The Crown of Gilded Bones
Jennifer L. Armentrout

Last week, I started book 3 in the Blood and Ash series,. The world of this romantasy is so similar to the other romantasy series I started this summer that my brain is having a hard time recalling plot points and characters. It took me almost 100 pages to find my footing. I'm finally back in the right world and, while I'm enjoying the story, it feels a bit repetitive and in need of an editor. There were about five chapters that could have been condensed into one.

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The Man Who Made Lists: Love, Death, Madness, and the Creation of Roger’s Thesaurus
Joshua Kendall

I'm a fan of books about books. I plucked this one off my non-fiction shelf because I thought it would be a good read to bounce back and forth to between library holds. I'm only a chapter in and, so far, it reads like a straight up biography. The author has a nice style that's been building the intro through some nice narrative storytelling. This one will probably take me months to get through since I'll be reading it in fits and spurts.

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The Office BFFs: Tales of The Office from Two Best Friends Who Were There
Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey

I needed to make some room on my non-fiction shelf, but I wasn't in the mood to read anything serious. A recap of my favorite TV show fit the bill. This book is written just like the Office Ladies​ podcast. It's a back and forth between the two friends and hosts. As a book, I don't love it. But, the casual nature is fitting my need for an easy read. If you enjoy the podcast, you'll like the book. I like that they included a lot of pictures.

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The Diamond Eye
Kate Quinn

I restarted this last night as I wait for another library hold to come in. I've, essentially, been reading this novel in fits and spurts in-between my library holds. Even with that stilted process, I've been able to get into the story and remember details. Quinn is quite skilled in immersive storytelling. In the past chapter, the book has pivoted into it's final third. I have absolutely no idea how this story will wrap up and that excites me.

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Kingdom of Flesh and Fire
Jennifer L. Armentrout

I am 75% through this title and it feels like the book was entirely a set-up for the next one in the series. It's mostly world building and moving principal characters and relationships into place. If this was a D&D session, it would be a 5-footer. Lots of talking, minimal action, but all for the benefit of what comes next. 

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Kingdom of Flesh and Fire
Jennifer L. Armentrout

This is the second book in the series and I'm about three chapters in. The first chapter was a full info dump to catch people up. I found it unnecessary since I rolled in straight from the first book, but if I had taken a break this would have been an invaluable reminder. It feels like Armentrout is setting up for a whole scale scene shift. I wonder if this entry in the series is going to be more about the world than the characters.

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From Blood and Ash
Jennifer L. Armentrout

I want to fall into this book. I want to get into a groove so badly. Unfortunately, after an initial burst, I've been so tired every night that I fall asleep after only a few pages. BUT I've been itching to get into the meat of the story. The first few chapters have been mostly world building, but they're great. I thought the choice to throw the leads together on the first few pages was rather interesting. It started things off with a blast and now it's back to a simmer of anticipation. Now I just need to stop being droopy-eyed long enough to speed through this one.

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The Diamond Eye
Kate Quinn

I started this book because what I wanted to read was not yet available from the library. I figured it would be a decent novel to tied me over. So far, it's fine - but since it's not what I'm in the mood to read, I'm having trouble connecting to the story. I've enjoyed Quinn before so I suspect, once I warm up to it, this will be a great book.

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Mama Needs a Minute: A Candid, Funny, All-Too-Relatable Comic Memoir about Surviving Motherhood
Mary Catherine Starr

I started this book two days ago and I'm more than halfway through. Part of that is because it's a comic memoir, but most of my speed reading is because I feel seen. This books understands motherhood on a visceral level - the good, the bad, and the really, really ugly. I like that it's a mix of personal memoir and universal truths with a heavy dose of comedy.

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I just wrapped up Study with Me and I'm actually in between books at the moment. What I want to read is the two books I have on hold at the library - From Blood and Ash and Quicksilver. Sadly, I'm hopping on a plane early Saturday morning and had to delay those requests so they don't arrive while I'm out of town. 

I need a book that will fit in my carry-on and I could possibly leave behind at my parents place. I think I'll just scour my shelves to try to find a random paperback. I just don't have very many of those.

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