The Inklings Digest #2

Currently Reading

I’m currently reading a couple books. I’m about 5 chapters into the Goblin Emperor (Really enjoying it), halfway through The Lake House Children, 4 chapters into Alien Clay, and about 1-2 chapters into A Darkness Returns. I do tend to prefer to keep multiple going at once, as I feel it helps keep up my reading habit, as I have multiple options depending on what mood I’m in.

Recent Reads

The Hunted Heir by Holly Renee was published on the 20th. I read and devoured that in a few hours, so I’m now back to just waiting for the next release. Really, really liked it, but did struggle a little with the characters feeling a little different. They also make silly decisions, but I don’t go into these books expecting the most sound decision making. I got about 20% into Evocations by ST Gibson before I just decided to DNF it. Here’s the thing: I am okay with reading poly relationships, but they aren’t my go-to. I have to thoroughly like and enjoy every single person in the relationship and that just wasn’t in this one for me. Very much preferred her A Dowry of Blood. Yes, it’s a more toxic view of this dynamic, but I loved or had high interest in each character. I feel as if Evocations is character driven, so that aspect of not liking any of them really put a damper on that reading experience.

I then finished The Claw and The Crowned by Sarah M. Credit. Apparently I was in a Fanro mood. Really enjoyed Claw and the Crowned. There was the same issue of characters making silly decisions, but, again, smart people aren’t the reason I come to these books. I did have a good time with this one. Our main character is seen as nothing more than a body and she really struggles with that. It ends in her being pregnant and having a child and that’s where it kind of lost me. I have a very specific pet peeve with books that have the characters have children, but only at the end of the book. Typically, when I see this trope used, there’s still so much for the author to wrap up and show us, that the baby then kind of goes to the background, constantly being taken care of by a friend or family member. And I do get the sense of a family and being surrounded by loved ones, but I just don’t like it because we only see the baby in background with someone else. We don’t see the parents actually interacting with the child, bonding with it, or really spending any time with it at all. They don’t appear to be changed in a way that feels realistic for me. I do understand that I am asking for too much, there would have to be a whole other book of the parents and family just being parents and family. But I feel like these endings are supposed to feel like ‘Auntie helps take care of the baby’ but it typically feels more like ‘Auntie is raising the baby in place of the parents’ instead for me. I just don’t like it.

I also finished Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin – it was super cute but not really something that’s going to stick in my head. I read Wrestling with Werewolves by Hazel Mack and, let me tell you, this cozy little monster romance series is so fun and such a fucking blast. But this installment was not my favorite. And I ended the week with Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh . It was good, I was interested, but paranormal romance isn’t my favorite and I did not realize that the series was more episodic and following a different couple every book. That isn’t usually my favorite, I like to see growth that’s really difficult to see within one 300 page book. But I do definitely see myself reading the series whenever I need a pallet cleanse.

Week’s Plans

The goal is to finish my current reads. I do think I’ll be able to finish two by tomorrow evening. I would also like to get to at least 2 other books. I really want to read Near the Bone by Christina Henry and something else, I’m not sure yet.

As for book reviews, I plan on reviewing Alien Clay, The Lake House Children, A Darkness Returns, and possibly the Goblin Emperor. I am still working towards opening a bookstore. The building I found has already been leased to someone else, unfortunately, but that’s okay. I’ve been learning the differences between LLC and Sole Proprietorship and different ins and outs of running my own business. It’s been a lot of information to take in while still being in school for becoming a therapist and actively running a substance use treatment group. It does feel like I’m trying to do too much in one go, but I am also having a lot of fun with it.

Thank you for spending time with me and I look forward to yapping with you next week.