WWW Wednesday (March 9th, 2022)

WWW Wednesday is hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words! All you have to do is answers the following three questions:

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

Currently Reading

I am about to finish In the Shadow of the Mountain on audio, and it is has been such a difficult listen but so worth it. The author herself narrates the audiobook, so I love hearing her tell her own story. Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is a sexual abuse survivor and, in 2014, she started a non-profit called Courageous Girls, which supports survivors of sexual abuse and trafficking. In 2016, Vasquez-Lavado, along with members of Courageous Girls, summited Mount Everest, and that experience plays out in the memoir. I am so moved to hear everyone’s stories and how freeing the experience of climbing Mount Everest was for them. The author also speaks of her time before the summit, starting with the abuse she experienced in her childhood. It is so painful to read, so be aware of that going into this one. She also reflects on how that experience affected her adulthood while also talking about her exploration of her sexuality and her experience with addiction. There is a lot to unpack in this one! Also, Selena Gomez has been cast to play Vasquez-Lavado in the adaptation, which is interesting.

Just Finished

I am so happy with my March reading so far! I have discovered a new genre- SciFi horror. I need some recommendations, so please leave any of your favourites in the comments. Dead Silence is being described as the Titanic in space, and I would say that is pretty apt; however, it is more like finding the Titanic many years later and realizing something sinister happened onboard. There was so much tension throughout this book and it truly gave me chills. I will say that I could have done without the romance!

I have had Pachinko on my shelves since 2018 and have been saving it for the right time. With the adaptation coming out at the end of March, there is no better time to finally reach for it. I always knew that it would become a favourite and I was right! It has been such a long time since I felt compelled to annotate a novel, but I couldn’t resist with this one. It reminded me why I love multi-generational family sagas. As the story unfolds over a number of decades, there are a lot of characters to keep track of, but I thought Min Jin Lee handled this well. It is a difficult story to read and a tear up more times than I can count, but there was still something hopeful about it. This is one of those books that has left a mark on me and will be talking about a lot both here on the blog and in my real life. I cannot tell you how excited I am for the adaptation!

So Many Beginnings is a Little Women retelling following four black women (named Meg, Joanna, Bethleham, and Amethyst, of course!) who are living in the Freemen’s Colony on Roanoke Island. It was interesting to read this story from their perspective, as it is set at the same time as the original story. There are a lot of nods to the original but was definitely a fresh take. I do not say this often, but I truly believe that this book should be taught in schools. There are a lot of important and insightful conversations that feel accessible for many readers.

Starting Next

I am about to start The Tropic of Serpents, which is the second book in the Memoirs of Lady Trent series. I am co-hosting a read-a-long of this entire series and we will be discussing this book at the beginning of April. Here is a link to the Discord if you are interested in joining us!

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