You know that feeling when you're at the library (or bookstore, I guess) browsing the shelves and all of a sudden you see the newest book in a series that you've been waiting for, but totally forgot was coming out? OK, well, maybe you don't because you're a better fan than I am and pay more attention to release dates. 

The point of this story is that I was at the library today picking up my copy of The Night Circus (which I am bizarrely excited to read even though I have heard nothing but terrible things about it) when I glanced up and saw I am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley (the 4th in the Flavia de Luce series) just hanging out on the shelf. I squealed like my inner five-year old and scampered over to grab it before anyone else could snatch up my prize. 

And now it's upstairs and I'm itching to open it and start reading it except I have 600 or so pages of Our Mutual Friend and like 6 other books in line in front of it (or else I end up with more fines and at that point, why don't I just skip the middle man and buy the damn book?)

In other news, I recently finished Kafka on the Shore. My reading experience with this book was much more of a roller coaster ride than I'm generally used to. At times I liked it and at other times I really didn't. Like really didn't. I asked a lot of questions as I read that book, and I definitely didn't get as many answers. Then there were portions that just felt gratuitous. I don't know. It's possible that it was the translation, but there were parts where the language was superb, so I'm somewhat loath to chalk it up to that.

I also finished We, the Drowned, which was quite a saga. In the end, I think I enjoyed it, but there were times when I felt it a bit difficult to get through. The sections did tie together pretty well, but in some ways I felt like it was way too long. Again, there were times when I felt like things were gratuitous. Maybe I'm getting more critical in my old age or something...