Weekly Reading Update #9 – July 3, 2022

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Welcome back to my weekly reading update! This one is a wild one because I’m doing another 30 books in 31 days challenge! I first did this challenge back in January and I’m doing it again…because who am I if not someone who procrastinates uni work with reading? So buckle up and join me in this weekly reading update!

What I Read This Week

I decided to attempt to read 30 books yesterday. On July 2nd. Yup. Nobody ever called me a master of planning. But luckily, I did finish a book on the very first day of the month so I’m right on track!

If you’re curious about my first time attempting this challenge, I wrote about the lessons I learned in this blog post here!

My first read of the month (and the impromptu reading challenge) was A Good Idea. I randomly picked it from the YA thriller section of my online library and most of it was alright. It’s atmospheric and edgy (sometimes trying a little too hard) but I loved the messy characters.

edit: While I initially enjoyed parts of this book, the more I thought about it and sat with my discomfort, the less I can recommend this book. I wrote a full review here but in short: this book exploits a true crime case without ever mentioning this connection or any of the real people it’s clearly inspired by. Additionally, there’s some truly bizarre racism (a white character basically believes/pretends to be Native American) that has no reason for being in the book and is never addressed outright.

I should’ve sat with my discomfort properly before talking about this book and that’s on me. I definitely don’t recommend this book at all!

It’s really hard to put my thoughts about this book into words but wow, it’s phenomenal. It’s (literally) visceral and so full of rightful rage and excellent body horror. There’s a dissonant quality to it with all the apocalypse vibes and I loved it.

It’s honestly unlike anything I’ve read before and it made me really excited to read more queer horror!

Finally, I finished my current bedtime read: An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth.

This memoir by Chris Hadfield takes us through his career as an astronaut, on earth and in space. Along this journey, he seamlessly weaves in valuable life lessons he learned.

In many ways, this could easily be a self-improvement book. Except, it’s without the usual waffle and it’s about space exploration! Some of his thoughts on problem solving and teamwork were incredibly useful and are definitely going to influence my earthling life going forward.

Overall, Chris Hadfield just reminded me how much I love learning about space and what it takes to get there.

What I’m Currently Reading

I haven’t decided on my next audiobook or physical read but I did start reading Vox Machina Origins: Vol. I! I am a big fan of Critical Role and am currently rewatching the first campaign in hopes of actually finishing it, so this comic series is perfect. I’ve had it sitting on my kindle for quite some time and I’m glad I’ve found an excuse to read it.

Pretty Dead Queens is also still on my currently reading list and I’m pretty sure I’ll finally read it next week. Someone please scream at me on Twitter if I don’t.

The Week Ahead

Let’s take a look at the week ahead…

Starting tomorrow, I have a little under two weeks to do most of my research for my BA thesis/dissertation. Yeah, I know. After that, my advisor is on holiday and unavailable for any help so within the next two weeks I need to do most of my research and figure out a structure for the damn thing that she approves of. I am terrified.

Lay, why did you leave this so late? You ask. Well, I was busy being depressed, procrastinating and preparing for my final theatre studies exam. Are these circumstances great for doing a reading challenge? Nope, they’re certainly not. But I need something to look forward to in the next weeks and it might as well be reading.

So yeah, I really don’t know how my reading is going to go when I’m spending time at the library, frantically trying to pull this dissertation together without having a mental breakdown. But I hope that books can be a welcome escape into fictional struggles rather than my own.

Let’s Chat!

Thank you for reading this weekly reading update! What’s happening in your reading life?

📚What’s the last book you finished?

📚How do you think your next reading week will go?

I hope you have a lovely day,

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