WWW Wednesday: 25 November 2015

November 25, 2015 Ali@abookishlife6 Comments

It’s WWW Wednesday time.

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.

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?

So here’s my W’s for the week.

Currently Reading

I started reading Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo yesterday and, while it’s still early days, I’m enjoying it so far. I read the Grisha trilogy at the start of the year and really liked it so it’s nice to be back in that world again. Just need to get used to the new characters.

I’m also kind of re reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. I spotted it on kindle unlimited and couldn’t resist. I’ve watched the films many times but it has been a long time since I read the book. It’s strange but nice.

Recently Finished

It’s been a slightly slower reading week for me as I was forced to return to work or have no money to buy books. I did however finish Hopeless by Colleen Hoover. This was my first book by this author and I had slightly mixed feelings about it which you can read about here.

I also read the extended extract of Truthwitch by Susan Dennard which I received from NetGalley. I’ll be posting a sneak peek soon but it definitely has the potential to be big next year.

Finally, as predicted, I couldn’t resist reading Northwoods by Bill Schweigart which I also received from NetGalley. It’s the follow up to The Beast of Barcroft and takes the horror up a notch. I’m not supposed to review till nearer the release date of February but I definitely recommend the series to anyone who likes Stephen King or James Herbert books.

Reading Next

I have a huge big pile of library books which are due back in just over a week so should really be reading them. It seems unlikely I’ll get through them all in that time but I’m hoping to read The Rosie Project and Delirium.

I also have an ARC of Dead Ringers which I should probably already have read (I think it may have been published) so hopefully I can squeeze it in somewhere too.

If you have any other suggestions or if you’ve read any of these leave a comment below.

Happy Wednesday all.

Book Review: Winter by Marissa Meyer

November 24, 2015November 23, 2015 Ali@abookishlife4 Comments

Winter by Marissa Meyer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is epic.

I’d been not so patiently waiting on this book for a while. I absolutely love this series and it feels like every book has been better than the last. The story just seems to build and build and I have to admit I was desperate to know how it would all end.

This book doesn’t disappoint. It feels huge, as all of the threads and characters from the previous books come together to reach a final conclusion which I thought was almost perfect.

A heck of a lot happens in this the final in the lunar chronicles. We have the long awaited visit to Luna, capture, rescue, tragedies, victories, rebellion, huge battles and throughout it all stories of friendship and love.

The standard of writing is consistently good and while the book is a lot bigger than the previous ones in the series it’s so easy to read and the story is so exciting that I flew through it in a couple of days.

My main criticism however and the reason for the loss of a star was that at times I felt there was too much happening. The narrative jumps between different characters so I felt like there wasn’t enough time to connect to one part of the story before you were jumping somewhere else.

While new character Winter gets a decent part of the narrative at the start it wasn’t quite sufficient for me to get a proper sense of her and it wasn’t long before we were off to Cinder and the other characters.

I felt that Cinder got the bulk of the attention which probably makes sense as she is the central character of the series. Her character has developed a lot over the books as she’s started to accept who and what she is and she develops further in this story but it seemed to me that the other characters were side-lined and became a bit less rounded.

My favourite characters are Cress and Thorne. I love them both individually and together and there just wasn’t nearly enough of them. Cress with her social awkwardness and desperate crush on Thorne has always been the one I relate most to and Thorne is the one who has always made me laugh, the flirty, loveable rogue. What there is of them is great, (like when Thorne takes his shirt off and Cress loses all thought) but I wanted more.

I suppose though that with everything that had to be crammed in there just wasn’t room. This story is a lot more serious than some of the previous ones and deals with much bigger issues and themes. The biggest being what are you willing to do and sacrifice to achieve your goal.

As it is the last in the series there is a big finale (which I won’t spoil) and the author wraps everything up nicely. I have the feeling though that there is scope for a spin off. I really, really hope that it does materialise as there are certain characters I want to see more of (no prizes for guessing which ones).

Overall I definitely enjoyed it but didn’t quite love it.

Teaser Tuesday: 24 November 2015

November 24, 2015November 23, 2015 Ali@abookishlife9 Comments

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. 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 A Daily Rhythm.

TeaserTuesday-ADailyRhythm3 I’m going to be a bit of a cheat this week as I’ve just started Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo and don’t want to flick in case I come across something that gives away the plot so I’m going for first two sentences.

My Teaser

“Joost had two problems: the moon and his moustache.

He was supposed to be making his rounds at the Hoede house, but for the last fifteen minutes, he’d been hovering around the south-east wall of the gardens, trying to think of something romantic to say to Anya”

~ page 3

Have to admit I’m kind of curious about why his moustache is a problem.

Happy reading everyone.

Book Review: Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

November 23, 2015 Ali@abookishlife1 Comment

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This is actually a really difficult book for me to review as I have very mixed feelings about it. Parts of it I loved, others had me on the edge of the seat and some were a bit dull or frustrating.

Synopsis

The story follows Sky Davis a 17 year old who, having been home schooled is finally getting the chance to go to public school. She’s trying to keep a low profile but is drawn to bad boy and fellow student Dean Holder. There’s something about him she can’t resist but being with him starts to bring back feelings and memories from the past. With his erratic behaviour it seems like Dean may be keeping secrets from her too. Can they both get over their pasts?

Thoughts

So let’s start with the good. I really, really loved the authors writing style. She has that magical ability to draw you in to the story and let you feel what the characters felt in that exact moment whether it is anger, shock, passion or even happiness. I’m someone who reads for feels so her style is perfect for me.

I also liked main characters Sky and Holder. I thought Sky was particularly fantastic. Adopted at a young age by Karen, home schooled and with no access to technology such as a phone, TV or internet she is surprisingly confident, well adjusted (kind of) and self assured. She undeservedly has a bad reputation as a result of her friendship with neighbour Six but doesn’t let it bother her. To her it’s more important to be loyal to her friend than to worry about what others think. I loved how she dealt with the bullies as it gave me a giggle. Throughout the book I was impressed with how she dealt with everything and how she took action and control rather than letting things get to her.

Holder, I have slightly more mixed feelings about. He’s the mysterious stranger that Sky is drawn to even when she hears of his past violent behaviour. His behaviour is downright erratic at times but I did love how protective he was and how funny he could be.

The first half of the book where Sky and Holder meet and gradually form a relationship was the highlight for me. It’s funny, sweet and there are some serious sparks between them. The first half also included Sky starting school, learning to use technology, and meeting new best friend Breckin so there was a lot to love.

So what went wrong? Basically for me it all went wrong when the secrets came out. I’m not sure if it was supposed to be a shock but there were hints throughout the first half of the book which kind of gave it away. Once the truth was revealed I felt like the plot got a little bit ridiculous. There were too many coincidences and it felt like twist after twist was thrown at the reader. There was one part that I was totally shocked by but other than that it was too predictable.

To me the second half felt like a completely different book. Holden’s character seemed to switch completely and all of the other characters I loved disappeared and the focus was only on Sky and Holder. Breckin and Six were such interesting characters it was a shame they weren’t used more.

Overall therefore it was a book of two halves. The first half I loved, the second not so much but possibly it just wasn’t my type of story.

A Mysterious Trio

ImageNovember 21, 2015November 21, 2015 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

On a recent visit to Arran we ventured out in a cold and miserable day to visit the stone circles at Machrie Moor. There are actually a few different stone circles and ruins around the site but the trio shown are by far the most impressive. These date back to 3500-1500BC and the tallest is 18ft. You have […]

WWW Wednesday – 18th November 2015

November 18, 2015November 17, 2015 Ali@abookishlife13 Comments

It’s WWW Wednesday time.

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.

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?

So here’s my W’s for the week.

Currently Reading

I’ve just started reading Hopeless by Colleen Hoover. This is my first book by this author which is ridiculous as I’ve been hearing great things for a long time. Only a few chapters in but so far so good.

I’m also reading an extended extract of Truthwitch by Susan Dennard which I received from NetGalley. This is a book with a lot of buzz around it and from the few chapters I’ve seen so far this buzz seems well deserved. It’s due for release on 5th January 2016 and I’ve already added to my Amazon wish list.

Recently Finished

It’s been a really good week for books this week. I finished the remaining books in KM Shea’s King Arthur series, Embittered, Embark and Enlighten. I love KM Shea books they are always fun, easy reads, with strong female characters. You can find my review of the series here.

I also finally got to read Winter by Marissa Meyer. It’s safe to say I’d been waiting for this for a while. It is an epic conclusion to the series and I loved it. Only downside, nowhere near enough Cress and Thorne. Haven’t had a chance to post a review yet but it should be coming soon.

Reading Next

I still have a stack of library books lurking around the flat that I really should read before they are due to be returned but realistically I know I won’t get to them this week as I’m participating in a group read of Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. This is another book I’ve been desperate to read for a while but had been hoping the price would come down. It hasn’t but I’m going to cave and get it anyway.

I should also be working my way through some of the ARC’s that are due for publication over the next couple of weeks but I think I’m probably going to be bad and read Northwoods by Bill Schweigart. It’s also an ARC from NetGalley but isn’t due to be published till February 2016. I just can’t resist starting it now as it’s the follow up to The Beast of Barcroft which reignited my love of horror.

If you have any other suggestions or if you’ve read any of these leave a comment below.

Happy Wednesday all.

Teaser Tuesday – 17 November 2015

November 17, 2015 Ali@abookishlife6 Comments

TeaserTuesday-ADailyRhythm3 Last night I started reading Hopeless by Colleen Hoover. I’ve heard a lot of great things about Colleen Hoover but this is the first book by her I’ve gotten round to reading. Only a few chapters in but enjoying it so far. Anyway here’s this week’s teaser.

My Teaser

“I can’t distinguish between butterflies or a stomach virus, but either way I’m not fond of the way that voice penetrates right to the pit of my stomach. I stiffen and slowly turn around, all of a sudden aware that I’m no where near as confident as my past would lead me to believe.”

~ page 28

Happy reading everyone.

Book Review: What Might Have Been by Matt Dunn

November 17, 2015 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

What Might Have Been by Matt Dunn

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this story by Matt Dunn. I’ve read a few of his books before and love the unique perspective a male writer brings to the chick lit genre. For me his books feel less flowery and romantic and much more realistic which I find quite refreshing.

In this story Evan, a sax player, meets Sarah in a jazz club one night. There is an instant attraction and they spend a perfect night together. Unfortunately however, Evan gets a big break which drives them apart. Left behind, Sarah decides to pursue a relationship with her boss David and after a few months agrees to marry him. Spotting the wedding notice in the paper Evan returns and tries to win her back. He has one week till the wedding to put a stop to it but is one perfect night enough for Sarah to ditch David and run off with Evan?

I actually listened to the audio book of this and found it very enjoyable . I’m generally not a fan of audios but this one worked well. I think because there is a lot of dialogue it was like listening to a drama.

There isn’t a huge amount that happens in the story so I can understand why some other reviewers have found it a bit dull and repetitive. Most of the time it’s Evan or Sarah seeking advice from friends about what they should do, Evan trying to convince Sarah to ditch David or Evan trying to get Sarah’s best friend Grace on side. They do tend to go over and over the same things but there is a lot of humour amongst it all and there is the odd “what!!!!” moment. It did remind me a bit of a soap opera as characters would occasionally and unexpectedly drop a bombshell. I kept expecting the Eastenders end credits tune to kick in (you’ll understand if you’re in the UK).

The characters are very well thought out and very rounded. Evan is really likeable as the man desperate to win back the woman he loves. He refuses to play dirty and despite trying to split up a couple seems very moral. Sarah I wasn’t so sure about. She’s clearly settling for David despite him being a not very nice person and someone she’s not attracted to. I can understand she was looking for security but a lot of her actions are questionable and to be honest I couldn’t comprehend what Evan saw in her.

The highlight of the book however is the secondary characters. I loved Evan’s friend and mentor Mel and his ex band mate. They are really well thought out characters and they definitely get the best dialogue. The advice they give is seriously dodgy but a lot of the time quite funny. Sarah’s flatmate Grace is also a fascinating character and I’d love a follow up which gives her a story of her own.

I have to admit I have my doubts about whether the relationship between Evan and Sarah would ever work as they spend more time fighting than they do being happy together. I’m also not so sure about the instant love thing so it seems like a lot of drama for not much reward but I was still cheering Evan on (mostly because David was so horrible).

The ending was a bit of a surprise but worked quite well and was probably right.

Overall I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes a relationship drama with less hearts and flowers and more realism and dry humour.

Book Review : King Arthur and her Knights by KM Shea

November 16, 2015 Ali@abookishlife1 Comment

Enthroned by K.M. Shea
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love KM Shea books so much. They always have such fantastic characters and make me laugh.

This time it’s a retelling of King Arthur but with the major twist that King Arthur is really Britt Arthurs a girl dragged back to the past by Merlin when the real Arthur runs off with a shepherdess.

Britt originally thinks the whole thing is a wind up and pulls the sword from the stone as a bit of a bet with Merlin. She then decides that actually it must be a dream so why not go with it until it’s time to wake up. As a result she doesn’t take anything too seriously much to Merlin and the knights horror.

Merlin, who in this version is quite young and hot, takes on the role of instructor to Britt and teaches her all about the politics, rules and strategy. This is not particularly exciting to Britt who tries to dodge him when possible. They are very different as characters. Britt is looking for action and excitement and seems to live in the moment whereas Merlin is always plotting and scheming. It makes for a great dynamic between the two of them and a lot of the dialogue is hilarious as Merlin tries to boss her around and Britt totally disregards him.

Merlin like most of the men of the time has very little respect for women and thinks of them as silly, emotional and superficial. Britt is definitely a match for him though and proves him wrong so he is forced to develop respect for her (although not necessarily women in general).

She does a great job, slightly to her horror, of impersonating a 15 year old boy despite being “beardless”. Her whole attitude throughout is fantastic and funny and she may be one of my all time favourite characters.

The absolute highlight of the story for me was her meeting with the lady of the lake. This book is definitely worth reading for that alone.

They are really quick reads so I’ve already read the next four books in the series which are just as good. Britt continues to impersonate Arthur and gradually tries to recreate the legend of Camelot with the help of Merlin. Guinevere, Lancelot and a lot of the other well known characters gradually appear but aren’t necessarily as you would expect. Some supposed heroes have ulterior motives and Britt starts to run into the kind of relationship problems you would expect from being a 20 something year old woman impersonating a much younger male king.

The characters develop further in every story and despite being light reads there are some strong messages. I love KM Shea’s writing style and sense of humour and there is plenty of excitement and action. My only slight gripe is that there do tend to be spelling mistakes and missing words but these could be solved with a bit of proof reading.

The next book in the series is out next week and I’m really looking forward to it. I think romance will be in the air.

Sneak Peek : The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury

November 16, 2015November 16, 2015 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury

Publication Date : 23rd February 2016

Blurb from GoodReads

She is the most powerful Jinni of all. He is a boy from the streets. Their love will shake the world…

When Aladdin discovers Zahra’s jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn’t seen in hundreds of years — a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra’s very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes.

But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?

As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of Aladdin from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury.

Sneak Peek

I am so excited about this re-telling of Aladdin which is due out in February 2016. I managed to get a sneak peek via NetGalley of the first few chapters and they are so good I can’t wait to get my hands on the rest. The chapters I read had a lot of world building but the descriptions really draw you in and there is action and intrigue from almost the very first page.

The narrative is told from the point of view of Jinni Zahra who comes across as a conflicted and complicated character with a lot of power and a tendency to bend the rules. I get the feeling she could be unpredictable. Aladdin however I’m already in love with but then who doesn’t love a rogue’ish bad boy. He’s a flirt and a thief with a tragic past that he’s trying to escape. I’m so excited about how his relationship with Zahra will develop as there are hints of it already.

To top it all off we have an oppressive monarchy, incredible magic and some strong female rebels. This definitely has the potential to be one of the most exciting books of 2016. I’m off to pre order now.