I’m late starting this. Huzzah! I’d throw confetti, but then, you know, I’d be even later, since I’d have to clean it up. Ugh, I need a maid.

Anyway, Gilded Wolves. I forgot for a minute who wrote this, so I was like, hmm, some of this description is a little over the top. And then I looked at the cover and was like, oh, yes. That’s right! Chokshi has an absolutely gorgeous writing style, which was one of the reasons I was so excited to read this, but I knew from her other series that sometimes her descriptions can bog things down a little, and that’s definitely the case in the beginning so far. In some cases, there seem to be so many insignificant little details and descriptions thrown in that I sometimes get lost and confused when we get back to the actual action of the chapter.

But that aside? I am absolutely in love with this book so far. Is it any surprise that I absolutely love Severin? No, of course not. He’s downright despicable and entirely sarcastic, so obviously he’s just my type. When you combine him with Enrique, what ensues is nothing short of *chef’s kiss*. I’m looking forward to getting further into this.

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The Sisters of Straygarden Place by Hayley Chewins
Status: pg 105/208

Seven years ago, the Ballastian sisters’ parents left them in the magical Straygarden Place, a house surrounded by tall silver grass and floating trees. They left behind a warning saying never to leave the house or go into the grass. “Wait for us,” the note read. “Sleep darkly.” Ever since then, the house itself has taken care of Winnow, Mayhap, and Pavonine–feeding them, clothing them, even keeping them company–while the girls have waited and grown up and played a guessing game: Think of an animal, think of a place. Think of a person, think of a face. Until one day, when the eldest, fourteen-year-old Winnow, does the unthinkable and goes outside into the grass, and everything twelve-year-old Mayhap thought she knew about her home, her family, and even herself starts to unravel. With luscious, vivid prose, poet and author Hayley Chewins transports readers to a house where beloved little dogs crawl into their owners’ minds to sleep, sick girls turn silver, and anything can be stolen–even laughter and silence.

I’m actually not quite sure what I think of this yet, even though I’m about halfway through? In some ways, this book is definitely slow. It takes place in one location (Straygarden Place) with three young girls as the main characters, and you’re just sort of plopped into this world and learn as you go. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it does make for a slow start. I feel like things are only just getting going, because there are some creepy happenings and a mystery to be solved now, which I’m really into.

The writing, though, is really gorgeous! It’s a little much in places, but it sits in this weird place between classic mid-grade gothic and, like, Grimm’s fairy tale, but without the horror and gore. Does that make sense? Maybe not, but I’m enjoying it!

           

Guys. I don’t know. I want to read all the books right now. Immediately. Unfortunately, time doesn’t seem to be on my side lately, so that’s clearly not working out for me, for whatever reason.

How about we start with blog tour reads? That seems like a good and likely place to start, I suppose. I’ve got Loretta Little Looks Back: Three Voices Go Tell It coming up, and I just got my copy in the mail, and it looks so cute! I’m expecting it’ll probably be an emotional read, so we’ll see.

Right after that, I’ve got The Inheritance Games, which I’ve heard mostly good things about so far! I keep seeing this all over the place, which makes me all the more excited to read it. It’s actually been awhile since I read a thriller, and I’m not sure how that happened, but I’m ready for one, for sure.

After that, I might take a quick detour from ARCs to catch up on some library loans, starting with The Girl and the Ghost, which I’ve been wanting to read for a while and my hold finally came through. I’ve been on a mid-grade horror kick lately, so this seems like a perfect time to squeeze it in!

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