February Reading

The Wandering Inn by Pirateaba – this is a web serial that got turned into a book and then an audio. I’m glad I’m doing it in audio format. It’s somewhere around 65 hours just for the first book so listening in short bursts on the drive to work keeps it from getting stale. It revolves around people who get teleported from our Earth to another world. In this new world which has magic and many different humanoid races other than human there is a class and level system. Anyone who has played an RPG knows what I mean. The things you do cause you to gain levels and skills.

The book starts off with Erin Solstice, who finds shelter at an abandoned inn, makes it her own, and levels up as an innkeeper. Next the perspective switches to Ryoka Griffin, a runner who delivers mail and packages. Ryoka is awful. She has a terrible attitude and isn’t at all likeable. The focus of the book goes into describing the minutia of their daily lives. While things do happen, and the plot does move forward its at a glacial speed.

The writing style is primitive and not terribly polished. At something like 9,000,000 words and counting the series could use a good editor. Erin spends way too much time staring at things she isn’t pleased with.

That’s not to say that I don’t like it, I do, or I wouldn’t be almost done. I just don’t know if I’m going to continue reading the series because it’s a huge investment of time and I have so many other audiobooks waiting in the wings. I forget where I found the recommendation for this series. It may have been because I read The Mayor of Noobtown by Ryan Rimmel, which is another Lit RPG title. I enjoyed that one too and may continue that series because it’s a lot less of a time sink. 

Duma Key by Stephen King – I’m on a quest to read or reread all of Stephen King’s books in loosely chronological order and I’m up to rereading Duma Key. It’s been interesting to see how King has matured as a writer over time and I’m a big fan of horror.

Duma Key has some supernatural horror elements but is more in the style of Dolores Claiborne or Gerald’s Game where the focus is mainly on the main character.

Edgar Freemantle is a highly successful contractor who has a horrifying accident involving a crane and a pickup truck. He ends with brain damage, loses an arm,  and becomes an angry person. His marriage fails and his relationships with his beloved daughters become strained. His psychiatrist suggests that he take some time away and figure out what might bring him joy so Edgar moves to Florida and takes up painting. Edgar is a painting prodigy, and his art brings him into contact with the supernatural forces that inhabit Duma Key.

Duma Key starts out super slowly and focuses on the characters rather than on the horror. I’m in the last third of the book and it’s only now that Edgar and his friends are about to confront what’s actually going on.

For the remainder of February reading we have:

Remarkably Bright Creatures – Shelby Van Pelt. This was the selection of the month for the Let’s Get Lit Book Club. We meet every month at Dirty Job Brewing in Downtown Mansfield. That’s right my bookclub meets in a bar!

Desert Creatures – Kay Chronister. The December book of the month from Twisted Retreat book club. I love that they do fancy editions and I’ve wanted to read this book ever since I saw it mentioned on one of my Goodreads forums.

The Circus Train – Amita Parikh. Circus lit is one of my favorite genres. One of my favorite books of all time is Spangle by Gary Jennings, I also loved Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen so I have high hopes for this one.

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. I’ve had this on my TBR shelf for so long that she’s come out with a sequel. I just got a copy of Hell Bent so it’s high time I read them both.

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James. Another book I’ve had on my TBR pile for a while.