Happy Wednesday, friends, and welcome to this month’s WWW Wednesday! I enjoyed doing this challenge from Taking on a World of Words a handful of times last year, and thought it might be fun to partake once a month in 2024. I didn’t think it was possible, but I have surpassed the total number of books read in January. I revisited a bestselling fantasy series, started a long-awaited new release, and delved into some important life topics. Hope you enjoy!
WWW Wednesday is a weekly challenge or tag for bookish bloggers. It’s used to share:
- What you’ve just finished reading
- What you’re currently reading
- What you plan to read next
Just finished reading
The Light After the War – Anita Abriel
This was one of those “I’m in need of a semi-decent audiobook to fall asleep to” type reads for me. I had this one and another by the same author on hold from the library, and this one came in first. Overall, it was a decent read, and there are some important and valuable themes to it, but compared to some of the other books I read, it just didn’t stand out that much. I’ll probably have to go back someday and re-read it in book form to fully appreciate it.
Inspired by an incredible true story of two Jewish friends who survived the Holocaust, this sweeping novel of love and friendship spans World War II from Budapest to Austria and the postwar years from Naples to Caracas, perfect for fans of The German Girl and We Were the Lucky Ones. It is 1946 when Vera Frankel and her best friend Edith Ban arrive in Naples. Refugees from Hungary, they managed to escape from a train headed for Auschwitz and spent the rest of the war hiding on an Austrian farm. Now, the two young women must start new lives abroad. Armed with a letter of recommendation from an American officer, Vera finds work at the United States embassy where she falls in love with Captain Anton Wight.But as Vera and Edith grapple with the aftermath of the war, so too does Anton, and when he suddenly disappears, Vera is forced to change course. Their quest for a better life takes Vera and Edith from Naples to Ellis Island to Caracas as they start careers, reunite with old friends, and rebuild their lives after terrible loss.Moving, evocative, and compelling, this timely tale of true friendship, love, and survival will stay with you long after you turn the final page.
The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss – Amy Noelle Parks
Okay, this book made me so happy and so mad all at the same time! It was a super sweet, nerdy love story that I absolutely adored, even if the characters are a different sub-species of nerd than I am (STEM rather than ELA or foreign language, lol). I love the way that the MMC relates to his best-friend-cum-true-love, and his determination to keep being her understanding supportive human even when she is actively choosing to be with someone else. I listened to this for the first time as an audiobook, but will likely have to re-experience it in book form at some point, possibly in a form where I can highlight all of the adorable and surprisingly insightful things it has to offer.
Caleb has always assumed that when she was ready for romance, Evie would choose him. Because he is her best friend, and he loves her, and he has almost kissed her 17 times…
Seventeen-year-old Evie Beckham has never been interested in dating. She’s been fully occupied by her love of mathematics and her frequent battles with anxiety (and besides, she’s always found the idea of kissing to be a little bit icky). But with the help of her best friend and her therapist, Evie’s feeling braver. Maybe even brave enough to enter a prestigious physics competition and to say yes to the new boy who’s been flirting with her.
Caleb Covic knows Evie isn’t ready for romance but assumes that when she is, she will choose him. So Caleb is horrified when he is forced to witness Evie’s meet cute with a floppy-haired, mathematically gifted transfer student. Because Caleb knows the girl never falls for the funny best friend when there’s a mysterious stranger around, he decides to use an online forum to capture Evie’s interest. Now, he’s got Evie wondering if it’s possible to fall in love with a boy she’s never met.
Told in the alternating voices of Evie and Caleb, THE QUANTUM WEIRDNESS OF THE ALMOST KISS is a YA romantic comedy, sure to satisfy fans of Jenny Han, Rainbow Rowell and Stephanie Perkins.
Princess in Love & Princess in Waiting – Meg Cabot
I’ve sort of casually kept up with this series whenever I don’t have anything else to listen to. The first three of the audiobooks are narrated by Anne Hathaway, which is absolutely PERFECT as she is literally Mia Thermopolis to me, but starting with book 4 it’s a completely different narrator. I *sort of* got used to her after a while, but it’s just not the same, and Mia’s continual lack of confidence or anything good to say about herself at all, paired with her continual doubts about Michael, kind of get hard to listen to after a while. I might continue the series just to find out how it ends, and so I can read the spin-off series, but I’m not super into it : (.
In a series of humorous diary entries, a New York City ninth grader agonizes over her love life, final exams, and future role as the princess of Genovia.
All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr
Let’s be real, a lot of people probably developed/rediscovered an interest in this book after the Netflix show released a couple of months ago, and I was one of them. My hold came up this month, and I listened to it on audiobook. I read this for the first time a few years ago, and I remember enjoying it. I still did enjoy it this time, but it wasn’t quite as good of a read as I remember. Still pretty good though.
Marie-Laure lives in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where her father works. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.
In a mining town in Germany, Werner Pfennig, an orphan, grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find that brings them news and stories from places they have never seen or imagined. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments and is enlisted to use his talent to track down the resistance. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, Doerr illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another.
From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, the stunningly beautiful instant New York Times bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.
Princess Academy: Palace of Stone & The Forgotten Sisters – Shannon Hale
This series is one of the few cases of a much-later sequel actually improving on the first book. I LOVED both of these, and greatly enjoyed the expansion of Miri and the other characters’ world. It was so much fun to go back into this world that I loved so much as a kid and have new adventures there. So good!!
In this second book in New York Times bestselling, Newbery Honor-winning author Shannon Hale’s Princess Academy series , Miri embarks on a brand new life in the city.
Coming down from the mountain to a new city life is a thrill to Miri. She and her princess academy friends have come to Asland to help the future princess Britta prepare for her wedding. There, Miri also has a chance to attend school–at the prestigious Queen’s Castle.
But as Miri befriends sophisticated and exciting students, she also learns that they have some frightening plans for a revolution. Torn between loyalty to the princess and her new friends’ ideas, between an old love and a new crush, and between her small mountain home and the bustling city, Miri looks to find her own way in this new place.
A Cat’s Guide to Bonding with Dragons – Chris Behrsin
Okay, this one has been on my list for a while now, and I finally got around to reading it this month. For anybody who loves a good reluctant protagonist, or anyone who just loves cats, this is a must read. The comments this kitty makes are spot on exactly how I imagine a cat would react to being transported to a fantasy dimension XD. And the storyline is pretty compelling as well : )
The unlikely duo who might just save the world
Ben must be the hungriest cat ever…
One moment, he was enjoying a breakfast of salmon trimmings in his home in South Wales. The next, he was teleported across time and space onto the cold stone floor of an evil warlock.
Locked in the warlock’s tower through day and night, Ben may have to serve him for a while. He’ll hate this, especially having to hunt those infernal demon rats when the warlock doesn’t feed him well at all.
Meanwhile, in a distant academy, a dragon is bored out of her mind. Unable to wear a saddle, no human dares mount her. Is there anyone in this land who can ride her into battle against the forces of the evil warlocks? Somehow, she doubts she’ll ever find a suitable bond.
Unless there is another creature with enough dexterity to fulfil that role. One, perhaps, who is currently sprinting right out of a warlock’s front door…
Girl Defined – Bethany Baird and Kristen Clark
I found the Girl Defined instagram account a few years ago, and finally decided to listen to their podcast this month. That led me to this book, which I again listened to on audiobook. I like that it was narrated by the authors, but I almost feel like I need to read and annotate it, as I didn’t really get a lot of solid content out of it. Still a good read though, just maybe not quite what I needed in this season of life.
In a Culture of Distortions, Discover God-Defined Womanhood and Beauty
In a culture where airbrushed models and career-driven women define beauty and success, it’s no wonder we have a distorted view of femininity. Our impossible standards place an incredible burden of stress on the backs of women and girls of all ages, resulting in anxiety, eating disorders, and depression. One question we often forget to ask is this: What is God’s design for womanhood?
In Girl Defined, sisters and popular bloggers Kristen Clark and Bethany Baird offer women a countercultural view of beauty, femininity, and self-worth. Based firmly in God’s design for their lives, this book helps women rethink what true success and beauty look like. It invites them on a liberating journey toward a radically better vision for femininity that ends with the discovery of the kind of hope, purpose, and fulfillment they’ve been yearning for.
What Once Was Mine – Liz Braswell
I absolutely LOVE this series of Twisted Disney Tales. Every single one of them has been uniquely brilliant, and this one is no exception. I love what the author did with the idea of the moon changing phases, and although it was slightly jarring at times, I also enjoyed the way that the brother-telling-a-story thing was woven into the regular plot. It kind of reminds me of The Princess Bride, which is an absolute classic, so I greatly appreciated that.
Desperate to save the life of their queen and her unborn child, the good people of Corona search for the all-healing Sundrop flower to cure her—but mistakenly acquire the shimmering Moondrop flower instead. Nonetheless it heals the queen, and she delivers a healthy baby girl with hair as silver and gray as the moon. With it comes dangerous magical powers: the power to hurt, not heal. For her safety and the safety of the kingdom, Rapunzel is locked in a tower and put under the care of powerful goodwife, Mother Gothel.
For eighteen years Rapunzel stays locked away, knowing she must protect others from her magical hair. But when she leaves the only home she’s ever known, wanting only to see the floating lights that appear on her birthday, she gets caught up in an adventure across the kingdom with two thieves—a young woman named Gina, and Flynn Rider, a rogue on the run. Before she can reach her happy ending, Rapunzel learns that there may be more to her story, and her magical tresses, than she ever knew.
Outdated – Jonathan Pokluda and Kevin McConaghy
After almost six months of dating again after four YEARS of solemnly swearing that I’d be single forever, I finally started reading all the Christian Dating Books. Dunno why, this one just stuck out to me at the library one day, and I did the usual “let it sit on my shelf for a few weeks, then check out the ebook” thing that has kinda become my norm XD. I’m glad I did, though, because there are tons of nuggets in this book that would’ve been much harder to save from a physical book that I can’t keep forever. Now I just have to work on transferring them from my computer to my brain… But yeah, I really enjoy this author, he’s very down to earth and relatable, but has lots of Biblical wisdom to share as well.
Everyone wants to be loved–to find someone who will stick with them through all of life’s ups and downs, someone who is in it for the long haul. But in a world where dating is increasingly based on split-second decisions and geared toward casual relationships rather than marriage, it’s easy for single people to feel discouraged, used, or unworthy of true love and lasting affection. Reality just never seems to match up with our (often wildly unrealistic) expectations.
Jonathan “JP” Pokluda has counseled thousands of young singles through the pain and heartbreak of dating the world’s way. Now he wants to dispel the myths, misconceptions, and fairy tales you’ve believed about dating and replace them with the truth from the One who invented marriage, created you to crave relationship, and is the very embodiment of true love. With plenty of true stories about relationships healed and love found, this practical book explains God’s purposes for singleness, dating, and marriage and covers why you should date, who you should date, and how you should date.
If you’re ready to trade the world’s way of dating for the way that actually works, it’s time to begin dating well.
The Rise of Flynn Rider – Jen Calonita
I stumbled upon this one when I was looking for a book to listen to at work, and it was absolutely adorable! Love the expansion on Eugene becoming Flynn, and the way that they develop his moral code and original good intentions.
The first book in a new middle grade series that features the adventures of Disney’s most loveable roguish heroes as kids!
“You know the great thing about beginnings? It means we’re only getting started.” — Flynnigan Rider and the Hunt for the Red Pearl
Twelve- year-old Eugene Fitzherbert needs a plan. It’s not that he doesn’t love his time in the orphanage that raised him—Miss Clare and the boys are his family. As is his best friend, Arnie, with whom he’s often in cahoots, acting out passages from his favorite Flynnigan Rider books, or pretending they’re Lance Archer, the iconic thief who takes from the rich to give to the poor. But Eugene knows that most orphans his age set off to make their own way, and the orphanage already doesn’t have the means to support them all. Besides, he wants to see the world with Arnie, and maybe, just maybe find his parents someday.
So when a traveling circus comes to the kingdom promising a life of adventure, brotherhood, and riches, Eugene jumps at the chance to join them. He even convinces Arnie to come too. But soon it becomes clear that there’s more to this ragtag crew than meets the eye, and they may have a dubious plot in the works. It’ll take new heroes—namely, Flynn Rider and Lance Strongbow, to save the day.
Filled with adventure and fun, the Lost Legends series explores the untold origins of Disney’s most infamous rogue boys.
This Woven Kingdom & These Infinite Threads – Tahereh Mafi
I tore my way through both of these books in about two weeks (they’re almost 400 pages each lol) and loved them as much if not more than I did the first time I read them. You can tell that Tahereh Mafi has grown into her writing style, as this series is SO much better than some of her earlier work. I splurged and bought hardcover copies of all three books in this series, and I’m glad I did, as there are so many sentences in each of them that are just absolutely EXQUISITE. And the storylines are well-thought out as well. Ahhhhh, love it so much, highly recommend! This series, so far at least, is doing Young/New Adult fantasy well, with some steam but no spice at all. It pretty much has everything I could ask for in a book, other than a deeper Gospel-According-To type meaning.
Clashing empires, forbidden romance, and a long-forgotten queen destined to save her people—Tahereh Mafi’s first in an epic, romantic trilogy inspired by Persian mythology.
To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight.
The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant girl with the strange eyes, the girl he can’t put out of his mind, would one day soon uproot his kingdom—and the world.
Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Tomi Adeyemi, and Sabaa Tahir, this is the explosive first book in a new fantasy trilogy from the New York Times bestselling and National Book Award-nominated author Tahereh Mafi.
Currently reading
All This Twisted Glory – Tahereh Mafi
I’m about halfway through this book and still absolutely LOVING the series. There are some developments that have happened that have been rather shocking; the characters have been through so much, and the descriptions are still on point. I’m actually discovering that I LIKE the love triangle? Like, it’s well-written enough that I’m not entirely sure who I ship more, although Team Alizeh is probably superior; she doesn’t need either of them lol. There has been one scene (a couple pages long) that I chose to skip, and while I personally would prefer that it not be there, it *sort of* makes sense for the plot and relating to the character… Don’t want to spoil it, but yeah. Beautiful series so far, and I’m trying to savor it as much as possible because who knows how long it will be before the next book!
As the long-lost heir to the Jinn throne, Alizeh has finally found her people—and she might’ve found her crown. Cyrus, the mercurial ruler of Tulan, has offered her his kingdom in a twisted exchange: one that would begin with their marriage and end with his murder.
Cyrus’s dark reputation precedes him; all the world knows of his blood-soaked past. Killing him should be easy—and accepting his offer might be the only way to fulfill her destiny and save her people. But the more Alizeh learns of him, the more she questions whether the terrible stories about him are true.
Ensnared by secrets, Cyrus has ached for Alizeh since she first appeared in his dreams many months ago. Now that he knows those visions were planted by the devil, he can hardly bear to look at her—much less endure her company. But despite their best efforts to despise each other, Alizeh and Cyrus are drawn together over and over with an all-consuming thirst that threatens to destroy them both.
Meanwhile, Prince Kamran has arrived in Tulan, ready to exact revenge…
Layered with exquisite tension and heart-stopping romance, All This Twisted Glory is the explosive third book in the captivating, bestselling This Woven Kingdom series.
Of Glass and Glamour – Chanda Hahn
I think this one was buried in one of my “I might read this at some point” lists on the library app, and I decided to go for it towards the end of this month. As fairy tale retellings go, it’s one of the more unique ones I’ve read. I’m enjoying it so far, especially as the MC/narrator is grappling some with the ideas of who is Good and who is Evil. And the magic system, while a touch witchier than I would usually go for, is pretty cool too.
Born under a hunter’s moon, abandoned as a child, I was raised to be a powerful sorceress—okay, a mediocre sorceress. All right, I’m good at glamour and can make things sparkle, if my spells don’t backfire. It was foretold long ago that I was a child of prophecy that would unite the fae and humans of Candor. The only problem, no one told me, and now the king wants me dead.
For I am Eden, one of the adoptive daughters of Lady Eville, and I have to attend the royal masquerade ball—not to win a prince, but to avenge my parents. Even if it means pretending to be a fairy godmother and wreaking a little havoc.
Single, Dating, Engaged, Married – Ben Stuart
This one was on my list in my younger and more innocent days, the first time I believed in True Love and the concept of marriage (it’s a long story lol). I decided to read it on my own, and got so much out of it! Like, I wish I could go back and read it when I was 19 and thinking about marrying somebody who was DEFINITELY not the right one 🙄. But yeah, it’s a good one to read regardless of your relationship season, and one I might try to go back and read with my MMC at some point.
God has given us a specific, compelling reason for each of the four seasons of relationships: singleness, dating, engagement, and marriage. This book unlocks each season’s God-given purpose and shows you how to thrive within it.
In a society where everyone is supposedly more connected, why do people feel so lonely? Even as marriage rates decline, recent studies find the overwhelming majority of single adults still hope to get married. But how can we navigate life and love in this disconnected culture? Has social media eroded the institutions that brought us together–and the deeper emotional intimacy they provided?
Pastor and bestselling author Ben Stuart will help you navigate through the four stages of a relational life and show you how to look at the truths and intentions God has established for each.
Will read next
Most of these are the same as last month, as I did the typical mood reader thing and didn’t read some of the things that were on my list. There is one additional one:
Olympia – Eva Grace
I follow the artist who made the cover art of this book on Instagram, and absolutely LOVE her work. Found the premise of it intriguing, as I do love a good Greek mythology story, and decided to spring for a preorder package. The artist, as far as I can tell, is a believer, and the book itself has been rated as mild/nonexistent for instances of language and Adult Content, so I have high hopes for it. Might be a good one for fans of Percy Jackson!
A god without a hero is nothing. But a hero without a god might save the world…if they can survive the gods.
The land of the Greek gods is in danger, weakened after centuries of infighting between the Hunters of Artemis and the Amazons of Ares. When one of Apollo’s oracles discovers a prophecy threatening the end of Olympia itself, enemies must band together in order to stop a destructive war before it begins.But how can mere mortal heroes from opposing sides of a long, bloody struggle for power ever hope to save the world? Because it’s not just the looming conflict that threatens their cause – the gods all have secret plots of their Poseidon seeks a throne, Artemis the control of Olympia, and Ares wants to destroy the Hunters once and for all. And they will stop at nothing to gain their hearts’ desires…
The heroes must put aside their differences, unravel the gods’ web of deceit, and discover where their own allegiances truly lie if they are to save not only Olympia, but themselves.
If you enjoy Greek mythology, Madeline Miller, Rick Riordan, and girls saving the world, check out Olympia today!
Legendborn & Bloodmarked – Tracy Deonn
The next book in this series doesn’t come out until (approximately) 2025, but I have been wanting to re-read it anyway! The Legendborn series is my favorite genre, urban fantasy, done in a way that absolutely blows me away with the magnificent writing style and plot twists. After discovering it in 2021, I absolutely loved the audiobook version; the narration is stunning! I have invested my monies and purchased a special painted-edge copy of the second book, Bloodmarked, so that I can read the hard copy and underline and bookmark to my heart’s content. There’s an artist I know on Instagram who I might have paint the first book for me when I get it!
After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus.
A flying demon feeding on human energies.
A secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down.
And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.
The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.
She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets—and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.
Scepter of Fire – C.F.E. Black
I have no doubt that Crown of Dust will leave me eager to continue the series, so Scepter of Fire will most definitely be on my TBR for this month!
A world in darkness. A love that cannot be.
Shocked by the revelation that followed the official coronation, Aly and Red march toward dangers they never saw coming and away from the things they both want most. Each must face their deepest fears and darkest secrets, finding strength when all hope is lost.
Death follows them. Evil hunts them. As the world grows darker and a shadow rises, there remains only one path forward, and it will bring them toward their most difficult decision yet. To succeed is to lose something dear, but to fail is to watch the world fade into an eternal night.
Will the Beacon and Beholder fulfill their destiny—and will it be what they all hoped?
Bookish and the Beast – Ashley Poston
Wrapping up this list is a book from a series of standalone novels by Ashley Poston. I’m not sure how, but I discovered the Once Upon A Con series via ebook last year, and I can’t wait to read more of it this year. It’s the perfect example of Fangirls Unite that I love to see in fiction! Or anywhere tbh 💖🥰
In the third book in Ashley Poston’s Once Upon a Con series, Beauty and the Beast is retold in the beloved Starfield universe.
Rosie Thorne is feeling stuck—on her college application essays, in her small town, and on that mysterious General Sond cosplayer she met at ExcelsiCon. Most of all, she’s stuck in her grief over her mother’s death. Her only solace was her late mother’s library of rare Starfield novels, but even that disappeared when they sold it to pay off hospital bills.
On the other hand, Vance Reigns has been Hollywood royalty for as long as he can remember—with all the privilege and scrutiny that entails. When a tabloid scandal catches up to him, he’s forced to hide out somewhere the paparazzi would never expect to find him: Small Town USA. At least there’s a library in the house. Too bad he doesn’t read.
When Rosie and Vance’s paths collide and a rare book is accidentally destroyed, Rosie finds herself working to repay the debt. And while most Starfield superfans would jump at the chance to work in close proximity to the Vance Reigns, Rosie has discovered something about Vance: he’s a jerk, and she can’t stand him. The feeling is mutual.
But as Vance and Rosie begrudgingly get to know each other, their careful masks come off—and they may just find that there’s more risk in shutting each other out than in opening their hearts.
Conclusion
I hope you’ve enjoyed this WWW Wednesday with books I read in February 2024. My takeaway from this month’s reads: Young Adult fantasy isn’t 100% going to the dogs😸
Have you read any of the books on this list? What did you think of them? Have any recommendations for me?
Happy reading!
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