It’s the day after Deepavali and I’ve maximised the three-day weekend by reading up a storm; mostly because I’ve also been nursing some extreme fatigue so reading in bed seemed to be about the only productive thing I was capable of achieving during this period. This also means I managed to finish reading three books this past weekend and four books overall since I last posted! Huzzah. Apart from the books I completed reading, this weekend I’ve also been reading The Night Country by Melissa Albert and The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan which I began almost immediately after finishing The Shadow Rising. Say what you will about Jordan’s characterisation and dialogue tags but when it comes to sweeping and evocative descriptions of landscapes, he is masterful. And the read is engrossing!
Books I have completed reading
- The Shadow Rising (WOT #4) — Robert Jordan (reread). That was a very satisfying read and reminded me of all of the reasons why I loved WOT as a teenager. Which also brings me to the end of the narrative arc that’s in the (now cancelled) tv series. Onwards to discovering what I have forgotten in Book #5!
- Vigil — Angela Slatter (reread). I’ve reread this a few times over the years since I started working on an article about it in 2017. Now that it’s been submitted and is in peer-review, and I’ve finished reading this, I can finally reward myself by reading the second Verity Fassbinder book! Delightful novel, always makes me homesick for Brisbane.
- My Big Fat Fake Marriage — Charlotte Stein. I read this over the weekend, having decided I needed to read a romance novel to help me with the chemistry in Rosemirror (which I have been intensely working on). This story definitely has chemistry with the most unusual pairing I’ve read in ages. I hear the hero is based on Ted Lasso, and now my curiosity is piqued so I will likely watch Ted Lasso soon. This is also definitely a story for Quantum Leap fans (of the original series but the new series is also pretty awesome). Adorable, although some suspension of disbelief might be very necessary.
- The Bloody Chamber — Angela Carter (reread). I reread this collection for an article I’m going to be submitting very soon, hopefully today!
Books I am currently reading
- Five Star Billionaire —Tash Aw
- The Fires of Heaven (WOT #5) — Robert Jordan (reread)
- The Night Country — Melissa Albert
- System Collapse — Martha Wells
- Ancillary Justice — Ann Leckie (reread)
Books I recently purchased
A Songbook of Sparks — Marie Brennan
Published in Petaling, Selangor, Malaysia (21 October 2025)