My Summer TBR

June 30, 2019 Ali@abookishlife6 Comments

With July fast approaching (how did that happen?) I thought it was about time I posted my Summer TBR. I probably should have done this a month ago but ummm… *frantically tries to come up with an excuse and fails miserably*

I’m notoriously bad for sticking strictly to my TBRs but I do find it a useful way to keep track of what books I’ve got to read and how I’m doing against my reading goals (not well). There are probably more books on this list than I’m realistically going to get through but I like to set stretch targets 😀

FROM MY SPRING LIST

I posted my last TBR list back in March and while I did manage to read 11 of the 28 books listed I did wander a little off course. There were a few on the list I can admit I’m probably never going to get to – or won’t get to any time soon – but there are a few ARCs I received from NetGalley I still plan on reading in the near future.

Believe it or not I’m still kind of okay date wise for Rosamund Lupton’s book Three Hours. There’s still a bit of time before it’s released which is part of the reason I’ve been bumping it down the list. I’m also a little wary of books about school shootings but it does seem to be getting great reviews. I do not have the same excuse for Tana French’s The Wych Elm. I’m a big fan of French’s writing and this was published ages ago. I think it’s more a case of occasionally finding her books hard to get into so waiting til I’m in the right mood.

Archenemies by Marissa Meyer and The Queen’s Resistance by Rebecca Ross both fall into the category of sequels to books I really enjoyed. But, both are YA genre fiction which I’ve been a little down on lately. Not sure if I’ve been reading too much of it but they’re all starting to feel samey.

It’s kind of a similar story with Light Years and Nocturna. Both are new to me authors and these series look great but they sound similar to other recent reads and I’ve been reluctant to start yet more series until I finish off some of the million others I seem to be midway through.

FROM NETGALLEY & READERS FIRST

My spiraling out of control NetGalley shelf (there are currently 79 books on it) does not seem to be stopping me from requesting more books. I am reading them, just haven’t been doing so well at reviewing them… oops.

Given my downer on YA fantasy I probably shouldn’t be requesting more but I just can’t resist. I mean look at the cover for We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal, there’s no way on earth I wasn’t going to try and get my hands on a copy. Sea Witch Rising is the sequel to Sea Witch (a kind of Little Mermaid villain origin story) which I loved so I couldn’t resist, and Sorcery of Thorns just seems to be getting lots of great reviews.

Thankfully I do have some crime/thrillers in the form of Then She Vanishes by Claire Douglas and Shari Lapena’s Someone We Know. Then She Vanishes will be my first book by Douglas and I’ve already started it. So far it’s going well. I’m a big fan of Lapena so I have faith that Someone We Know will be fantastic.

Arctic Zoo, Serious Moonlight, and Recursion were slightly more impulsive requests. I haven’t read anything by these authors but they sound quite unique and different so am very excited about them.

FROM MY BOOKSHELF

I have sooooo many books on my bookshelf I haven’t read it’s frightening. I’m thinking I may actually need to instigate a book buying ban which is a truly terrifying thought.

At the start of the year I set myself what I thought was the easy goal of finishing off some of the series I’m midway through. I thought this would be incredibly doable because I knew two of my fave trilogies were coming to an end this year. Holy Sister and Finale have both been on my most anticipated list but despite pre ordering them and having them sitting on my shelf I’ve been putting them off.

I actually won The Corset and Social Creature in a twitter giveaway but they were already on my want to read list. They just sound so different and intriguing. Other Words for Smoke has pretty much been on my TBR since I finished Spare and Found Parts. I loved that book so am keen to get to Other Words for Smoke asap.

ON AUDIO

So I took out an audible membership this year and there have been a lot of very tempting deals. I’m a little slow on getting through audio books but I do love them. The narrator can make or break them but they’ve definitely helped me tackle books I otherwise wouldn’t have considered reading.

Illuminae and Rosemary and Rue are both new series to me but I’m a big fan of the authors. I listened to Seanan McGuire’s whole Wayward Children series on audible and loved it so I’m hoping Rosemary Rue will be of a similar quality. As for Illuminae, a few people have recommended listening to it and reading at the same time so am gonna give it a bash.

I absolutely adored the narrator of the Diviners by Libba Bray, she brought the story to life so I feel like I have to listen to continue the series on audio with Lair of Dreams. I actually can’t imagine reading the books now. I read Lady Midnight a couple of years ago and am afraid I didn’t love it but I noticed that the second book Lord of Shadows is narrated by one of my fave narrators James Marsters so I’m gonna give it a go that way.

FROM MY E-READER

I’m kind of scared to check how many unread books I have on my kindle. I think when I looked a year or two ago there were around 300 and I have definitely been buying more than I’ve been reading. Would be nice to get that number down a bit and actually read some of the books I’ve bought.

Another of my bookish resolutions this year was to read more translated fiction and books set, or by authors outwith the UK/US. I started the year pretty well but most of my recent reads have been by US or UK authors. I’m therefore hoping to get to Snare by Lilja Sigurdardottir and The Man Who Died by Antti Tuomainen. I read and loved Palm Beach Finland by Tuomainen earlier this year so have high hopes for The Man Who Died, and Snare has been on my want to read list for a while.

To balance out all of the sci fi and fantasy I also want to pick up The Puppet Show and The Passengers. I know the second is technically sci fi but I’m intrigued by the mystery/thriller aspects to it and I’ve heard so many great things about it.

As the list is looking decidedly light on romance I think I’m also gonna pick up The Risk and Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating. I doubt these are the only romance reads I’ll pick up (it’s summer after all) but I love these authors so it’s pretty certain these will get read.

So that’s my reading plan for the next couple of months or so. Hopefully I’ll manage to stick somewhat close to it and not get tempted by too many other new books on Amazon or NetGalley (ha who am I kidding).

Have you read any of these? Are there any others I should make room for on my list? Any you’re particularly excited about?

Happy reading ❤

Spring TBR

March 10, 2019 Ali@abookishlife9 Comments

It’s been a while since I’ve done a TBR but as my reading has been a little all over the place lately and I’ve been buying/requesting books left right and centre I thought it might be a good idea to start it up again with a Spring one. Hopefully it’ll help me get organised, knock a few books off the ever increasing pile and meet some of my reading goals.

I’ll no doubt switch a few things around and deviate from this (I’m terrible at sticking to a reading plan) but I’m sure I’ll manage to knock a few off the pile over the next three months.

Anyway, without further ado…

Thrillers / Mysteries

I seem to be on a bit of a crime spree recently (reading wise at any rate) and I don’t think that’s going to change any time soon. There are an awful lot of books out or about to be released that I’m very excited about.

Close to the Edge (publisher) – I actually started this a couple of weeks ago but parked it pending getting my mitts on a physical copy (I was reading a pdf on my phone). So far, so good and I’m loving the focus on the London Underground.
The Au Pair (NetGalley) – This was a bit of a random NetGalley pick based on a cover but it sounds intriguing.
I Know Who You Are (NetGalley) – I loved Feeney’s previous book Sometimes I Lie so this one has been on my wishlist ever since I heard it was coming out.
The Wych Elm (NetGalley) – Tana French is an autobuy author for me as I love her character focused stories and this, while being different from the usual Dublin Murder Squad series, seems to be getting great reviews.
Wolfhunter River (NetGalley) – This is the third book in the Stillhouse Lake series and I have to admit that while I loved the previous two books I thought the last book wrapped everything up and it didn’t really need a book three. I still want to read it though.
Three Hours (NetGalley) – Another book that I’m a little wary about as it’s about a school shooting but from the reviews I’ve read it does sound like it’s treated sensitively.

Sci Fi

I always say I’m not a big fan of sci fi books but when I think of my favourite reads, a good proportion of them are in fact sci fi. Although it does work best for me when the focus is on the characters and action rather than the technology/science. Fingers crossed that’s the case with these ones.

Archenemies (NetGalley) – This has been on my TBR ever since I finished Renegades. I love Marissa Meyer and while Renegades wasn’t perfect I do love the whole superhero theme.
Armada (Library) – I’m listening to this on audio at the moment and loving it.
Skyward (NetGalley) – Confession, I’ve never read a single book by Sanderson but I spied this on NetGalley and thought why not.
Light Years (NetGalley) – Another author I’ve never read, I watched The 100 and enjoyed it but never read the books, but I do like the sound of this one. I’m a big fan of the competitive school thing and rivals learning to work together. I’m hoping for a Top Gun in space type story.

Fantasy

I swear at least half of the books on my kindle are fantasy which is not particularly great if you’ve kind of gone off it (YA fantasy in particular). I’m sure though once I pick one up it’ll be fine. I think it’s the thought of reading the usual tropes that’s putting me off and once I’m reading I’ll no doubt enjoy it. I’ve also managed to track down books which I hope will be a little bit different.

The Queen’s Resistance (NetGalley) – Whoop!!! Finally got my hands on a copy of this, the sequel to Queen’s Rising. Queen’s Rising got a bit of a bad rep but I enjoyed it. It was a little different from the usual YA fare
Lady Smoke (NetGalley) -Another sequel, this time to Ash Princess a book I had a few qualms about. I’m hoping the change of scene from the palace and the prospect of a rebellion will make for a better read.
Stepsister (NetGalley) – A feminist reimagining of Cinderella… count me in.
Nocturna (NetGalley) – As an own voices book set in a Latinx inspired world this sounds like it could be something pretty special.
Empress of All Seasons (NetGalley) – This does sound a little like the usual YA fantasy type read but it is at least a standalone and I’m doing it as a group read so fingers crossed it surprises me.

Literary/Historical Fiction

I don’t tend to read a lot of literary or historical fiction as it’s a bit too real/serious and I’m usually looking for a bit of escapism/fun but I’m hoping to pick up the following:

Daisy Jones and the Six (NetGalley) – I’ve been waiting for the right mood to hit me to pick this one up. It’s not my usual kinda read but I loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo so am sure this will be equally fantastic.
The Dead Fathers Club (NetGalley) – Matt Haig’s books can be a little depressing (I mean look at the title) so I’ve been putting this off until I’m in the right frame of mind. His writing is always great (albeit emotional) though so I have no doubts this will be good.
How to be Famous – I didn’t realise this was a sequel to How to Build A Girl until recently (I know it’s on the bloomin cover) but now that I have I really want to read it. I loved that book and I can’t wait to find out what’s next for the characters.

Translated Fiction

One of my bookish resolutions this year was to read more translated fiction and books set, or by authors outwith the UK/US. So far I’m averaging about one a month so I’m hoping to keep that up with the following.

The Mine (Library) – I recently read Palm Beach Finland, the authors most recent book, and really liked the author’s writing style. I get the impression this is a little more serious but I’ve read the first few pages and again there’s something instantly likeable about the writing.
Elefant (NetGalley) – I spied this on NetGalley last year and it just sounded like a quirky and weird story – basically the type of book I love. Not sure why I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet but hopefully I’ll do it soon.
Die, My Love (Bought) – I’ve got tickets to see the author when she visits the UK soon (another spur of the moment decision) so I’m thinking I should probably read her book 🙂 I think this’ll be my first by a South American author and it sounds like a very interesting and unique story.

Romance

I love a good romance read and have a bit of a tendency to pick up whatever looks good on Kindle unlimited or on Overdrive but while I’ll no doubt still do that I did recently buy a few romance reads I’m really excited about.

Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating (Bought) – Everyone keeps raving about this book and the price finally dropped on Amazon (with 300+ unread books it’s hard to justify buying an expensive book) so it’s sitting waiting for me on my kindle.
99 Percent Mine (Bought) – I have been desperate for Sally Thorne’s new book but I’ve seen quite a lot of not so great reviews for it that have kind of put me off. I’m therefore waiting for a bit of the hype (and my expectations) to die down.
Make Me Bad (Bought) – I always enjoy an RS Grey book so needless to say as soon as this one came out I snapped it up. No doubt it’ll be yet another read in one sitting book 🙂
Letters to the Lost (Bought) – I only recently realised the author of A Curse So Dark and Lonely also wrote this story. It was one that I had previously been very tempted to read so that sealed the deal for me.

Most Anticipated

These are the books I don’t own (yet) but I plan on buying the second they’re released.

Holy Sister – Everyone seems to have received ARCs of this but me 😦 and the wait is driving me crazy. I need to know how it all ends.
Finale – Another final book in the series I need to read to find out how it ends. I adored Legendary so I’m really hoping this is more of the same.
Sherwood – A standalone (or at least I hope it is) this time. I loved Spooner’s take on Beauty and the Beast, Hunted so very excited to see what she’ll do with Robin Hood.

So that’s my reading plan for the next three months. Hopefully I’ll manage to stick somewhat close to it and not get tempted by any new books on Amazon or NetGalley (ha who am I kidding).

Have you read any of these? Are there any others I should make room for on my list? Any you’re particularly excited about? Also do you have any other recommendations for translated fiction? Most of my reads have been very Nordic so I’d like to venture further around the world.

Happy reading ❤

Spring TBR

March 25, 2018 Ali@abookishlife9 Comments

It’s not feeling particularly spring like here at the moment, we’re still getting snow, but the clocks went forward last night so I thought it was about time I posted my Spring TBR.

Despite my bookish resolution at the start of the year to not request more ARCs than I read and review each month I have to admit I have given in to temptation (I blame NetGalley and the publishers and not my lack of shelf control). There are therefore quite a few ARCs on this list, but I’m also determined to finish off a couple of series I’ve started and maybe read a few of those books I’ve bought because I’ve been tempted by a pretty cover. Anyway, without further ado…

Thrillers (ARCs)

Liz Nugent’s Lying in Wait was one of my favorite books of 2016 and had one of the most deliciously horrid characters I’ve ever come across so I can’t wait to see what she does next. She is famous for her opening lines so I have to admit I’ve had a sneaky peek and it’s brilliant. I’m expecting more morally repugnant characters, doing horrible things to each other
Belinda Baur is another author whose books I’ve really enjoyed. I’m expecting a fast paced page turner of a read in Snap.
Coincidentally it turns out Snap is endorsed by Sarah Pinborough the author of the wonderfully unexpected Behind Her Eyes and the third book on my list Cross Her Heart. I have my suspicions that this will be another twisty tale, I can’t wait.

Fantasy (ARCs)

LEGENDARY!!!!! I can’t believe I managed to get an ARC of this. I really, really enjoyed Caraval and I’ve heard that sequel Legendary is even better. It’s not out for a couple of months but I keep staring at it on my kindle and will no doubt be starting it very soon.
Ash Princess doesn’t necessarily sound the most original of stories (heroine trying to reclaim a throne stolen by an evil tyrant) but I don’t care. I love these types of stories and I’m not even put off by rumours of a love triangle
I have actually started The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton but have to admit I’m struggling. It’s a little on the slow side with a lot of different povs and characters but I’m going to persevere and hope it clicks for me.

Contemporary (ARCs)

After a slightly shaky start I’m already around a quarter of the way through The Exact Opposite of Okay and feelings are mixed. I’m loving the main characters voice and attitude but not sure how I feel about some of her actions.
My request for Dear Martin was only approved in the last few days but I am so excited about this one. There does seem to be a lot of buzz around it so fingers crossed it lives up to the hype.
Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares is possibly my favorite ever Christmas read and Cohn and Levithan make such a great writing partnership that I couldn’t resist their latest offering, Sam and Ilsa’s Last Hurrah.

Series Reads

Another of my bookish resolutions was to finish off a few of those series I’v kind of stopped midway through but also to knock a few books off my TBR.

Hero at the Fall by Alwyn Hamilton is the third and final book in the Rebel of the Sands trilogy and it is absolutely ridiculous that I have not read it yet particularly as I’ve owned it since it was released. I suspect I just don’t want it to be over (and I’m scared she’ll kill off my fave character)
So I’m very late to the party as far as the Shatter Me series goes, I only read Shatter Me a couple of weeks ago, but I think this is a series I could very easily binge on. As soon as I’ve made some progress on my NetGalley shelf I think this will be next.
With the release of Obsidio I think it’s time I finally picked up Illuminae. I bought physical copies of this and Gemina ages ago but have never gotten around to reading. I am however beginning to fear I’ll stumble across spoilers so yep I think the time has come to finally read it.

Other

These are pretty much just random books I’ve picked up in bookshops over the last few months.

I have to admit it was the cover that first drew me to The Wicked Cometh, I have the hardback and it is soooo pretty (I’ll need to post some pics on my bookstagram as this doesn’t do it justice), but it does sound like a very intriguing and dark story.
Spare and Found Parts was a fairly similar story. I spied it in the bookstore and was tempted by the shiny, pretty thing that it is. I didn’t buy it immediately but after seeing some great reviews was back like a shot. It is apparently a modern Frankenstein type story, I am so excited.
It was the hype around the film that drew me to Call Me By Your Name. I haven’t seen it yet, I want to read the book first, but it just looks so good. I currently have a hold on the audio for this.

So that’s my reading plan for the next two or three months. It’s looking a little light on the romance front so no doubt I’ll add a few of them in and I will be trying to squeeze in a few more from my monster TBR pile but this should certainly keep my busy.

Have you read any of these? Are there any others I should make room for on my list? Any you’re particularly excited about?

11 Books on my Fall TBR

September 22, 2017September 22, 2017 Ali@abookishlife17 Comments

Despite a little bit of sunshine this afternoon I think it’s safe to say that Autumn has arrived. It’s wet and windy (although you get that in Summer here) and there’s a touch of frost in the morning. While I’m not looking forward to having to scrape my windscreen in the morning or venturing up to the stables in the pitch black I am looking forward to warm jumpers, new boots and cozy evenings spent reading some of the books coming out over the next couple of months.

So I don’t get too distracted and confused by all of the pretty covers I thought it might be a good idea to do a TBR list with the books I really want to read before the end of November. These are mostly ARCs and new releases but I’m leaving myself a little bit of room to try and get to some of the older books lurking on my shelves and kindle.

ARCs

I’ve been making great progress with my ARCs until very recently so I want to keep up momentum by knocking another six off my list (and trying really hard not to request any more). These are all out over the next couple of months and are either from NetGalley or Readers First.

Invictus by Ryan Graudin – I think this is going to be my next read. I was so lucky to get a copy of this from NetGalley and have been really looking forward to it. I’ve just been waiting for the right time so I can relax and enjoy.
The Break by Marian Keyes – Technically no longer an ARC as it was released a week or so ago but still one I want to get to. Keyes is one of my all time favourite writers so I have high hopes.
Moonlight over Manhattan by Sarah Morgan – Yay a Sarah Morgan Christmas romance. Perfect for getting into the holiday spirit even if it’s only September. There are mince pies in the supermarket already so the countdown has begun.
The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman – Another I’ve been looking forward to. A prequel to Practical Magic, and ok I’ve only seen the film but I’ve read some other Hoffman books and loved so can’t wait for this.
Undercover Princess by Connie Glynn – Honestly this had the word fairy tale in the blurb so I hit that request button like mad.
My Side of the Diamond by Sally Gardner – I previously read An Almond for a Parrot by Sally Gardner and loved it’s weird mix of genres. I get the impression this will be kind of similar but YA.

New(ish) Releases

There have been a lot of new releases over the last few weeks and even more coming over the next month or so that I can’t wait to read. I do however really need to instigate a bit of a book buying ban so I’m limiting this to books I already own or have pre ordered.

Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo – I have the most beautiful copy of this sitting on my bookshelf and I haven’t had a chance to read it. I don’t think I’ll be able to resist for long.
Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas – Another book sitting on my shelf I haven’t had a chance to read as yet. I think Empire of Storms put me off Maas a bit and this book is huge so I’ve been a little wary.
How to Stop Time by Matt Haig – I picked this up from the local supermarket a few weeks ago and haven’t had a chance to read yet (are you seeing a pattern here).
The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo – I know for a fact that this is in October’s FairyLoot box and you can bet I’ll be reading it the second it arrives.
The Empress by S.J. Kincaid – I love, love, loved the Diabolic so am really looking forward to this it’s sequel

Other Books

By my calculations there are around 10 weeks until the end of November so I think I can squeeze in a few more but I want to leave it open. Looking at the list above I am thinking it’s a little heavy on fantasy and sci fi and drastically in need of some crime and horror (Halloween is coming after all) so if you have any rec’s that are worth breaking my ban for let me know.

So that’s my list. Have you read any of these? Any you’d particularly recommend or have doubts about? Are there any books on your Fall TBR that you really think should be on mine? Have you bought any mince pies yet?