Good morning to all of my bookish and otaku followers out there!

Today, I’m going to be briefly sharing with you all some of the books that I’m currently reading. Since my last reading slump, I have noticed that my ability to fly through books has been diminished somewhat, but in all honesty, I have been enjoying the fact that I’ve slowed down in my bookish pacing. It has been allowing me to take in more details and vividly focus on the titles that I’m digging.

All of these books are from the adult SFF genre, with one of them being an #OwnVoices Japanese novel, which I have missed immensely. So, grab your cup o’ coffee, tea, or hot cocoas, and enjoy!

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
🐻 Fantasy, Russian Folklore (Inspired)
🐻 I picked this up for two reasons: 1) I was approved for the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of the sequel title, The Girl in the Tower, and 2) it has a wintery/snowy setting that I figured would be perfect for this time of year.
🐻 The story revolves around a small town that resides on the outskirts of a dark forest during a harsh winter season. The village honours small spirits, who in turn protect them and their well-being from catastrophe and hardships. When Vasya’s, our female MC, father re-marries so that his youngest daughter will have a mother to look up to, she forbids the village to honour these “demons and devils.” Afterwards a series of terrible misfortunes begin to befall the village.
🐻 About 1/3 of the way through and I’m enjoying the prose; it’s very beautiful.

The Ouroburos Wave by Jyōji Hayashi
🛰️ #OwnVoices Japanese Literature, Hard Science-Fiction
🛰️ I’ve been wanting to read this for a very long time. After watching an episode of Stargate involving a black hole, I thought of this book and decided to go for it.
🛰️ Scientists discover the presence of a small black hole that is on a collision course for our solar system’s sun. In an effort to divert it’s course, they end up concocting a means of harnessing the power of the black hole as a source of energy.
🛰️ 60 pages into it and I’m not enjoying the format of the book so far. There are walls of information, then dialogue, then more walls of information. If it were written more fluidly into the story, I think it would’ve been better. I do, however, really like the very complicated bits of science and engineering.

Resident Evil 4: Underworld by S.D. Perry
🕴️ Science-Fiction, Horror
🕴️ I’ve been reading through the novels for the third or fourth time and enjoying myself immensely.
🕴️ It’s the 4th instalment in the novel franchise, and an original story that takes place after the events of Resident Evil 2. Series familiars Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, and Rebecca Chambers return in this volume to embark on a mission that will take them deep under the deserts of America’s South West, into one of the headquarters for Umbrella Corporation. Will they finally find the evidence they need to take down the evil, pharmaceutical conglomerate?
🕴️ I’m about half-way done with this book. I have been flying through it, so I guess that means that I’m really having a great time with it.

Those are all of my current reads. What are some of your current reads, or current anime favourites? Please, lemme know down below. Wishing everyone a lovely holiday season! 🎄