Reading Update (March and April)
Here’s the thing. It’s been about a month since I last posted, and it’s been two months since I last posted anything about what I’ve been reading. I can’t say I’ve read a LOT since then, but I’ve read a fair amount.
The books I’ve read in the last two months (with mini reviews/thoughts) are:
The Kane Chronicles: The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
It took me a while to get into this one. I think a part of that is because I’d been in YA land for so long that going back to Middlegrade was a bit of a shock to my system. The other part is simply… it was a little slow going to start. A lot of exposition yet somehow too little information? It wasn’t bad by any means, it was just a little harder to get into than I was expecting from a Rick Riordan Middlegrade Mythology book.
On the other hand, though, I did like the characters. They had fun voices. Also, I liked how the book was a ‘transcription from an audio recording that was sent to the author.’ It was a fun twist!
The Kane Chronicles: The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan
This one was also a little difficult for me to get into? I liked the characters just as much as before, and I understood the mythology and story better than whilst reading the first book, but it still was slow-going. It really didn’t pick up for me until the last quarter of the book.
The Kane Chronicles: The Serpent’s Shadow by Rick Riordan
Unlike the first two books in this trilogy, I got into this one RIGHT AWAY! I have no idea what was different, and maybe it was just my level of investment? But everything seemed… deeper. Even the characters.
All in all, despite the slow start I felt, I would suggest this book to anyone who likes Middlegrade fiction, or learning about Egyptian Mythology. It still felt like a Rick Riordan story, which might be why I read it in the first place!
The Son of Sobek, The Staff of Serapis, and The Crown of Ptolemy by Rick Riordan
This wasn’t really a book, just three random short stories that include the characters from The Kane Chronicles (aka Sadie and Carter Kane) as well as Percy and Annabeth from Percy Jackson and the Olympians. They were quite fun. It was the sort of crossover stuff that you never knew you needed until you’re reading them. These three stories were a nice, fun, short interlude between the bigger books.
Orpheus Girl by Brynne Rebele-Henry
It was a little weird going from a Middlegrade Mythology trilogy to this YA Contemporary, but I’m glad I did it. Orpheus Girl was heavy. There is no going around it. It was heavy, and hard, and it made me more angry than I can say. However, despite the heaviness of the topic and the story, I was still left with a sense of hope. It was… relieving.
I would like to read Orpheus Girl again… and soon. It’s a short book, which I appreciated, but I read through it so quickly that I wonder how much I missed.
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
I don’t even have words to describe how much I loved this book.
I read this when it first came out… years ago. So, when my siblings and I decided to do a read along, I knew I’d have to read this one again. It was WAY too fuzzy in my memory. I remembered liking the book a lot, but the second one hadn’t come out yet, and then I made the decision not to read the second one at all until the entire series had been published (I like to binge the books in a series. I HATE waiting on a cliffhanger).
Anyways. I was slow to start this book, but not because of the book itself. I just had things I had to do. But once I was finished with said things, I dove into this book so fast I think I gave myself whiplash. The characters are just pure perfection, the representation is incredible, the story is amazing. Like. I’m sorry. But I loved this so much. It was an incredible start to a trilogy.
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan
The second book was, somehow, better than the first. We get introduced to one of my favorite characters, and just… UGH! It was so good, and so fast paced. Like, these aren’t exactly short books, but they felt short? Not in a bad way, but in a, “Wow, how was I able to read the entire book in a day?” way.
Also, Magnus’ references in this book were gold. I think in this specific book in particular, though I’m honestly not sure. I basically read the whole trilogy in the span of a few days, so some of the details get mixed throughout the books!
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan
This was a fantastic ending to a really good trilogy. I kinda wish there were more books about Magnus and Crew… but that’s me just selfishly wanting more incredible content XD
Seriously. Rick Riordan is an amazing writer, a gifted storyteller, and a beautiful soul. He builds his stories for everyone to enjoy and feel a part of, and he gives us representation that feels real. His characters are more than just boxes to check off and plot points to advance the story. His characters are just that: characters. They are three-dimensional works of art—not perfect, but beautiful. And the worlds that these characters live in are so lively! This series truly reminded me why I love Uncle Rick so much (and also why the fandom calls him Uncle Rick. Like… no one could read this trilogy and not agree with the nickname!).
So, I guess these last two months have been very Rick Riordan heavy, and completely based in some mythology or other (started with Egyptian, went to Greek, and ended in Norse). I mean. I’m not complaining. It was a good way to spend some time!
If you’ve read any of the books above, shoot me a comment with your thoughts!
As for this next month (during which I plan on being more active), I have set up my TBR. Here it is, and if anyone wants to buddy-read any of these books with me, hit me up! I’m always down for a buddy read!
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
The Folk of Air Trilogy by Holly Black
Wilder Girls by Rory Power
I hope y’all are doing well. If you need anything, I’m here!