⋆.ೃ࿔࿐ྂfaith & fantasy⋆.ೃ࿔࿐ྂ discussion

Post what you are currently reading and tell us how you like it!

I’m currently read To Kill a Mockingbird! It’s really good!!

'Worm' and '7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle': Enjoying both so far!

Ooo. To Kill a Mockingbird IS good. I read it for school and then had to get my own copy I loved it so much.

I’m reading “An Unnatural Beanstalk” it’s okay but not great. I could’ve seen 12-14 year old me liking the series though.

I’m also beta/Arc reading several books which I’ve been taking too much time to juggle around and try to get through lol

I just started the book of Lamentations in KJV… ugh so sad.

Today I finished, “Sharp Objects” by Gillian Flynn. It was a little more explicit than I had hoped. Definitely some vulgar parts. But overall, an entertaining story.

I also started, “Scent of Jasmine” by Jude Deveraux. This is the third or fourth book in her “ Edileen“ series. I actually think it’s her third but I accidentally read them out of order. I love this author because she is pretty clean. Her stories give a light academia/cottage core aesthetic with just a hint of mystery.

Over Christmas I read some of Agatha Christie’s winter mysteries. They aren’t individual novels themselves but they are each part of her winter collection. You really can’t go wrong with a good Agatha book.

I’m also going to start marking on here which books of scriptures I am reading at the moment in case anybody wants to talk about that with me. I love talking about scripture and it really cannot be exhausted

* I love talking about scripture and it really cannot be exhausted**

@Shannon, Lamentations 3:32 is one of my favorite verses, especially in hard times.🙂

I am rereading A Tale of Two Cities. I read it many years ago for school and remember loving it, so I wanted to experience it again with more life under my belt. I found that I really remembered very little of the story and was surprised my younger self was able to parse out Dickens’ meaning in many places. The language is pretty complicated, but now that I have figured out that his style is quite different in this book from other stories I have read by him, it is more easy to understand. I am also remembering more of the story details now which definitely helps!

I have really been on a classics kick lately. I was going to read something more modern after The Count of Monte Cristo, but found that it felt too trivial after the weight of that read to go modern after it, so I stuck with classics, at least for now.😁

I need to read more classics. My family has a whole collection of them (beautiful hardbacks too 😍) I’ve just never gotten into them.

I’m reading through the Bible chronologically this year. I’m in Job atm and for the first time I’m including the Bible book I’m on with my “Currently reading” here on GR. I plan to update what I’ve read and then make a comment on what stuck out to me from the chapters I read.
1) to keep track and motivate me to keep track each day, 2) it will help keep me accountable and not go onto my phone before I’ve read, and 3) hope it’s encouraging to others.

I noticed your Job update, and it DID encourage me!😊

Job is one of my favorite Old Testament books :) It’s hard to pick, but my 5 favorite Old Testament books are:

1) The Psalms
2) Song of Songs
3) Sirach
4) The Wisdom of Solomon
5) Job

1) Genesis
2) 1 Samuel
3) Judges
4) 2 Samuel
5) Exodus

Awesome!

Bilbo's Journey: Discovering the Hidden Meaning in The Hobbit - I really like it! Currently 5 stars.
The Silmarillion - Love it, it's beautiful! Currently 5 stars.
Fascinating Creatures: Evidence of Christ's Handiwork - Really good for it's size and purpose. Currently 5 stars.
The Hobbit - It's my third time reading it, and of course I love it so much and give it 5 stars.
The Fathers of the Church: An Introduction to the First Christian Teachers - I'm reading it for school, so not all of it, but it's really good and I want to read it for fun afterwards. It's gotta be 5 stars.
Story of a Soul The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux - I'm getting a lot out of it, definitely gonna be a five star review.
The Problem of Pain - As always, a really good book by C. S. Lewis. Currently 5 stars.
Ella Enchanted - I've read it over three times, and it's 5 stars. I'm reading it with my sister though so it's going slowly.

i just started reading crazy rich asians

Sharon wrote: "@Shannon, Lamentations 3:32 is one of my favorite verses, especially in hard times.🙂

I am rereading A Tale of Two Cities. I read it many years ago for school and remember loving it, so I wanted to..."

I've got loads of recommendations if you want to read more classics, Sharon! I love classics of all kinds and have read many of them. :)

I am currently reading Art in the Blood by Bonnie MacBird. It's a Sherlock Holmes retelling since I've been in the mood to read more of these types of books. It's okay... not sure what to really think of it, but I do find the mystery interesting and I do intend to read the remaining books in the series.

I'm also reading The Teacher of Warsaw by Mario Escobar. Escobar is a writer that I tried out last year with his Children of the Stars and I fell in love with his writing. He's one of my favourite authors in the Holocaust fiction subgenre and I do highly recommend his works to anyone interested in picking up books that discuss this tragedy.

This year, I've decided to pick up some more nonfiction... So, I decided to pick up a Military Classic by Penguin called The Order of the Death's Head: The Story of Hitler's SS by Heinz Höhne. This is for my personal reading since history used to mean a lot to me at one point, so I decided to get back into the swing of things by reading a book whose topic I already know a lot about. So far, the writing is dense but it's an amazing read... and it's a classic, so... :)

@Tiffany, I know and appreciate your love for classics! I put some of your recs on my tbr from when I was reading Count of Monte Cristo. I am debating on another Dumas read, but don’t want to read Three Musketeers. I did not consult your recs before writing this, so I cannot remember which of his you recommended right now. I can check back, though, so you don’t have to reply to this with a list.🙂

Currently reading: The Toll

I’m currently reading The City of God and Shakespeare’s Sonnets.

I finished reading Art in the Blood. Not sure what to rate it right at this moment. I liked it well enough for what it was.

Forgot to mention that I am reading Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao. I had to set it down for a bit but getting back into the swing of things and it's been an easier read. It's a Anastasia Romanov retelling with magic. You definitely get that vibe with the book, particularly the aftermath of the Russian Revolution.

Just a warning, you've got to have a strong stomach for this book if you're planning on reading it. It deals with blood magic, so there's a fair amount of gore and... well... blood. Glad that I'm reading this one and the writing is definitely stunning.

can someone pls remove me from this group I cannot figure it out. Thank you in advance ❤️❤️❤️

Yup! I’ll do it right now :)

tinkerbell ౨ৎ wrote: "Stephen wrote: "3) Sirach"

I had to look this up! :-)"

Haha, yeah. It's one of the deuterocanonical books. :) The Catholic OT has seven more books than the Protestant OT. Also, the books of Daniel and Esther are longer, too, as we consider the Greek Septuagint variants of those books as canonical, while Protestants only recognize the Masoretic variants as inspired.

On another note, the Book of Tobit is hilarious 😂 Towards the end, on Tobias' wedding night, his father-in-law digs a grave for him. The reason is because his daughter, Sarah, had been married seven times prior to this marriage, but on the wedding night a demon named Asmodeus had killed every one of her husbands! The next morning he checks and sees that Tobias is still alive, so he orders his servant to quickly fill in the grave before anyone notices. I laughed for 15 minutes after reading this!

I am currently reading The Flight of the Raven which is the sequel to Mark of the Raven. It’s super good! Also I am about to start The Adventures of Robin Hood for school :)

tinkerbell ౨ৎ wrote: "Helena wrote: "Bilbo's Journey: Discovering the Hidden Meaning in The Hobbit..."

This sounds amazing!"

It was really good! :) (I finished it.)

I've decided to pick up Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray. It's a Victorian classic set during the early 19th century with the Napoleonic Wars in the background. According to the back of the book, it's meant as a satire of English society and no hero.

It's a bit difficult to read given the writing, but I think I'm about to reach the part of the book where I am going to really get into the swing of things. It's not going to be a fast read like Wilkie Collins but I am learning to appreciate Thackeray's writing and what he was hoping to aim for with his book.

Still reading The Teacher of Warsaw, but... I've slowed down a lot given the subject matter. It's hard to explain. However, I don't think I want the book to end which might be another reason for why it's taking me longer to get through this one. It's set in Poland during the Second World War, but it shows the trauma and tragedy of the Holocaust. It's beautifully written. One of the best books I've read in a long time about this topic.

I've chosen to pick up Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 1 by Tomohito Oda. It's a Manga so I'm really excited to read it. It's a cute little story about a young girl who has social anxiety and so she can't speak. It's pretty much about how Komi has to navigate the world with her disorder and how she desires to have friends and be as normal as she can be given her anxiety.

So far I'm loving the art style. Though, I definitely have to get used to the style of the book, since to me everything is 'backwards' with reading from right to left, instead of right to left. However, it's a good story and I'm having a lot of fun with it.

Tiffany wrote: "I've chosen to pick up Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 1 by Tomohito Oda. It's a Manga so I'm really excited to read it. It's a cute little story about a young girl w..."

You certainly are an eclectic reader!! I am glad you are enjoying it! I've not read any Manga.

Currently reading: Bitterblue

Sharon wrote: "Tiffany wrote: "I've chosen to pick up Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 1 by Tomohito Oda. It's a Manga so I'm really excited to read it. It's a cute little story abou..."

I've decided to do some branching out and read more graphic novels/manga this year. My sister reads these books all the time and she recommended Komi Can't Communicate since she said it's really good. ^^

However, I had to read a Manga many years ago for one of my general electives (literature) that you might be interested in, Sharon. Since you're enjoying classics, they have a series for classic titles such as this edition of Pride & Prejudice. The art style is simply stunning and I love what the writer did with telling/showing us the story in graphic novel format.

They also have The Count of Monte Cristo as a manga, if you're interested in picking it up. :)

✨ Tazannah *Taz* Gresheld ✨ wrote: "Currently reading: Bitterblue"

Oh wow! I've heard of the author but I don't believe I've read any of her books. How are you enjoying this one? I know it's part of a series so I'll probably have to pick up the other books. Looking into picking up more YA this year as well and have been hunting around for some really good titles.

It's pretty good ig XD
Only five pages in, hehe. Butttt, I HAVE read the first two books in the series, starting with Graceling, and it was rlyy good. You should def read it!

I picked up Twilight.

@Helena Why?? Do you hate yourself?? 😂

@Tiffany, I put the P&P Manga on my tbr. The cover is beautiful. If I like that, I might try TCoMC, if you recommend it.

@Stephen, Wait?? Why would Helena hate herself for picking up Twilight?? Sorry, I must have missed something.😅

Stephen wrote: "@Helena Why?? Do you hate yourself?? 😂"

Good question, I feel like a third wheel. 🤣 One of my best friends LOVES it so I want to talk about it with her, but I think I just found a new thing to argue about. 🤣

Sharon wrote: "@Stephen, Wait?? Why would Helena hate herself for picking up Twilight?? Sorry, I must have missed something.😅"

Because it's the cheesiest romance ever with no real moral to the story, it's just entertainment. I'm glad I'm reading it though, just so I can say I did and be entitled to an opinion. 🤣

Oh, ok! Got it now.👍

Sharon wrote: "@Stephen, Wait?? Why would Helena hate herself for picking up Twilight?? Sorry, I must have missed something.😅"

I can speak up about this... Apparently Twilight has a reputation for not being written very well and the books are super hyped even though the writing isn't all that spectacular? I don't know... I read Twilight ages ago. The books aren't my favourite and I stopped after the second book, but I can see why they are a fan favourite for many people. Especially those that are big in vampire fiction.

As somebody who read Dracula some years back, I feel like the author could have done a better job at depicting her vampire characters. However, she does a good job at showing the tropes seen within vampire fiction as well. Not going to say much since spoilers are a thing, but there's some scenes where Edward definitely becomes a bit like Dracula. Though, it's turned around from being creepy into a romantic gesture.

Tiffany wrote: "Sharon wrote: "@Stephen, Wait?? Why would Helena hate herself for picking up Twilight?? Sorry, I must have missed something.😅"

I can speak up about this... Apparently Twilight has a reputation for..."

I think it's written well, that is, there's good grammar and it captures your interest. I thought the word choices were good but now I'm feeling like some are being repeated. Yep, I don't want to read the rest of the series at all.

I don't really care about how she made the vampires different, it's creative. I just don't care for their creation. I guess I can see how people like it, but I prefer something a little more intellectual.

Helena wrote: "Tiffany wrote: "Sharon wrote: "@Stephen, Wait?? Why would Helena hate herself for picking up Twilight?? Sorry, I must have missed something.😅"

I can speak up about this... Apparently Twilight has ..."

That's one thing that I think I appreciate very much about Meyer is how she chose to depict the vampires in her book. It definitely is very creative and I like her take on vampire lore. It's been AGES since I read the Twilight books so I'm sure that my opinion would change given how much I've grown with my reading since then. The books were read when I was a preteen, so a long time ago... :/

They are fun reads but again, I stopped after I read the second book. It was during the time when I was getting more into vampire fiction, so I think I appreciate them more for what they gave to me at the time I picked them up. I moved on from vampires when I discovered my love for ancient Greece and Rome... ;)

I am currently reading The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang. This has been sitting on my sadly neglected fairy tale/mythology shelf for years- so now, it's time to read it. I've got a few of Lang's works on my shelves but I want to read fairy tales that I'm particularly interested in.

The Blue Fairy Book contains a few French fairy tales as well as some tales from the Arabian Nights.

Looking to giving my poor brain a huge break from reading some really heavy books, and reading fairy tales is a great (and fun) way to do this.

That sounds like a good idea, Tiffany!

@Sharon @Tiffany I finished my review for Twilight, here it is. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm reading, Saint, and Sense and sensability
I like saint a lot better

I'm currently reading the 4th book in The Ascendance Series, The Captive Kingdom by Jennifer A. Neilsen. Pretty good so far

Sydney wrote: "I'm currently reading the 4th book in The Ascendance Series, The Captive Kingdom by Jennifer A. Neilsen. Pretty good so far"

I read this first book in this series (The False Prince, I believe?) and I remember absolutely falling in love with characters and their story. Meant to pick up the second book from the library but then the pandemic hit and unfortunately, I never managed to pick the books up. Now that I keep seeing people reading these books, the more I want to pick up the rest of the series. :)

Tiffany wrote: "Sydney wrote: "I'm currently reading the 4th book in The Ascendance Series, The Captive Kingdom by Jennifer A. Neilsen. Pretty good so far"

I read this first book in this series (The False Prince,..."

Yes, it's a great series!! You need to read the rest <3