📚 WWW Wednesdays #1

What Are You Reading Wednesdays is a weekly book-blogging meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The concept is simple, answer the following questions:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

You can join in to! Just leave a comment with your link at Taking On's blog and then go on an adventure to find what other people are reading.

What are you currently reading?

I’m currently reading No God but God by Reza Aslan, a book I should have read/finished last month but decided (like the procrastinator that I am) to delay the reading of (am I allowed to end sentences in prepositions? The jury still seems to be out on that).

I am not a frequent reader of things non-YA (see answers to questions below). I am definitely not a reader of things non-fiction (see any book I’ve read ever…minus the memoirs). But I do like to step outside my comfort zone every once in a while and I take JAF Ink’s Book (of the Month) Club themes as a great opportunity to do so.

Reading this particular book is slow going, not because I am not absolutely fascinated by the historical aspects and perspective of Islam (I’m biased, wot can I say), but because apparently the universe is trying to balance out the excess of time I had to read during my vacation by negating it now.

I will finish it!

What did you recently finish reading? [if !supportLineBreakNewLine]

Red Rising by Pierce Brown (full review here). Which I absolutely loved. Okay, loved is a strong word, considering that when I started reading I was complaining to F of JAF about how the world-building and all the weird pseudo-science terms that seem to be a prerequisite for all science fiction-ish novels was grating on my nerves (and, in some cases, a bit confusing). I was this close to putting it aside for another book.

For the second time this year (see review of The Star-Touched Queen) I am so glad I didn’t give up on a book. The pace just picks up and damn do things escalate quickly. At first, I was confused as to why people were comparing it to The Hunger Games (the Institute made me immediately think of Harry Potter)… but then the violence began and my brain went “Aaah, that’s why.”

I do have my issues with the story, most notably Darriw character and how he literally (apparently) becomes perfect. But otherwise the book was extremely fun, with a good amount of action and tension and an ending that just makes you want to read more (but I guess that’s wot sequels are for).

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli. After Red Rising, I needed something light and happy-making to cleanse my reading palate. The Upside of Unrequited was perfect for that. It’s cute, uncomplicated, and filled with the perfect amount of love, cheese, and happily-ever after kind of vibes. The diverse characters and nerdy references were a nice bonus for me. True, it was a predictable, but what contemporary Young Adult novel isn’t these days? Also, sometimes you need predictable to soothe the soul.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Now I Rise by Kiersten White. You know how you don’t realize how much you love a concept until you’re faced with it? That’s how I feel about gender-bending historical characters, especially apparently ruthless epic leaders who are turned into bad/kickass women. And I Darken did that brilliantly by taking the very true (well, with some embellishments) childhood of Vlad the Impaler, the man who would go on to partially inspire Dracula, but imagining him experiencing that childhood as a female, as Lada Dragwyla. What would have been different? What would have remained the same?

I fell in love with that book, and am so excited to read the sequel.

Technically, I have to read it... it is my July pick.

And that's it for my three WWW's this week! If you've read any of the books, have heard about them, or just want to discuss bookish goodness, feel free to comment below!