Leslie and I are planning a group read for Dungeon Crawler Carl starting in January 2026! Find more details on Leslie’s page or at the end of this post!

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?

It’s been a bit of a slow reading week as I haven’t really been able to figure out my reading mood. Since last week, I’ve only managed to finish 2 books!

Katabasis by R.F. Kuang ★★★★☆
We finally finished our group read of Katabasis and I’m so glad that I read it with others. There was a lot to talk about and all of us wound up feeling similarly about it by the time we got to the end. As much as I enjoy Kuang’s writing, I understand why it’s not for everyone, and while I ultimately enjoyed this, I think I expected more from it so I did feel a little let down. I understand people’s critiques of the book, especially about how some of the things that are brought up aren’t challenged, the pacing was a bit off, and the first half was much stronger than the second. But Kuang’s books, I think, are meant to make you feel uncomfortable (and ngl, probably a little depressed) because that’s where we’re meeting her characters. That said, I still marvel at her writing. It’s so smart and sharp, but also dry and humorous. I love how she tackles hard things related to academia—it’s always so fascinating—and ultimately, I enjoyed this journey to hell, even if it wound up being different to what I initially expected.

The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting (Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune #1) by KJ Charles ★★★★½
This was such a fun romp and it made me realise that it’s been too long since I’ve read one of Charles’ books. I loved the social commentary, moments exploring what it means to be family, the snarky banter, swoony romance, and delightfully charged yet playfully sensual moments. Robin and Hart were wonderful MCs and I rooted so hard for them to get their HEA. Also, if you love healthy communication? They are it! 😍 So much love for them!

Lately, I’ve been picking up and dropping books like nobody’s business because my mood has been switching on a dime. I’m tired and overwhelmed and what keeps my interest one day, will wane the next, or I’ll feel like I have to wait for the perfect time to binge it in one sitting. That’s why the last two are “on hold” for now but I’m still (hopefully) planning to finish them in the week ahead. The other three are new starts and group/buddy reads! 😍

• Whispers of the Deep ⇢ 27% ⇢ This wasn’t at all on my radar but I picked it up because I could access the audiobook and it’s partially narrated by the guy who did Peter’s voice in Katabasis (and I loved his voice)! 🤭 While I can’t say that I’m loving the dual narration (there’s something flat about the FMC’s narration and the MMC’s also doesn’t seem to entirely fit the character), but I’m surprisingly enjoying this monster romance that’s a bit plot heavy than I expected.
• The Tropic of Serpents ⇢ 1% ⇢ I’m starting this buddy read with Leslie, Charlotte and Veros and I’m so excited to continue Isabella’s story! 😍 To be fair, I haven’t quite started yet, but I’m picking it up after this!
• Jade City ⇢ 40% ⇢ It’s time for the next month-long group read for The GBS to begin! I’m so freaking excited because, if you haven’t noticed by now (although I’m not sure how), this series is my top top-tier favourite series of all time and I take every opportunity I can to screech about it. My heart is already stampeding just thinking about what’s to come! 😂
• A Man Called Ove ⇢ 40% ⇢ This man carries so much sadness in him—it’s heartbreaking! I just about managed to not cry on the train while reading this but it’s what made me decide that I need to one-sit binge this. I was planning on it the past weekend, but we know that didn’t go as planned. I’m enjoying it a lot though and I want to go from the beginning to annotate bits, lol.
• Lady’s Knight ⇢ 6% ⇢ I’m really only in the beginning stages of this but my interest has been piqued! I’m already liking the contrast between these two characters and I’m keen to see where their stories go.

I’m really going with my mood.

Join our group read for Dungeon Crawler Carl in January!

Even before we finished the seventh book in September, we already knew we wanted to do a bigger re-read of the series in the lead up to the eighth book coming out in 2026! We also figured this would be really fun reading in a bigger group, so that’s what we’re doing! We’ll start in January and read roughly 1 book per month to prepare for the release of the next book later in the year! We’re hosting it on instagram so leave a comment below or message me or Leslie on Instagram if you’d like to join.
GET EXCITED, CRAWLERS! 🧨

What are you currently reading? I hope you’re enjoying whatever book you’ve picked up, friends!

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