stargazer

WWW Wednesday, 19-02-2020

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words. The three Ws are:

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

What are you currently reading?

Book challenges? Commitment to reading specific books before specific deadlines? No. Just can’t do it. But the Japanese Literature Challenge 13 only requires you to read one book within one quarter. Now, that is my kind of challenge. With Kafka on the Shore, I fulfilled my quota; if I manage to review Convenience Store Woman as well, I outperform my target with 100%!

What did you recently finish reading?

The Dutch House has been everywhere in the book blogging community lately and soon it will appear on the stargazer blog as well. Whether I thought it could live up to all the hype? Well, I guess you have to wait for my review. 😉

What do you think you’ll read next?

Do books go bad, if you keep them too long on your Kindle without reading them? 🤔 I’m not going to risk it, so I want to get through the books, which have been lingering on my Kindle for a while. The Beekeeper of Aleppo is on top of that list. It is the story about a beekeeper and his wife, who flee from a war-torn Syria and travel through Europe to get to Britain. The novel offers a perspective on the refugee crisis and is as relevant as ever.

It might have escaped your attention, that I am partial to a good detective novel. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins was first published in 1868 as a serial in Charles Dickens’s magazine All the Year Round. It is considered to be the first detective novel ever and according to Wikipedia it established many of the ground rules of modern detective stories. How can I not read this?

I rarely follow a series to the bitter end. At some point, I start to find the series getting tired, repetitive or I just ‘forget’ to check if new instalments are being published. One of the few I am following at the moment is James Oswald’s Inspector McLean series. The next book is out 20th February, and I can’t wait!

This was my reading. What are you reading? And how do you feel about book challenges, following a series through or leaving books unread on the Kindle forever?

45 comments

    • Yes, I completely agree. The social part, i.e. doing something with other bloggers, is fun, it’s the pressure (real or imagined…) that I object to!

  3. Oh Stargazer, I am terrible for forgetting books on my Kindle! As they are not technically visible or taking up any tangible space it is so difficult. I have made a to-be-read folder on my Kindle to help me a bit. 😏I look forward to hearing your thoughts on The Moonstone, as I also have that to read… funnily enough its in my bottomless pit I call my to-be-read folder on my Kindle! 😅

    Here’s my WWW: https://thebookwormchronicles.wordpress.com/2020/02/19/www-wednesday-19th-february-2020/ 🙂

    • That’s just it, out of sight, out of mind! A to-be-read folder sounds like a good idea. I’ve made a list in a Word document with all my unread eBooks and audiobooks. The plan is to cross them out one by one as I read them – but as we all know, things don’t always go according to plan 😉 . I’ll get to The Moonstone soon, I’m quite looking forward to it.

    • Thanks! I’m glad to hear you love The Moonstone. It’s quite a long one, which has been holding me back, but I hope to get to it soon.

  7. I’m so glad you found time for two booka of Japanese literature! Love them both, and looking forward to what you think of Convenience Store Woman. I thought it was quite interesting…SHE is quite interesting, and perhaps on some sort of spectrum.😳😊

    • I’m glad too. It’s great with an opportunity to read some Japanese literature – I mean to continue, even after the challenge ends. Convenience Store Woman was a lovely little gem and Keiko is my new heroine 😉 . Some of her behaviour made me think of a mild degree of Aspergers, but I’m quite pleased the author didn’t feel the need to put a label on her.

      • Yes, I was thinking Asberger’s too. She was so brave and so real, and I’m glad the author actualized her full potential.

  8. I have put aside two series this week because the first book just didn’t capture my attention enough! Neither of them were bad and I might (BIG might) return to them in future months but I am perfectly happy to turn my attention to the other wonderful books waiting for me and leaving that series unfinished.

    I can’t wait to read your review of Convenience Story Woman – love that cover.

    Have a great week! Here is my WWW: https://silverbuttonbooks.com/2020/02/19/www-wednesday-february-19-2020/

    • Exactly! Life is just to short to work yourself through a mediocre series, just because you want to know, if the world survives (it normally does), the two protagonists fall in love (they do) or if the killer is finally caught (he is) 😉 .

    • I must admit, I only heard of Wilkie Collins quite recently, when I read a review of The Moonstone on another blog. But yes, the idea of this book being the first detective novel definitely made me curious.

  10. Pffft, you’re such a tease. Now I guess I’ll have to tune back in to see what you thought of Ann Patchett’s book. xD

    I can confirm that books never go bad, no matter how long you have them, and thank goodness, because otherwise my Kindle would be a questionable swamp of murky, seething hatred by now. Aaaand it is not, last time I checked. I think the Beekeeper of Aleppo is even on it? I know I’ve at least looked at it, because it seems like people enjoy it. Hope you do, too! Happy reading.

    • Haha, anything to lure in a few readers. 😉

      Good to know about the books not going bad! But now you put a picture in my head of this questionable swamp, which might still entice me to get through all the books, just in case. The Beekeeper of Aleppo seems to be very popular, but I’ve started reading it and so far I am not convinced. Thanks!

  12. I get so annoyed about The Moonstone! Bleak House had a detective investigating a murder a full fifteen years earlier!! Dickens did everything first, didn’t you know? 😉 I’m intrigued as to what you thought of The Dutch House – it’s been on and off my wishlist a zillion times depending on what review I last read. Maybe you’ll be the one to make me finally decide whether it deserves a place…

    • Haha, no, I didn’t know that about Dickens 🙂 . In any case, I look forward to reading The Moonstone, it is meant to be a solid story. I won’t reveal too much about my experience of The Dutch House, since my review will (hopefully) go up next week. But it’s a quiet, character driven story and I can easily see, why some people are drawn in, whereas others are bored stiff. Ok, that wasn’t any help, was it. 😉

      • Those characters in the Dutch House that people are drawn to are also as boring as the plot 🙂 This sibling relationship we has seen in literature a million and a half times. In my opinion, it is unbelievable how unoriginal (and dull) The Dutch House actually is. I could not personally wait for it all to end and did not care about anyone in the story. Heh, so much for my honest opinion 🙂

        • I love an honest opinion! It’s always interesting to find books, which really divide the waters and are either loved (I have seen The Dutch House as number one on Top of the Decade reads) or the opposite. Did you write a review of The Dutch House? I can’t remember seeing it.

          • I always hesitate to post negative reviews, but I think three-star reviews are ok. For less than that, it can easily end in negativity. I liked The Dutch House a lot better than The Goldfinch, but I see what you mean about similarities. Also, it’s good to see you enjoyed The Memory Police, that’s another one, I want to read.

  13. Oh my goodness, The Beekeeper is fantastic. I hope you love it! Also Convenience Store Woman was quirky and I enjoyed it! I can’t wait for your thoughts on The Dutch House. I listened to the audio of that one.

    • So far, I am not completely convinced about The Beekeeper, but I am not through yet, so perhaps I will change my mind. I listened to The Dutch House on audio as well, I though Tom Hanks did a great job narrating. My review should be up next week. 🙂

  14. I need to read The Moonstone too and I’m pretty sure The Beekeeper is somewhere in the depths of my kindle. Challenges – I do like them and generally don’t feel bad when I almost invariably fail on them. I do feel bad though at my lack of book reviews. As for series, I have a few that I’m mad keen on but I’m reluctant to begin too many, especially if they already involve a large number of books. It’s just too daunting trying to catch up!

    • Haha, I would invariably fail book challenges as well – which is why I don’t participate. But if you can be relaxed about them, I admit they are fun. I’m still a tad too competitive (and perhaps affected by working in London’s corporate world) to feel completely relaxed about not fulfilling goals and deadlines.

      Series can be great, because you can really explore character development and have an overarching, complex storyline (such as Harry Potter). But I still find it rare, that an author can keep me captivated all the way through a series, which is why I often give up at some point.

  15. I’ve read both Convenience Store Woman and The Moonstone – two very different reads but I hope you enjoy them! I studied The Moonstone as the first book on my crime fiction module and it’s long but worth it – Collins manages to do so much! I love that you read such a variety of books X x x

    • I remember your review of The Moonstone – that was the first time I ever heard of it! Thanks for putting it on my radar. It’s so cool, that you actually had to study The Moonstone, I guess you read a book in a different way, when it’s part of a course. Thanks, variety is key, isn’t it? I love reading different types of books. 🙂

  16. This year I’ve backed away from challenges that involve making a list of what to read or that have targets for reading x number of books. Japan lit challenge is perfect because as you say you only have to read 1. I’m feeling smug because I’ve read 2!! Convenience Store Woman is one I’d like to read but I’d better read through my current TBR before buying anything new though

    Wilkie Collins is a favourite of mine though some of his books are pretty weak. Woman in White is my favourite though

    • Exactly, it’s nice with an undemanding challenge, which gives you a chance to exceed the target. I understand you want to get through your existing TBR, before acquiring new books; I try to do the same. Convenience Store Woman is a quick read though, so easy to squeeze in.

      I’ve never read any Wilkie Collins before, but if I get on with The Moonstone, I’ll have a look at his other novels.

  17. I sort hate-love the idea of books with an expiration date hahaha Imagine how much that would change our way to consume them, the amount of bookworms who would suddenly stop filling their bookshelves, scared to not ever reading some books! Happy reading though. You’ve got some super interesting books queued up! 😀

    • Haha, I’m not sure how that idea of books going bad popped into my head – sometimes my brain moves in mysterious ways… It certainly would change our reading patterns, like buying fresh fruit and vegetables, you only get what is required to get you through the week, you consume, you review (well maybe not the vegetables) and then you buy some new ones. Thanks!

  18. I’ve given up on challenges as my TBR is giant and I’m a mood reader. Also, I can do without the pressure! As for series, I enjoy following them, getting to know the characters better as each book is released. It can be hard to find series that remain good throughout, though!

    • Yes, I’m a mood reader as well, which certainly doesn’t help, when it comes to challenges. The “getting to know the characters” part is one of the best things about series. That’s why I’m looking forward to the next in the McLean series – it’s almost like catching up with old friends, when I start reading!

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