Reading continues to be a struggle for me this year. At least when it comes to the reading pace and quantity. I guess I am just not able to make the time. And maybe not much catches my attention enough to carve out time. Nevertheless I have read and I have been reading longer books this month and I guess that can count for something. Let’s have a book talk.
Women on Platform Two by Laura Anthony | ★★★★☆
Book Blurb: In 1970s Dublin, all forms of contraception are strictly forbidden, but an intrepid group of women will risk everything to change that in this “heartbreaking, powerful, and ultimately uplifting” novel inspired by a little-known true story.
First Sentence: I have pee on my fingers.
What I thought: This was really great to read and very educational. I loved the characters – very different women all with their unique story, struggles and motivation for wanting contraception. I also enjoyed the different social groups they belonged too. And most all the friendship. This was a really good book.
Curious count:
Characters: Maura – doctors wife who used to work, Bernie – butchers wife with three kids, Saoirse – modern women struggling with life
Setting: Train between Dublin and Belfast, Dublin, Belfast
Medium: eBook through Kindle unlimited
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: no translation found
Recommend to: Everyone slightly interested in women, empowerment and good stories.
Author’s Origin: born in Dublin, Ireland | unknown
Read Around the World: Logged for Ireland in my Read Around the World Challenge
Additional note: Laura Anthony is a pseudonym – real name is Janelle Harris.
Wicca Creed Trilogy by Marah Woolfe | ★★★✶☆
Book Blurb: People believe that magic doesn’t exist, and it is only this belief that allows them to sleep soundly. Ever since her family was murdered over twelve years ago, twenty-two-year-old Wicca Valea Patel has been living among humans, far from her homeland of Ardeal. She wants nothing more than to return and find out what happened on the night her life was brutally torn apart. But it is only when another Wicca is murdered that her grandfather sends for her, for Valea possesses…
First Sentence book 1: Niemand wusste, wer die längst verblichene Inschrift in die dunklen Holzbalken der abgenutzten The des Merlin gebrannt hatte. | No one knew who had burned the long-faded inscription into the dark wooden beams of the worn-out Merlin’s Tavern.
First Sentence book 2: Der Mann hatte das Gesicht im Haar seiner Frau vergraben. | The man had buried his face in his wife’s hair.
First Sentence book 3: Du musst dich nur erinnern. | You just have to remember.
What I thought: This started very interesting and the world building was promising. I like the different groups of magicians and their power. However I would have liked to get a deeper look how that power works and why. I felt like this was just a background picture to set up the love story. The second book was a bit boring and at the same time it was a page turner. I was annoyed with the continuous narration of why certain things were a motivator. Like the characters telling themselves their motivation. It was unnecessary and took away from real character building and the entire flow.
The third book was even more annoying. I just felt like the entire end fight was lame and someone who has discovered magic recently and no trains whatsoever will fight this fight was just stupid. I can’t overlook that and I didnt care about the love story in the end. I am glad I read it as the author is somewhat of a hype in Germany but with most Romantasy it’s easy to read and entertaining but also at times not well executed.
Curious count: 2 | 0 | 1
Characters: Valea – Wicca, heiress, – Nikolai – Strigoi, Celia, Kayla, Ivan – Strigoi, Magnus – Corbii, Celeste – witch queen, Radu – Wicca High Priest, Eliayah, Aria, Lucian – witches, Neven Patel – sorcerer
Setting: Muntenia – land of humans, Ardeal – land of magic
Medium: eBook through Kindle unlimited
Original Language and Title: German
Publications: no translations found
Recommend to: Everyone reading German fantasy.
Author’s Origin: born in Magdeburg, Germany | November 11, 1971
Additional note: author pseudonym
Book Stats for May 2026
How is your reading life going? Anything lining up for summer vacation? What is the longest book you read this year? Any fun titles?
6 comments
I have picked up Les Misérables this week after pausing it for a while, and it is ridiculously long. It also has these chapters that are like asides, so two nights ago I read multiple chapters about French slang. I’ll probably read it for a few more nights and then pause it again.
Some books are like that. So intense and different that it’s not possible to read in one piece.
I recently DNF a book, which is really rare for me. I wish I knew where I heard of it, but I have no idea. I just found it in my TBR tag on my library app. I got about 1/3 through and realized I was bored as hell and didn’t care what was going to happen.
I go through periods when I can’t read for whatever reason. My head just isn’t in the right space for it. Frustrating, but thankfully I always bounce back eventually. You’ll get your reading groove back.
I like the idea of Women on Platform Two. I read a book many years ago that was old when I read it, and in the book, these women in England would send their unused birth control pills to women in Italy, because contraception was illegal there. Which shows that the author had no idea how oral contraception works, and that you can’t just take it when you have sex, but whatever. Anyway, I liked the book, and I liked the solidarity between the women.
The longest book I read this year was New York 2140 at just over 600 pages. Last year I made it a priority to read long books, but that’s just not my jam this year. *shrug* Maybe a goal for next year? I don’t know. I just want to read GOOD books.
I have t read any of those books on your list! My May was actually a good reading month, but I did not get much else done ie blogging or other admin stuff. So it definitely comes and goes. I enjoyed reading the Emma M Lion series but what I didn’t know is that she is planning like 25 of them and there are only 8 so far! I hate waiting for the next booking the series to come out and that’s a lot of waiting! I was a little bummed when I found that out.
That can be tough when you are totally invested in a story and then realizes the next one isn’t written yet. I had that when I was 15 with a fantasy series. When I was 30 I remembered and Started reading it again an then all were published. One reason I am a backlist reader.