Author: Ali@abookishlife

Teaser Tuesday: 9th August 2016

Ali@abookishlife21 Comments

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat If you want to join in grab your current read, flick to a random page, select two sentences (without spoilers) and share them in a blog post or in the comments of Books and a Beat.

TeaserThis week my teaser comes from The Ex Factor by Eva Woods which I received as an ARC from NetGalley.  I’m being a little bit of a cheat as I’ve picked the couple of sentences I want to share rather than picking at random. Sorry but as it referenced another literally work and made me laugh I couldn’t resist.

Warning, there are some spoilers for Tess of the D’Urbevilles if you don’t know the story.

The Ex FactorMy Teaser

Tess of the D’Urbevilles, right – she had a pretty good thing going with that dairy. Why didn’t she set up her own business selling organic yoghurts? But no, instead she gets ditched by slut-shaming Angel and then heads on back to rapey old Alec.

~ Location 1012 The Ex Factor by Eva Woods

 

Synopsis (from GoodReads)

Is it possible to freecycle love?

Modern dating is hard, especially when all you meet are liars, oddballs, men who wear Superman pants and men who live with their mums.

So why not date someone who already comes pre-approved? Just because your friend’s ex wasn’t right for her doesn’t mean that he won’t be right for you. That’s Marnie’s new plan for herself and her three best friends, perennially single Helen, recently divorced Rosa and cynical lawyer Ani.

Through bad dates and good, the four friends begin to realise that there are advantages to dating pre-screened men…but there can be some serious pitfalls to falling for your friend’s ex.

Happy reading everyone.

Book Review: Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent

Ali@abookishlife5 Comments

Lying in WaitLying in Wait by Liz Nugent

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One of the best books I’ve read this year.

“My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it”

From that very first line I was hooked. It’s one of those books that will keep you reading late into the night and at every other opportunity (including sneakily under the desk at work).

Main character Lydia is deliciously horrid, unlikeable in almost every way, but it makes for compulsive reading as you keep turning the pages waiting to see what she’ll say or do next.Read More »

WWW Wednesday: 3rd August 2016

Ali@abookishlife20 Comments

The WWW Wednesdays meme is currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words and is a great way to do a weekly update on what you’ve been reading and what you have planned.

WWW Wednesday

To take part all you have to do is answer the following three questions:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

Here’s this weeks WWW.

Lying in WaitCurrently Reading

Tuesday seems to have turned into my start a new book day as I’ve just started my latest read Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent. It’s a psychological thriller that I received from NetGalley and I’ve heard some really good things about it. It is still early days but I’m enjoying it a lot. There are definitely some interesting characters that, while I’m not sure I like them or agree with their attitudes, make for some fascinating reading.

Recently Finished

First book finished over the last week wasThe Paris Secret The Paris Secret by Karen Swan, which I received from NetGalley. I do love Karen Swan and this book was no exception. I think the highlight was probably the locations of Paris and Antibes which the author wrote so well I almost felt like I was there. I had a couple of little niggles about the romance and the male MC but would still recommend to anyone looking for a great holiday read. You can see my full review here

I then made the mistake of having a bit of a look around on Overdrive and found the The Moth in the Mirror by A.GThe Moth in the Mirror (Splintered, #1.5). Howard which is a novella in the Splintered series. It’s a sort of Alice in Wonderland retelling and the novella follows on from the first book in the series. It was an ok enough read, I’m just not always that keen on novellas and short stories as unsurprisingly I don’t feel like there’s enough depth to them. This one definitely didn’t add much to the series.

After that I decided to carry on with Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series which is becoming a bit of an addiction for me. I don’t know what I’m going to do when I finish them all. This time I was actually reading First Drop of Crimson which is a spin off from the main series and features a couple of the secondary characters. I did enjoy it but I kind of missed the main series.

More Than ThisFinal book read was More Than This by Patrick Ness. I’d got this from the library a few weeks ago and was sitting at the weekend flicking through books, read the first few paragraphs and got completely hooked. It starts with the main character dying, in a pretty brutal way, and then waking up which is definitely a great hook. It’s yet another absolutely fantastic book from Mr Ness and one I’d definitely recommend if you haven’t read it yet. It keeps you guessing until the very end and has some incredible world building and great characters. Personally I loved Tomasz. Hopefully I’ll post a review soon (once I’ve figured out what it all meant).

Reading Next

As I’ve finally made a little bit of progress (or abandoned the books that I’m never going to get to) on my reading next list I have some new books to add this week. I’m still planning to read A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby as I need it for a challenge I’m doing (and want to read) but I picked up a couple of new books from NetGalley that I doubt I’ll be able to resist for long. These are Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige and The Ex Factor by Eva Woods. I’m pretty excited about both as I’m in the mood for something light.

A Long Way DownStealing Snow (Stealing Snow, #1)The Ex Factor

Have you read any of the books above or have any other book you’d recommend? Leave comments and links below.

Happy Wednesday everyone.

Teaser Tuesday: 2nd August 2016

Ali@abookishlife17 Comments

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat If you want to join in grab your current read, flick to a random page, select two sentences (without spoilers) and share them in a blog post or in the comments of Books and a Beat.

TeaserThis week I’m reading More than This by Patrick Ness. I’m a huge, big fan of Patrick Ness and I don’t think I’ve come across a bad book yet. This is no exception. I’m around halfway through and I’m absolutely loving it so far. It’s not a happy cheery read but there’s something totally addictive about it. Anyway, here’s this weeks teaser.

 

More Than ThisMy Teaser

An impossible amount of time passes, a day, a year, maybe even and eternity, there is no way he can know. Finally, in the distance, the light begins to slowly, almost imperceptively change. A greyness emerges, then a lighter greyness, and he starts to come back to himself.

~ Page 14, More Than This by Patrick Ness

 

Synopsis (from GoodReads)

A boy drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments. He dies.

Then he wakes, naked and bruised and thirsty, but alive.

How can this be? And what is this strange deserted place?

As he struggles to understand what is happening, the boy dares to hope. Might this not be the end? Might there be more to this life, or perhaps this afterlife?

Happy reading everyone.

Book Review: Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick

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Every Exquisite ThingEvery Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Every Exquisite Thing is the first book I’ve read by this author and I have to say I’m impressed.

It wasn’t at all what I was expecting but was just what I needed. It’s a story about not fitting in, figuring out what you want to do with your life and what kind of person you want to be.

It’s quirky, emotional and strangely addictive. If you like books that are a little bit different from the norm I would recommend you read it now.

Synopsis (from GoodReads)

From Matthew Quick, bestselling author of The Silver Linings Playbook , comes a heartfelt, unconventional and moving novel for readers who love John Green and Annabel Pitcher.

Nanette O’Hare is an unassuming teen who has played the role of dutiful daughter, hard-working student, and star athlete for as long as she can remember. But when a beloved teacher gives her his worn copy of The Bubblegum Reaper – the mysterious, out-of-print cult-classic – the rebel within Nanette awakens.

As she befriends the reclusive author, falls in love with a young but troubled poet, and attempts to insert her true self into the world with wild abandon, Nanette learns the hard way that sometimes rebellion comes at a high price.

A celebration of the self and the formidable power of story, Every Exquisite Thing is Matthew Quick at his finest.

Thoughts

OK first up, I hate that it’s compared to John Green in the blurb. It seems at the moment that every contemporary YA read is “for readers who love John Green“. Personally I’m not a fan of John Green and found Looking for Alaska to be pretty boring. This book is so much better than that and that comparison nearly put me off reading it. In my opinion Every Exquisite Thing is also for readers who don’t particularly like John Green 🙂

Anyway, minor John Green rant over….

It’s actually really difficult to put into words what’s so great about Every Exquisite Thing as it’s such a hard book to describe. It is a sort of coming of age story but it’s very different from the usual and I think that’s what I loved about it. I’m a big fan of anything that’s kind of weird and this book is definitely that.

The story centers around Nanette who from outward appearance seems to have everything sorted. She has plenty of friends, gets good grades and is looking at a very bright future but in reality she’s not sure it’s a future she wants. She’s doing everything she can to hold everything together and trying to please everyone but once she reads a book titled the Bubblegum Reaper she decides to just stop.

The Bubblegum Reaper starts her thinking about things and desperate to know the real meaning behind it she tracks down the reclusive author and develops a friendship with him. Through him she meets others who have been captivated by the book including a poet who she begins a relationship with.

I loved how the ideas in a book somehow managed to inspire her to act, to stand up for herself. As an avid reader I can certainly think of a number of books that have inspired me to some kind of action. I could also definitely relate to that feeling of being trapped in a life you’ve somehow fallen into but may not actually want. Going through the motions for lack of a better idea of what to do. It was fascinating to watch Nanette rebelling as she fought to be and do what she wanted. She’s a well written and engaging character and you can’t be sure what she’ll do next.

The other characters were equally fascinating. All flawed in their own ways. Struggling to find their place in the world and in some cases very troubled and mixed up. There’s a lot of emotion and feeling in the story and I think that’s what made is so appealing to me. It’s not an action packed story but the pacing is just right and the dialogue is pretty much perfect.

I was going to say I enjoyed it immensely but enjoyed isn’t quite the right word. It’s probably more that it kept me enthralled from start to finish. Definitely a read I’d recommend for all who like a good YA contemporary (whether you’re a John Green fan or not).

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

Book Review: The Paris Secret by Karen Swan

Ali@abookishlife3 Comments

The Paris SecretThe Paris Secret by Karen Swan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m a big, big fan of Karen Swan so was very excited to receive her latest book from NetGalley, particularly considering the title. I love a bit of mystery and j’adore Paris so it seemed like the perfect summer read, and it almost is.

It’s packed full of glitz and glamour, from the clothes and the parties to the exotic locations and rich and handsome men. There’s an exciting story set in the world of art and antiques and a passionate and fiery romance. Just what you need when you’re relaxing on the beach on holiday or like me hiding from another rainy day.

Synopsis

The story begins with the discovery of an apartment in Paris which no one has set foot in for a long, long time. Inside, under a mountain of dust they discover hundreds of works of art. High flying fine art expert Flora is called in by the Vermeil family, who discover they own the apartment, to catalogue the collection and discover it’s history.

As she starts to dig into the history of the pictures and the apartment she has to spend more and more time with the family which would be fine if son Xavier didn’t unsettle her so much. He seems to hate her and wants her prying eyes out of the families lives but what is he hiding and why does he fascinate her so much?

Meanwhile back home Flora’s own family are dealing with a shock that leaves them all reeling and Flora finds herself torn between supporting her family and getting to the bottom of the mystery behind the paintings.

Thoughts

I absolutely loved the story in this book and found the whole thing fascinating. I have to admit I don’t have a huge knowledge of art or provenance but the author gives just enough details for it to be interesting without bombarding you with a lot of facts. It’s almost like a detective story as Flora traces back through the history of the paintings to get to the bottom of the mystery and there are a few shocks and twists along the way which took me completely by surprise.

The other highlight for me were the locations. I absolutely love Paris and France in general and the author creates such a vivid picture that you can almost imagine yourself there in the heat of summer. There’s a real sense of atmosphere particularly when the story moves to the south of France to Antibes. It’s hot, sensual and completely enthralling.

Main character Flora is likeable enough. I didn’t totally take to her as she came across a little bit weak and indecisive (not sure those are the right words but I can’t think of better ones). She clearly loves her job and her family, and is very determined but there just wasn’t a lot of fun in her. She’s not in the easiest situation but there was something about her that just frustrated me a little. I think I just wanted her to let loose a little (and not in the ways she did).

Xavier was also a little bit of a let down. He’s the dark and brooding type, who doesn’t really say much throughout the book. He mostly seems to glare or stare at Flora which is a little on the creepy side and I think this is what made this book a little less than perfect for me. You can feel there is something brewing between Xavier and Flora but it’s difficult to see it as any kind of serious relationship given they never have an actual conversation.

Despite these minor flaws I did enjoy it immensely and would recommend to anyone looking for a great summer beach read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WWW Wednesday: 27th July 2016

Ali@abookishlife23 Comments

The WWW Wednesdays meme is currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words and is a great way to do a weekly update on what you’ve been reading and what you have planned.

WWW Wednesday

To take part all you have to do is answer the following three questions:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

Here’s this weeks WWW.

Currently Reading

The Paris SecretI’m currently reading The Paris Secret by Karen Swan, which is my latest NetGalley book. I’m a big fan of Karen Swan and absolutely loved Christmas at Tiffany’s and Prima Donna so I’m excited to see what she does in her latest work. It’s very early days for me (I think I’m at chapter 3) but I thought the first chapter was excellent and really hooked you into the story. From the blurb and reviews I’m expecting some art and antiques, secrets, exotic locations and a bit of romance. Basically the perfect summer read.

I’m also kind of listening to the audiobook of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. I say kind of because for some reason I just can’t get into it and will probably abandon it. I’m missing the Night Huntress books so I think I need something similar if anyone has any suggestions.

Recently Finished

Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful, #1)Things have been very busy at work at the moment so I haven’t managed to read as much as I hoped. Only three books finished, none of which were particularly taxing reads.

The first one finished was Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire, a new adult romance about a girl trying to escape her past who meets a boy with a bit of a temper and a bad reputation. It was an enjoyable read and something a bit different from what I was expecting but I kind of felt like the on/off thing went on a little bit too long. There were also a few things that were just a bit too convenient and contrived. It’s good for what it is but I’ve read better.

GrinderContinuing my romance fest (when I’m stressed I turn to trashy novels) I also read Grinder by Samantha Whiskey. It’s about a hockey player who after he’s injured and his wife leaves him hires an old female friend to be the nanny for his daughter. Predictably enough there’s a lot of chemistry between the player and the nanny but both have their reasons for not wanting to cross the line from friendship. It was an OK read but the plot was very predictable and I found the main female character’s attitude annoying. Let’s just say if you know from the start what the deal is you have no right to complain about it and emotionally blackmail someone to get what you want. Sorry getting a bit ranty 🙂

The final book finished this week was This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost which I think is book 5 in the Night Huntress series. I had to switch from audio to ebook for this latest installment which is probably safer but a bit less fun. It was still an enjoyable read, just not as good as the previous one in the series in my opinion.

Reading Next

A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby and The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley are probably at the top of my reading next list. The first because it fits a reading challenge I’m working on (and I’ve had it and wanted to read for a while) and the second because it’s a library book I’m due to return imminently.

After those, or possibly before I’m also looking forward to reading Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent which I received from NetGalley. I’ve seen some really good reviews but was waiting to read until around the release date.

A Long Way DownThe LoneyLying in Wait

Have you read any of the books above or have any other book you’d recommend? Leave comments and links below. I’m a little slow in replying at the moment as work is manic but I’ll get there eventually 🙂

Happy Wednesday everyone.

Teaser Tuesday: 26th July 2016

Ali@abookishlife8 Comments

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat If you want to join in grab your current read, flick to a random page, select two sentences (without spoilers) and share them in a blog post or in the comments of Books and a Beat.

TeaserThis week my teaser is from classic romance Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. It’s one of my all time favourite books and I recently bought a brand new hardback copy from Waterstones. I’d been staring at it in the shops for months and finally caved. Look it’s just sooo pretty.

Oh, there probably is a mild spoiler in my teaser but I’m assuming everyone knows the story 🙂

Jane Eyre Cover

My Teaser

I was experiencing an ordeal: a hand of fiery iron grasped my vitals. Terrible moment: full of struggle, blackness, burning! Not a human being that ever lived could wish to be better loved than I was loved; and him who thus loved me I absolutely worshipped: and I must renounce love and idol. One drear word comprised my intolerable duty – “Depart!”

~ Page 380, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

 

Happy reading everyone.

WWW Wednesday: 20th July 2016

Ali@abookishlife14 Comments

The WWW Wednesdays meme is currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words and is a great way to do a weekly update on what you’ve been reading and what you have planned.

WWW Wednesday

To take part all you have to do is answer the following three questions:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

Here’s this weeks WWW.

Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful, #1)Currently Reading

I started  Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire yesterday and I literally haven’t been able to put it down since. There’s something wrong with the version I have as words and whole sections are repeated but there’s just something about it that has me completely hooked at the moment. At the start I thought it was going to  be the usual good girl meets a bad boy, they fight a bit but then can’t resist their attraction (which so far is kind of true) but it’s starting to feel a bit darker. I can’t wait to find out how it ends and suspect I will be forgoing some sleep 🙂

Recently Finished

All is Not ForgottenI’ve been very lucky this week and somehow managed to end up reading a lot of really good books.

The first of these was All is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker which I received from NetGalley. It’s a psychological thriller about the effects the horrific rape of a teenage girl have on a family and a community. It’s a little slow at the start and the narrator comes across as a bit arrogant but it’s intelligent, well written and by the end totally enthralling. You can read my full review here.

Melody Bittersweet and The Girls' Ghostbusting AgencyThe second book finished was Melody Bittersweet and the Girls’ Ghostbusting Agency by Kitty French. This couldn’t be more different from All Is Not Forgotten if it tried. It’s a fun and lighthearted story about Melody Bittersweet who decides to put her ability to see dead people to good use by starting a Ghostbusting agency. It’s full of quirky characters, a bit of romance, the odd ghost and lots of laughs. I loved it and you can read more in my review.

The next book read was The Deviants by C.J. Skuse. I received this is an ARC from NetGalley and couldn’t resist reading it straight away even though it’s not due out until the end of September.The Deviants It’s about a group of friends who’ve drifted apart after a tragedy but get back together to get revenge on a bully. It’s too early for me to post a review but I will say that I absolutely loved this book. I was expecting it to be good but I wasn’t expecting it to break my heart a little.

Also this week I finished my audio book  Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost. It’s the fourth in the Night Huntress series and could possibly be my favourite so far. These audio books are going to get me in so much trouble as they are completely addictive and absolutely hilarious. Anyone who spots me listening to them must think I’m a complete lunatic.Paper and Fire (The Great Library, #2)

The final book finished this week was Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine, which is the second in the Great Library series. It’s a story about libraries and books so it’s pretty much a dead cert that I’ll love it. In this series libraries pretty much run the world and have more power than any government or religion but power corrupts. It’s a fun, fast paced read but it finished on a cliffhanger so I’m left waiting for the next one….again.

Reading Next

Yet again it’s been another week where I’ve read literally none of the books on my reading next list. With my tendency to wander off plan I’m starting to think I shouldn’t bother. Anyway, it seems likely that I’ll read one or more of the following:

  • A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby – My brother loaned me this a few years ago but I’ve never read it (although I watched the film on Sunday night). It just so happens to fit a challenge I’m doing so that seems a good reason to finally pick it up.
  • This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost – There’s no way I can resist the next book in the Night Huntress series and I managed to find it on Overdrive so I’m good to go.
  • The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley – I spied this at the library a couple of weeks ago and couldn’t resist.
  • The Paris Secret by Karen Swan – This will probably be my next NetGalley read as I love Karen Swan (and Paris) and haven’t had a chance to read as yet.

A Long Way DownThis Side of the Grave (Night Huntress, #5)The LoneyThe Paris Secret

Have you read any of the books above or have any other book you’d recommend? Leave comments and links below. I’m a little slow in replying at the moment as work is manic but I’ll get there eventually 🙂

Happy Wednesday everyone.

Teaser Tuesday: 19th July 2016

Ali@abookishlife11 Comments

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat If you want to join in grab your current read, flick to a random page, select two sentences (without spoilers) and share them in a blog post or in the comments of Books and a Beat.

TeaserThis week my teaser is from Paper and Fire, the second book in The Great Library series by Rachel Caine. I read the first book a few months ago and really enjoyed it so was very excited to get the follow up from the library last week. It’s set in an alternate reality where the great library of Alexandria didn’t burn down but gained more and more power. It’s an easy and enjoyable read with plenty of action and some steampunk elements that I’m loving.

Warning: while the teaser is spoiler free the synopsis includes spoilers for the first book in the series.

My Teaser

We have been told that paper in a binding, ink on a page, is worth more than the life of any man, woman or child. We have been pressed into the service of this false idol we call Knowledge for far too long; we have forgotten how to be free of it, how to think for ourselves and believe we, in ourselves, are worth the breath we take, the land we walk.

~ Page 211,  Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine

Synopsis (from GoodReads)

Paper and Fire (The Great Library, #2)Ink and Bone introduced a world where knowledge is power, and power corrupts absolutely. Now, the story of those who dare to defy the Great Library—and rewrite history—continues. . . .

With an iron fist, The Great Library controls the knowledge of the world, ruthlessly stamping out all rebellion, forbidding the personal ownership of books in the name of the greater good.

Jess Brightwell has survived his introduction to the sinister, seductive world of the Library, but serving in its army is nothing like he envisioned. His life and the lives of those he cares for have been altered forever. His best friend is lost, and Morgan, the girl he loves, is locked away in the Iron Tower and doomed to a life apart.

Embarking on a mission to save one of their own, Jess and his band of allies make one wrong move and suddenly find themselves hunted by the Library’s deadly automata and forced to flee Alexandria, all the way to London.

But Jess’s home isn’t safe anymore. The Welsh army is coming, London is burning, and soon, Jess must choose between his friends, his family, or the Library willing to sacrifice anything and anyone in the search for ultimate control. . . .

Happy reading everyone.