By Tessa Pulyer Posted on

What Am I Reading This Week – January 26, 2022? #WWWWednesday #amreading #CurrentlyReading

This week I am finishing up my ARCs that are being published on February 1st. I believe I had 8 in total. 😰

I’m starting the third book in the Ramses the Damned series by Anne Rice joined by her son Christopher Rice today. I read the first two in December, so I’m looking forward to this next one to see where it goes. I always enjoy an Anne Rice story.

  • Genre: Dark Fantasy/Thriller
  • Pages: 348 pages
  • Publisher: Anchor Books
  • Publication Date: February 1, 2022
The gilded adventures of Ramses the Damned, iconic creation of the legendary bestselling author, continue in this breathtakingly suspenseful tale of a titanic supernatural power unleashed on the eve of war. A pharaoh made immortal by a mysterious and powerful elixir, Ramses the Great became counselor and lover to some of Egypt’s greatest and most powerful rulers before he was awakened from centuries of slumber to the mystifying and dazzling world of Edwardian England. Having vanquished foes both human and supernatural, he’s found love with the beautiful heiress Julie Stratford, daughter of Lawrence Stratford, the slain archeologist who discovered his tomb. Now, with the outbreak of a world war looming, Ramses and those immortals brought forth from the mists of history by his resurrection will face their greatest test yet. Russian assassins bearing weapons of immense power have assembled under one command: all those who loved Lawrence Stratford must die. From the glowing jewels at their necks comes an incredible supernatural force: the power to bring statues to life. As Ramses and his allies, including the immortal queens Cleopatra and Bektaten, gather together to battle these threats, Ramses reveals that the great weapon may have roots in an ancient Egyptian ritual designed to render pharaohs humble before Osiris, the god of the underworld. The resulting journey will take them across storm-tossed seas and into the forests of northern Russia, where they will confront a terrifying collision of tortured political ambitions and religious fervor held in thrall to a Godlike power. But the true answers they seek will lie beyond the border between life and death, within realms that defy the imagination of even an immortal such as Ramses the Great. In Ramses the Damned: The Reign of Osiris, Anne Rice, revered and beloved storyteller (“queen of gothic lit, the maestro of the monstrous and the diva of the devious” –The Philadelphia Inquirer), in collaboration with her son, acclaimed bestselling novelist Christopher Rice (“a magician; a master” –Peter Straub), bring us another thrilling, seductive tale of high adventure, romance, history, and suspense.

The Violence was not really appealing to me. It was kind of weird because I have DNF’d many other books that had just one attribute of the many in this book that are triggers or I’m just not interested, yet I couldn’t put this one down. But after I finished, all I could think about were the triggers. Very weird. I gave it 4-stars because the story made me want to keep going even though I probably shouldn’t have and really wouldn’t recommend it to it anyone with any kind of trigger that involves violence.

  • Genre: Thriller
  • Pages: 495 pages
  • Publisher: Del Rey
  • Publication Date: February 1, 2022
When Chelsea Martin kisses her husband hello at the door of their perfect home, a chilled bottle of beer in hand and dinner on the table, she may look like the ideal wife, mother, and homemaker – but in fact, she’s following an unwritten rulebook, carefully navigating David’s stormy moods in a desperate nightly bid to avoid catastrophe. If family time doesn’t go exactly the way David wants, bad things happen – to Chelsea, and to the couple’s 17-year-old daughter, Ella. Cut off from all support, controlled, and manipulated for years, Chelsea has no resources and no one to turn to. Her wealthy, narcissistic mother, Patricia, would rather focus on the dust on her chandelier than acknowledge Chelsea’s bruises. After all, Patricia’s life looks perfect on the surface, too. But the façade crumbles when a mysterious condition overtakes the nation. Known as the Violence, it causes the infected to experience sudden, explosive bursts of animalistic rage and attack anyone in their path. The ensuing chaos brings opportunity for Chelsea – and inspires a plan to liberate herself and her family once and for all.

The Christie Affair was very true to the period it is set in, which is between WWI and WWII. It is the authors fictional interpretation of what happened during Agatha Christie’s disappearance for 11 days that still remains a mystery today from what I understood. A bit dry but very interesting, as there is a mystery to it all.

  • Genre: Historical Fiction
  • Pages: 309 pages
  • Publisher: St. Martins Press
  • Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Nina de Gramont’s The Christie Affair is a beguiling novel of star-crossed lovers, heartbreak, revenge, and murder—and a brilliant re-imagination of one of the most talked-about unsolved mysteries of the twentieth century. Every story has its secrets. Every mystery has its motives. “A long time ago, in another country, I nearly killed a woman. It’s a particular feeling, the urge to murder. It takes over your body so completely, it’s like a divine force, grabbing hold of your will, your limbs, your psyche. There’s a joy to it. In retrospect, it’s frightening, but I daresay in the moment it feels sweet. The way justice feels sweet.” The greatest mystery wasn’t Agatha Christie’s disappearance in those eleven infamous days, it’s what she discovered. London, 1925: In a world of townhomes and tennis matches, socialites and shooting parties, Miss Nan O’Dea became Archie Christie’s mistress, luring him away from his devoted and well-known wife, Agatha Christie. The question is, why? Why destroy another woman’s marriage, why hatch a plot years in the making, and why murder? How was Nan O’Dea so intricately tied to those eleven mysterious days that Agatha Christie went missing?

I hear These Deadly Games is a fast-paced, twisty, turny thriller – just the kind I love! I’m excited to read it this weekend.

  • Genre: Mystery Thriller (YA)
  • Pages: 407 Pages
  • Publisher: Wednesday Books (St. Martin’s Press)
  • Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Let’s play a game. You have 24 hours to win. If you break my rules, she dies. If you call the police, she dies. If you tell your parents or anyone else, she dies. Are you ready? When Crystal Donavan gets a message on a mysterious app with a video of her little sister gagged and bound, she agrees to play the kidnapper’s game. At first, they make her complete bizarre tasks: steal a test and stuff it in a locker, bake brownies, make a prank call. But then Crystal realizes each task is meant to hurt–and kill–her friends, one by one. But if she refuses to play, the kidnapper will kill her sister. Is someone trying to take her team out of the running for a gaming tournament? Or have they uncovered a secret from their past, and wants them to pay for what they did… As Crystal makes the impossible choices between her friends and her sister, she must uncover the truth and find a way to outplay the kidnapper… before it’s too late. Author of All Your Twisted Secrets, Diana Urban’s explosive sophomore novel, These Deadly Games, will keep you riveted until the final twist is revealed.

What are you reading? Do you love it?

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words.

34 Replies to “What Am I Reading This Week – January 26, 2022? #WWWWednesday #amreading #CurrentlyReading”

  1. dinipandareads says:

    Whoa, The Violence sounds intense? I’ve never heard of it but I have to admit that the synopsis has me intrigued. Not sure if I want to pick it up after your experience with it but also tempted? Lol 😅 Hope you enjoy all your reads!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      I think my actual review makes it even more so. Lol. I will say this though – what I found is that the triggers didn’t bother me while I read but when I finished the book, I found that I dwelled on them. It literally has every violent trigger I can think of: pet abuse/killing, spousal abuse (and between teens), rape/sexual assault, violence involving children, etc…

      Like

  3. Zainab says:

    The Christie Affair sounds super mysterious – I’ll have to check it out! I’m currently reading Atomic Habits by James Clear!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      The tone, pace, etc.. are very formal – much like you would have seen from authors of that period. The main character is Archie’s mistress which is a bit of a hard pill to swallow. Who could possibly like the mistress of Agatha’s husband? But her story is very interesting, as is the author’s interpretation of what Agatha was doing for those 11 days. The mystery within the story comes to a pretty shocking end. So if you can handle the more dry tone, formal language, mistress as the narrator, and relatively slowish pace, you will enjoy this story very much!

      Like

      1. bookwormbloggerweb says:

        That’s very interesting. I read this one with my bookclub and we weren’t completrly blown away by it. I liked the ending but did find it very slow going.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      Yeah, she was bit of a hard pill to swallow. How could anyone like the mistress of Agatha Christie’s husband?

      Like

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      The tone and pace are a bit difficult, especially when I am used to reading such fast-paced books.

      Like

  8. Staci Troilo says:

    Agatha Christie’s disappearance has interested me since I learned of it. Too bad the book is dry.

    I’m reading The Family Tree by Steph Mullin. I’m about 1/3 through and mostly enjoying it so far. No surprises yet, though. Feels like mostly setup. The prose is easy, but I’ll be disappointed if there’s no explosive action or revelations soon.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Teri Polen says:

    I know what you mean about The Violence. Soooo many triggers, but like you, I couldn’t put it down. I hope you enjoy These Deadly Games – it will give your brain a break after the heaviness of The Violence.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Carla says:

    Time for light and fluffy and the dark ones there. I am listening to Find Me by Alafair Burke and reading Why Being Happy Matters by Peter Jennings. Enjoy your upcoming books Tessa.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. RatherTooFondofBooks (@hayleysbookblog) says:

    I must start The Christie Affair soon – I was eagerly anticipating it but since I got a copy I don’t feel so drawn to read it. I think I may feel the same about it as you do. I must pick it up soon. Happy reading for the week ahead! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      The content is interesting and some of it is quite tragic even, but it’s mostly the delivery that can be trying for some (maybe, many) readers.

      Like

  13. Louise H says:

    I’ve never read Anne Rice, though I’ve had her books recommended many times – I’m not the biggest fan of vampire stories. It’s weird how sometimes we read a book that kept us transfixed but once we finish and think about it lots of issues spring to mind.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      Actually, the Ramses series isn’t about vampires – it is about an ancient serum that can make people immortal and the people who have used it throughout the many years – including Ramses. It’s a pretty cool concept.

      Liked by 1 person

  14. WendyW says:

    I have seen mixed reviews for The Christie Affair. Nice list of books, hope you can finish all your ARC’s by the first!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      Yeah, it’s good, I think, but there are a couple of things that will probably divide readers. One, the narrator is the mistress that stole Agatha’s husband – so not many readers will be able to like her. And the other thing is the delivery or technique – it’s just so dry but that is fitting with the writers of that time. It’s not written in an immersive way. But the content is very interesting if you can get past those things.

      Liked by 1 person

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