Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This book meme was initially created by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived by Taking on a World of Words. There are three Ws to answer in each post. What are you currently reading?, what did you recently finish reading? and what do you think you’ll read next? Please feel free to join me in the comments below to discuss your three Ws too! I have had a slow week reading but luckily the books have been awesome. Let’s get too it.
What are you currently reading?
Synopsis: Black River is an electrifying return for relentless reporter Tuva Moodyson, from the author of Dark Pines and Red Snow.
FEAR
Tuva’s been living clean in southern Sweden for four months when she receives horrifying news. Her best friend Tammy Yamnim is missing.
SECRETS
Racing back to Gavrik at the height of Midsommar, Tuva fears for Tammy’s life. Who has taken her, and why? And who is sabotaging the small-town search efforts?
LIES
Surrounded by dark pine forest, the sinister residents of Snake River are suspicious of outsiders. Unfortunately, they also hold all the answers. On the shortest night of the year, Tuva must fight to save her friend. The only question is who will be there to save Tuva?
My Thoughts: Will Dean had been in my periphery for a long time and as I was sorting out my bookshelf the other day I am came across my proof of Black River. I thought it was a stand alone novel until almost 3/4 of the way through. It is actually book three of the Tuva Moodyson series (of which I actually have book two as well). It is an intriguing mystery of a missing woman in a small Swedish town bordered by endless forest. Tuva is relentless in her search for Tammy, her best friend, despite the town’s reluctance to help. It is a great insight into Swedish culture and eerie exploration of the dark secrets some neighbours harbour in plain sight. Will Dean is an incredibly atmospheric writer who puts Tuva through a gauntlet of adrenaline surges, emotional instability and the urge to fight everyone in the effort to get her friend back. Loving it so far!
What did you recently finish reading?
Synopsis: Pete Banning was Clanton’s favourite son, a returning war hero, the patriarch of a prominent family; a farmer, father, and a faithful member of the Methodist Church. Then one cool October morning in 1946, he rose early, drove into town, walked into the Church, and calmly shot and killed the Reverend Dexter Bell.
As if the murder wasn’t shocking enough, it was even more baffling that Pete’s only statement about it – to the sheriff, to his defense attorney, to the judge, to his family and friends, and to the people of Clanton – was ‘I have nothing to say’.
What turned Pete from a pillar of the community into cold-hearted killer? And why won’t he confide in anyone? All his closest family knows is that it must have been something devastating – and that the fallout will haunt them, and the town, for decades to come…
My Thoughts: The Reckoning is an astonishing novel that combines John Grisham’s ability to craft edgy legal thrillers and the haunting accounts from the Bataan Death March, which saw nearly 80,000 WW2 soldiers marched to their deaths in the Philippines. I actually thought The Reckoning was standard Grisham in the first act. I was surprised and gripped but it felt familiar. That was until the second act which chilled me to the bone. Pete’s time as a soldier was unforgettable and I even cried at the desperation all around him. Grisham researched and prepared extensively for the inclusion of his main character’s experiences at the hands of the Japanese in WW2. I couldn’t believe my eyes but Grisham treated the story with the respect it deserved and I had to keep reading all the way to the woefully bittersweet ending.
What do you think you’ll read next?
Synopsis: This official, complete history of HBO’s Game of Thrones will draw on the author’s many long days and nights spent on GOT sets all over the world and his countless interviews with cast and crew, many of which have never been published before. Packed with stunning photographs from the show and from behind the scenes, this is the only book that will be absolutely essential reading for every Game of Thrones fan.
Game of Thrones is the biggest television drama ever to have graced our screens. The epic saga of warring families, huge battles, arduous journeys and dying heroes has captured the hearts and attention of millions of fans across the world. But its conclusion isn’t necessarily the end of the story…
James Hibberd has extensively covered the show since breaking the news of its pilot in 2008 and has had more access to the show’s top-secret set than any other member of the media. He was in Croatia when Joffrey Baratheon perished; he was in Northern Ireland when Jon Snow desperately fought in the Battle of the Bastards. He has documented every part of the making of the show and has had exclusive access to cast members, writers and directors.
My Thoughts: Game Of Thrones is one of the few shows that have truly united and divided so many viewers. It hooked a vast variety of people so perfectly and made TV that was previously dismissed as nerdy more commonplace. This made space for a lot of shows that would have never been made, such as The Witcher, American Gods, Cursed and so many more. My wife and I were also caught up in the hype. I had not read the novels before watching (though I am making my way through them now) and we were enticed by pure immersive nature of the show. Fast forward 8 years and we were left with the same empty space that plagued everyone else (luckily still being occupied by the great aforementioned shows). It was a phenomenon like few others and it will be amazing to see how the epic story people thought couldn’t be translated to TV was made without losing the spark that made it so unforgettable in the first place.
Thank you for attending my first attempt at the WWW Wednesday post! I am sorry that it turned into quite the ramble. I got slightly carried away. You can tell I haven’t written a review in a while. I thoroughly enjoyed writing up this post and I am really keen to another very soon. My reading is picking up now that life is beginning to resemble something that vaguely reminds me of a type of normal that I was once used to in a time before everything turned upside down. If that makes sense. Please come back for more bookish posts in the very near future.
Always Trust In Books 
Loved this first WWW post Stuart, and it;s lovely to see you blogging again! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
It does feel good to be back in the swing of things. I’ve been busy 😅 I have 3 posts tomorrow 😬. Thanks for the kind words!
LikeLike