Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

1. What did you read last?
2. What are you currently reading?
3. What will you read next?

Wow, it really doesn’t feel like I’ve read a lot since last week but apparently I’ve managed to finish five books? Surprise to me! LOL. It might not help that I haven’t actually marked these as read on Goodreads and neither have I properly reviewed them either. Oopsies, one thing a time though… 🤣

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Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries #2) by Martha Wells ★★★★☆
Repeatedly chants: I love Murderbot! Because I really really do and I would read all the books with Murderbot as the protagonist. This one was slightly less exciting than book one but we got to dive a bit more into Murderbot’s psyche and we also get to meet ART, who I also loved! 😂 Buddy reading this series with Leslie and we’re both loving it and can’t wait to continue! Series RTC.

Namesake (Fable #2) by Adrienne Young ★★★★☆
Namesake was a really satisfying conclusion to the Fable duology. The story picks up immediately where book one ends and it’s full of pirate-y goodness, many more high-seas adventures, and delicious deceptions and twists! This second book is less focused on world building and character development, but it has a very fast-paced plot that leaves little time to dwell on it. Check out my review!

Silence Is a Sense by Layla AlAmmar ★★★★★
I sat with my thoughts and feelings for this book for two days and I’m still unable to coherently review it. March 15 marked 10 years since the Syrian War began and with this book AlAmmar set out to ‘dispel the abstractions’ of the literal crumbling of a nation and to ground the magnitude of such devastation through the personal narrative in this book and she does an incredible job. Poetically written, thought-provoking and emotionally explosive, this isn’t an easy read at all but my gosh, is it absolutely worth it! This will undoubtedly be one of the most impactful books I read in 2021 and I highly recommend it! RTC tomorrow.

The Lord of Stariel (Stariel #1) by A.J. Lancaster ★★★★☆
This was an incredibly fast read and exactly what I needed after finishing Silence Is a Sense left me drowning in my feelings (and tears). Why is this series not talked about more!? This was a really fun and easy read and I really enjoyed the characters, especially Hetta who was sassy and empowering. I thought the magic of Stariel was unique too although we don’t learn very much about it in this book (more in the second). Family plays a big role here and I don’t think I’ve read a fantasy where so many family member are actively involved in the story, so that was interesting–thankfully, I liked (most) of them. I’m reading book two now but RTC!

The Devil Wears Black by L.J. Shen ★★★½
Shen is a romance author that I’ve actively avoided because I heard the angst is strong in her books. 🤣 But I did it–I read my first L.J. Shen romance! LOL. I have to admit, this was a bit dramatic and angsty for my liking but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be. Yes, the plot was predictable and the characters more than a little cliché but I ended up liking them and I enjoyed the story overall. Sometimes you just need something like this to take you away from reality, y’know? Let’s just say that I’m curious enough to try another one of her books–hopefully it won’t be too angsty. RTC

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I’ve got quite a few reads on at the minute. I started my buddy read for Jade City with Jess this week and I’m looking forward to some uninterrupted reading time with this book starting tomorrow. I picked this up last year but wasn’t in the right headspace for it but I’m hoping it’ll stick this time with the audiobook! I’m also getting back into The Songbook of Benny Lament and will alternate read with Jade City until I finish it! I’m about 40% of the way through The Prince of Secrets (Stariel #2) already. This book is such an easy read and the character growth and plot progression have me HOOKED. Seriously, why is no one talking about this series? Will likely finish this tonight so I can focus on the other two books starting tomorrow!

So many books, so hard to decide! Here are some possibilities… 😊

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What’re you currently reading? Have you read any of these books or are they also on your TBR? Happy reading! 😍