First, Middle, and Last Impressions – August 24, 2022

I love taking a look at a book cover and description and then coming up with my own idea of what the book will be about. Sometimes I’m right, sometimes I’m so wrong it’s almost funny. So I’ve decided to write about my first, middle, and last impressions of each book I read, as well as a little bit on why I wanted to read it because sometimes, when I’ve finished, I really can’t remember.

The first impression is based solely on the cover and description. What do I think it will be about?

The middle impression is kind of a check-in on how the story is going about halfway through.

The last impression is my final thoughts on the book, what I’m left thinking.

I hope you have as much fun with this as I will!

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exes. But I maintain that

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Babel by R.F. Kuang – Historical Fantasy

Why I want to read this: Simply put, I’m curious about her books. The reviews of her Poppy War trilogy are almost always glowing, but the story is too violent for me, so I thought I ought to check this one out, especially considering both sides of my family hailed from Canton at some point.

First Impression: I’m not really sure what to make of this, whether a possibly intense historical fantasy crammed with esoteric knowledge or dry textbook-like story (as some reviews have indicated it reads like), so I’m keeping an open mind at this point. The cover reminds me of some artwork I’ve seen, but I’m drawing a blank.

Middle Impression: There’s definitely a lot of research that went into this book, and it’s quite impressive, but I’m not really sure where the story is going. It mostly feels like the narrative of a young man’s life colliding with Harry Potter and English classic novels.

Last Impression: I hate to say this…but it’s finally over. It’s not quite for me, I think. I’m impressed by what went into this and all the topics it explored, but the vibe I got was just a drab gray and it felt less like a story and more a commentary on society.

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Miranda Writes by Gail Ward Olmsted – Women’s Fiction, Legal Thriller

Why I want to read this: I’m not a huge fan of legal thrillers, but I like how this combines women’s fiction, legal thriller, and a sexual assault/rape situation.

First Impression: Considering what this book combines, I think this will be interesting and intriguing. I also really like the play on words, which also happens to be the name of the fictional blog mentioned in this book.

Middle Impression: I love that this story kicked off right away. Miranda is such a fun character and the writing is snappy and the chapters short enough that I find myself addicted to reading this.

Last Impression: This is a delightful women’s fiction meets legal thriller novel, and I adored how they balanced each other out, offering a women’s fiction novel with sharpened edges and a legal thriller with softer edges. The blend was a lot of fun, and I just plain loved Miranda.

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The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez – Fantasy

Why I want to read this: The concept is similar to one I have rattling around in my writer’s brain, so I’m curious to see how Jimenez handles it.

First Impression: After closer inspection of the description and cover, I have a feeling this will not be what I was expecting, but I’m still intrigued.

Current progress: I’m at 45%. So far I’m finding this to be both different and interesting, and much, much more brutal and bloody than expected. There’s also a strong emphasis on the father-son bond and relationship.

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What about you?

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