WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share their answers to the reading world’s three W’s:

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

Disclaimer: While I do participate in a few challenges and readathons, I am also a mood reader, so any books waiting in the wings are subject to abrupt and unannounced changes. You have been warned lol.

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Pages in Progress

Still playing catch up on my challenges and readathons, so I’m still reading a lot more than I normally would. I’ll keep up this pace for as long as I can, as I’m really hoping to actually complete at least one challenge this year but it’s really starting to get to me, so I’m not sure I’ll succeed. Looking forward to going back to my normal reading schedule next year!

That said, it’s October which means it’s time for Erin Smith’s Bewitched Reading Challenge. I’m done with all the books I started last month, and I’ve moved on to my October books. Wish me luck!

Cupid’s Curse: A Romantic Fantasy Adventure of Love, Gods, and Breaking Generational Curses by Travis Brown: Digital. 271 pages. 44% done. Current Goodreads rating = 0.00. There are no ratings or reviews on The Storygraph. Won this through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program. This is okay so far. Some parts are really, really good. Other parts are so-so. A bit repetitive. Could do with another couple of edits, I reckon, but the potential is there.

The hound of death: And other stories by Agatha Christie: Paperback. 190 pages. 30% done. Current Goodreads rating = 3.46. Current Storygraph rating = 3.25. A book of short stories. Okay so far.

Dis Information and Other Wikkid Myths by Karl Kruszelnicki: Paperback. 247 pages. 81% done. Current Goodreads rating = 3.75. Current Storygraph rating = 3.82. I grew up watching Dr Karl on the telly, so I was very much looking forward to reading this. Not disappointed! Lots of interesting facts to learn, and myths dispelled, with Dr Karl’s characteristic humour and enthusiasm.

Small Worlds: Flash Fiction and Microfiction by Gail Vida Hamburg: Digital. 156 pages. 17% done. Current Goodreads rating = 4.60. Current Storygraph rating = 3.25. Won this through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program. As the name suggests, this is a flash fiction and microfiction collection. I’m enjoying the stories so far.

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna with Samara MacLaren (Narrator): Audio. 9 hrs & 54 mins. 6% done. Current Goodreads rating = 4.04. Current Storygraph rating = 4.19. I’ve only just begun this book but, so far, the story is funny and whimsical, and the narrator is doing a good job.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas: Hardcover. 433 pages. 1% done. Current Goodreads rating = 4.16. Current Storygraph rating = 3.98. Thought I’d see what all the fuss is about. I’ve literally just started this so I have no opinion yet. The cover is stunning.

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On the Shelf Again

I didn’t read my challenge/readathon books in their correct month/s due to being in a reading slump, but I’m counting them anyway, because I did read them!

Title: The Bitter Sea: Coming of Age in a China Before Mao
Author: Charles N. Li
Prompts:
The 52 Book Club 2025 Lunar New Year Mini-Challenge: Book Three: By an Asian author
The Bewitched Reading Challenge 2025: Oath of Ink: A non fiction book
The Bewitched Reading Challenge 2025: Futuresight: A book recommended by someone you trust
Time to Read: 20 days
Rating: 4.75
Spice Rating: 0
Some Thoughts (not reviewed yet): I really don’t know much about China, so this glimpse of China through the eyes of someone who grew up there before Mao, fled when the communists attained power, and returned to live under communist rule for a year, was educational. The book wasn’t dry or boring though. Not by a long shot. It’s definitely worth reading.

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Title: The Plays of Oscar Wilde, Volume 2 (Wordsworth Classics)
Author: Oscar Wilde
Prompts:
The Buzzword Cover Challenge 2025: March: Cover featuring books
The Bewitched Reading Challenge 2025: Familiar’s Blessing: A classic book
Time to Read: 23 days
Rating: 5
Spice Rating: 1
Some Thoughts (not reviewed yet): I can see why Oscar Wilde was so popular back in the day and is, even now considered a master wordsmith. Both of these plays were hilariously insightful, and so sardonic of high society. On initial impressions, I think I liked An Ideal Husband better of the two, but I did love them both.

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Title: Letters for Emily: A Novel
Author: Camron Wright
Prompts:
The 52 Book Club Challenge 2025 May Mini-Challenge: Mains: An author from a country you’ve never visited
The Read Good Challenge: March: Ides of March
The Bewitched Reading Challenge 2025: Oath of Ink: A book by an author that’s new to you
Time to Read: 3 days
Rating: 4.25
Spice Rating: 2
Some Thoughts (not reviewed yet): This story was both heartbreaking, hopeful, and far more insightful than I was expecting. And that final chapter before the epilogue — bloody hell that was tense!

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Title: Bond Keeper: The Watcher’s Gift
Author: Nicola Appaji
Prompts:
The 52 Book Club Challenge 2025 October Mini-Challenge: Trick or Treat?: An mischievous character
The Bewitched Reading Challenge 2025: Emberward: A book with fire or flames on the cover
Time to Read: 12 days
Rating: 4
Spice Rating: 0
Some Thoughts (not reviewed yet): Philosophy for kids. A good read. A great message.

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Archived

Picked this up because it’s written by the same author as Schindler’s List. The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith is about a mixed race Australian who doesn’t fully fit into either culture and ends up with a huge chip on his shoulder because of it. The world wasn’t a kind place for mixed-race Australians back then and a lot of awful stuff is said and done to him. That said, he wasn’t exactly an angel himself — he deliberately set up a bloke to be SA’d and killed in custody, ffs. Content warnings for the portion of this book that I actually read include: SA, corporal punishment, male circumcision, alcohol, cursing, racism, racial slurs and other racist language, references to paedophilia, violence, death, blood, confinement, and death in custody. It’s also worth noting that this book was written by a white author. I just could not get into the writing style, and found myself dreading my scheduled reading time, so I DNF’d it and won’t be picking it up again.

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Waiting in the Wings

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© Adele Walker October 2025
Last modified: 22 October 2025