The WWW Wednesday 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?

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Currently Reading

I started The Cornish Escape by Lily Graham yesterday and am already around a quarter of the way through. This was a book I requested from NetGalley when I was in the mood for a summery (or spring) romance and while it’s not exactly what I was expecting I’m really enjoying it.

The story is about a woman who, after her husband admits to having an affair, escapes to the Cornish coast. Out for a walk she comes across a derelict cottage hidden away and falls in love with it. Deciding to buy it she starts looking into its troubled past.

There hasn’t been much in the way of romance so far but I’m loving the mystery around the cottage. There’s something a little bit creepy about it.

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Recently Finished

First book finished this week was The Red Road by Denise Mina. This was a book club read and the fourth in a series (why???) so it’s safe to say it was a bit of a struggle. It was easy reading but there were too many characters and not enough of a plot so I found myself really not caring. It wasn’t a who dunnit or a police procedural or even a character driven story so I’m just not sure what the point of it was. I don’t think I’ll be rushing to read any of the authors other books.

The next book finished was Blacklist by Alyson Noel which is the second in the Beautiful Idols trilogy and a book I received from NetGalley. The series is suspense/mystery about a group of teens who get mixed up in the club promotion and celebrity scene in Hollywood.

I read the first book around this time last year and really enjoyed but I think this one was better.  Someone is missing and someone is being accused of their murder so there are a few twists and turns as they investigate what happened. It’s easy and kind of addictive reading but finished on a cliffhanger which is very frustrating.

The final book finished this week was Swan Lake by K.M. Shea. It’s the seventh in her Timeless Fairytales series but they can all be read as standalones. I usually love this authors books but this retelling of Swan Lake fell a little bit flat and is probably my least favourite of her stories so far. It did have a lot of the familiar themes I love but I thought the writing was weaker and I just didn’t take to any of the characters.

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Reading Next

This week I am determined to make some more progress on my NetGalley shelf (and stop requesting books) so I think my next reads will be Last Breath by Robert Bryndza, Saint Death by Marcus Sedgwick and A Dark so Deadly by Stuart MacBride. I also have Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor so I may sneak that in somewhere too as I’m going to a book signing a week on Friday.

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

Happy Wednesday Everyone!!!

The WWW Wednesday 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?

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Currently Reading

I’m currently reading The Red Road by Denise Mina which I need to finish by Friday for my RL book club. I’m around halfway through but have to admit I’m not particularly enjoying it. Nothing wrong with it I just don’t really know or care what’s going on. I think it’s supposed to be a mystery/thriller but there are a lot of characters and no particular storyline so far.

I’m thinking I might need to find a new book club as I don’t think there has been a good book yet. I kind of understand why this one was picked, it’s setting is relevant to where I work but it’s the fourth in a series so I don’t know what I’ve missed (and have no plans to read the first three). Anyway, rant over, I’m sticking with it in hopes I’ll finally get to pick a book. Mwah ha ha!! It’s going to be all zombie apocolypse 🙂

On audio I’m listening to Bound by Flames by Jeaniene Frost. This is the third and penultimate book in the series so I’m getting excited about how it will all end.

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Recently Finished

First book finished this week was Spring at Blueberry Bay by Holly Martin which I received from Bookouture via NetGalley. It’s set on the Isles of Scilly and is about a woman, Bella, who finds a homeless man on her doorstep and invites him in. It turns out however that homeless man Isaac is not all he seems and what follows is a sweet and funny romance which made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion.

I had a few niggles about it but overall found it a pretty enjoyable read and the light and fluffy type of book I needed. You can find my review here.

My next book finished, Endings by K.M. Shea, was also a light and really enjoyable read. It’s the seventh and final book in her King Arthur and her Knights series and a book I feel like I’ve been waiting on for ages. It’s a retelling of King Arthur and the Knights of the round table but in this story the real Arthur doesn’t want to be king so runs off with a shepherdess leaving Merlin to pull American teen Britt Arthurs from the future to take his place.

Like all K.M. Shea books, it has a strong heroine and a lot of humour. As it is the seventh and final book I won’t say much about what happens but I thought the ending was great.

I also managed to make some progress on my NetGalley backlist this week with Jojo Moyes’ latest book Paris for One and Other Stories. I’m not generally a fan of short stories (they’re too short) but I am a fan of Jojo Moyes so there was no way I could resist this book. There are 9 short stories (and I mean short  – 10-20 pages) in this collection together with two longer stories (around 100 pages) and while I enjoyed all of them I definitely liked the longer stories better. Paris for One was definitely my favourite but Honeymoon in Paris, a prequel to The Girl You Left Behind, was very enjoyable too. Moyes seems to be able to capture very real people and situations perfectly. Hopefully my review will be up in the next couple of days.

The next book finished, On The Fence by Kasie West, was a random pick from my kindle mostly to avoid reading The Red Road. I’d spotted a lot of good reviews of this authors other books and it turned out they were correct. It was a very cute and funny and I think I finished the whole thing in around a day.

The final book finished this week was my audio, Twice Tempted by Jeaniene Frost. I’m really enjoying working my way through this series again.

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Reading Next

Between library books, my NetGalley shelf and some recent acquisitions my TBR is completely out of control. I’m not positive what’ll be next but will likely be one of the following

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

Happy Wednesday Everyone!!!

The WWW Wednesday 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?

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Currently Reading

I’m kind of feeling like I have a bit of a book hangover at the moment so I’ve decided some light and fluffy reading is required. I’ve therefore just started reading Spring at Blueberry Bay by Holly Martin  which I received from NetGalley yesterday. I have only read a few pages so can’t really say much about it but I think it’s just the type of book I need.

On audio I’m listening to Twice Tempted by Jeaniene Frost, the second in her Night Prince series. I read this about 6 months ago but am gradually working my way through the series again so that I’m up to speed for the final book.

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Recently Finished

First book finished this week was A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab, the third and final book in the Shades of Magic series. This was a book I’d been looking forward to since finishing A Gathering of Shadows but for some strange reason I found it a difficult read. The writing is brilliant (as always), the story was exciting and I loved every single character but I kept finding reasons not to read it. I actually wandered off and read another book mid way through and found myself re reading old books as well. Possibly I just didn’t want it to be over.

The second book finished this week was Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I ended up reading this from cover to cover in an evening after work (while midway through ACOL). I was a little bit wary of the play format initially but I think this style suited me. Dialogue, when done well, is often what I enjoy most in a book so to have a book which was pretty much all dialogue was perfect. I really enjoyed finding out what all of the characters were up to but the highlight for me were the new characters and Scorpius Malfoy in particular.

The final book finished this week, and the one that’s left me with a bit of a book hangover, was Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. This was my fourth Rowell book and was every bit as fantastic as the others but a little sadder. I love Rainbow Rowell’s writing, she somehow manages to create very real characters and makes you feel everything that they feel.

This is a “first love” story set in the 80’s but as Eleanor has a very troubled home life deals with some darker issues too. It’s sweet and funny and I loved the 80’s references but it did also make me angry and quite sad.

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Reading Next

Unfortunately  all the progress I’d made on my NetGalley shelf has been wiped out over the last week as lots of really tempting books popped up and I just couldn’t resist requesting. I’m not sure what’ll be next but it will almost definitely be one of the following:

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

Happy Wednesday Everyone!!!

The WWW Wednesday 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?

 

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Currently Reading

At long, long last I’ve finally made a start on reading A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab. It’s the third and final book in her Shades of Magic series and is a book I’ve been on the edge of the seat waiting for since the end of A Gathering of Shadows. I’m only around halfway through but so far it’s not disappointing. There is something very readable and easy about Schwab’s writing style and the Shades of Magic series has a few of my all time favourite characters. Even the ones I wasn’t so sure about (Rhy) seem to be growing on me. I just don’t want it to be over though.

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Recently Finished

Slightly shorter list than last weeks with only three books finished. The first of which, Broken Prince  by Erin Watt, I think I’d actually finished by lunchtime last Wednesday. It’s the second in Erin Watt’s (aka duo Jen Frederick and Elle Kennedy) Royals series and is completely addictive reading. It’s like an American soap opera with mean girls, rich bad boys, a bit of romance and a lot of drama. I have however decided that I was overdosing so taking a break before reading the third book.

On audio I finished listening to Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost. This was actually the second time I’ve listened to it but while I knew where it was going it was no less enjoyable.

The third and final book finished was The New Rules of Work by Alexandra Cavoulacos and Kathryn Minshew. It’s not often I read a non fiction book but I spotted this on NetGalley and was kind of curious. I’ve been working in the same job for 11 years now so was interested to see what advice they had to give for someone stuck in a rut and thinking about a change. Have to say that I did find it incredibly useful. It’s possibly one of the most comprehensive books I’ve come across and covers everything from working out what type of job would suit you, to how to get it and for those with a job they’re happy with how to be more productive, communicate effectively and impress your boss so much you’ll get a promotion.

There were a lot of things I already know but still some useful tips and tricks that I will be trying out.

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Reading Next

I’m gradually making some progress on my NetGalley shelf so I think I’m going to keep at it and see if I can hit that elusive 80% feedback ratio (I’m currently at 75%). On that basis I think I’m planning on picking up either He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly or Paris for One and Other Stories by Jojo Moyes. I did however also pick up Harry Potter and the Cursed Child from the library so there’s a fair chance I’ll sneak that in somewhere too.

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

Happy Wednesday Everyone!!!

The WWW Wednesday 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?

I was on holiday last week so didn’t post so this week I’m doing a bit of a catch up of everything I read over the last two weeks.

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Currently Reading

As I was on holiday and have a week off work at the moment I’m currently reading some of those books that have been on my TBR pile for a while but haven’t had a chance to read. I was looking for something light yesterday so finally made a start on Paper Princess by Erin Watt (aka duo Jen Frederick and Elle Kennedy).

I enjoyed it so much I somehow managed to finish the whole thing by lunch time so now I’ve moved on to the second book in the series Broken Prince and as of writing this am 75% through. 

On audio I’m currently doing a re listen (is that a thing?) of Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost. I originally listened to this (and the other two books in the series) in August last year but with the fourth and final book in the series, Into the Fire, out last month I decided to start from the beginning again to refresh my memory. It also helped make a three and a bit hour flight that little more enjoyable. I do have to be careful though as Jeaniene Frost books do have a bit of a tendency to make me laugh out loud.

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Recently Finished

As I’m covering two weeks worth of reading there are quite a few books on my recently finished list this time. First up is King’s Cage, the third book in Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen series. This was probably one of my most anticipated books of this year and I think I had maybe built it up too much in my head. I did like it a lot and there is some great writing and truly epic scenes but I didn’t love as much as I hoped I would. I’m planning to post a full review this week.

The second book finished was audio book Storm Siren by Mary Weber. It does have a lot of the common YA sci-fi/fantasy tropes (love triangle, special snow flake destined to save the world etc) but it’s a lot darker than a lot of the others and has enough unique aspects to it to make it worth a read (although I’m not happy about the ending). It also deserves special props for using the words “man treasures” to describe a certain anatomical area that gets kneed.

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus, an ARC I received from NetGalley was the next book finished. It’s a YA thriller which is kind of like a mixture of The Breakfast Club and a murder mystery. Five very different teens end up in detention together but within 15 minutes one of them is dead and the other four are suspects.

As a huge fan of The Breakfast Club this was right up my street. I did guess fairly early on who did it but it didn’t really diminish my enjoyment of the story and there are enough reveals to keep you questioning. The highlight for me was the four characters and how they develop over the course of the story. It’s not out for a couple of month’s so I’m holding off on a full review until closer to publication date.

The next book finished, Sweetpea by C.J. Skuse, was also an ARC from NetGalley (I will get my shelf down). I’ve loved Skuse’s previous YA books so was excited to see what she would do with her first adult read and it doesn’t disappoint. It’s probably not one for the easily offended or the squeamish but I found it very funny.

It’s like a combination of Bridget Jones and Dexter, as the story follows Rhiannon, your average woman who just happens to be a bit of a psychopath. Like Bridget she keeps a journal but rather than recording her weight etc each entry begins with a list of the people she wants to kill, from the cashier at her local supermarket to co workers and even boyfriend Craig. It did worry me how often I kind of agreed with Rhiannon’s thoughts and it often made me laugh out loud. My main criticism was that it was maybe a little too long and lacked direction at times.

Next up, was the Upside of Unrequited by Becky Abertalli, author of Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda (another NetGalley ARC). It’s kind of similar to Simon vs in that it’s a diverse coming of age story about a girl called Molly but while I was decidedly underwhelmed by Simon vs I really liked this one. This seems to be contrary to all of the other reviews I’ve read but I suspect it’s due to expectations. I went into this with much lower expectations and consequently enjoyed it a lot more. Again this isn’t out till next month so I’m holding off on a review till nearer the time.

My next book was Angel’s Blood by Nalini Singh. I can’t remember where I heard about this author but I bought this, the first in the Guild Hunters series a while ago and only just got around to reading. I wasn’t too sure about it at the start. First thought was “argh, not another paranormal romance” but within a few chapters I was completely hooked which is always good until you realize there are like 11 books in the series and you’re going to end up reading them all 🙂

After Angel’s Blood I decided I needed a thriller so picked up Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney (another ARC). It begins with main character Amber Reynolds realizing she’s in a coma but with no memory of how she ended up there other than the feeling that it wasn’t an accident. I absolutely loved this book. Completely gripping and addictive reading I finished the whole thing in a day. It’s probably my favourite thriller of the year so far and definitely a book I would  recommend.

The final book finished (and started) yesterday was Paper Princess by Erin Watt, which as I’ve already mentioned above I won’t go into detail about.

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Reading Next

Based on the number of books read over the past couple of weeks and lack of reviews I should probably take a break from reading to get caught up. I think I will however finally make a start on A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab. Despite being desperate to read it I’ve been kind of putting it off due to a combination of fear that it won’t live up to expectations and just not wanting it to be over.

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

Happy Wednesday everyone.

The WWW Wednesday 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?

Here’s this weeks WWW.

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Currently Reading

I just started King’s Cage, the third book in Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen series, yesterday. I was planning to buy this but it popped up on NetGalley and I couldn’t resist requesting on the off chance I was approved and luckily I was. Thank you Orion Publishing 🙂

I read the first two books in the series towards the end of last year and absolutely loved them and, as Glass Sword finished with a big cliffhanger, I’ve been anxiously awaiting this book. Early days but so far so good.

I’ve kind of parked The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams for the moment as I just couldn’t get into it. I am around 40% in but I’ve been so busy at work I just didn’t have the concentration needed to follow what’s going on and really appreciate it. I will go back to it but will probably wait till later in the month when I’m on holiday.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins is also on hold for the moment as it returned itself to the library and someone else has borrowed it. It’s looking like it might be a good few weeks before I get it back. In the meantime, I’ve started Storm Siren by Mary Weber on audio. I’ve listened to a couple of hours so far and quite enjoying it.

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Recently Finished

The first book finished this week was Mystery at Maplemead Castle by Kitty French. It’s the second book in the Chapelwick Mysteries series which is about Melody Bittersweet who runs the Girl’s Ghostbusting Agency. This time Melody and the gang are called in to get rid of some ghosts causing trouble in a castle.

I love Kitty French books and couldn’t resist requesting this from NetGalley. I liked it a lot. It’s quirky, funny and also had me a bit teary at times. It’s out at the beginning of March so I’ll post a review closer to then.

The second book read was Sleeping Beauty by K.M. Shea. It’s the 8th book in her Timeless Fairy Tales series and like the others is a really enjoyable and easy read. What I love about Shea’s books is that they always have feisty and independent heroines who don’t wait around for Prince Charming to save them (although Sleeping Beauty kind of has to).

The third and final book finished was Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani. This was a novella I bought from Amazon a while back but hadn’t gotten around to reading. It did however fit a challenge this week and was a quick read so I managed to sneak it in.

It is short but it’s a great story and I really want to read more by this author (edit: I’ve just bought the sequel).

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Reading Next

I’m doing a team challenge again so it seems likely that I will be wandering from my reading plan again to find some books that fit. I do still plan on reading NetGalley ARCs Sweetpea by C.J. Skuse and The Best of Adam Sharp by Graeme Simsion but I think I’m also going to try and fit in The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. This will be my first Gaiman book so I’m really looking forward to it.

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

Happy Wednesday everyone.

The WWW Wednesday 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?

Here’s this weeks WWW.

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Currently Reading

I started reading The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams on Monday and am making slow progress so far. I got this from NetGalley on the basis of the great reviews I’d seen of the authors Copper Cat trilogy but I’ve been feeling a little bit lost with it. It jumped around in time (and between characters) in the beginning which left me completely confused but thankfully now that I’m a little further into the story it’s making a bit more sense.

I was still working my way through the audiobook of Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins but it has unfortunately returned itself to the library and someone else has borrowed it. I have a hold on it but not sure when I’ll be able to pick up again.

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Recently Finished

The first book finished this week was The Breakdown by B.A. Paris which I received from NetGalley. It’s a thriller about a woman, Cass, who comes across a seemingly broken down car on a deserted road on a dark and stormy night. Too scared to get out of the car and offer help she continues home but finds out the next morning the woman in the car has been murdered. Wracked with guilt, she starts to unravel, forgetting things and worrying that someone is watching her.

 I very much enjoyed this story and found it addictive reading. I did find myself getting a tad frustrated with the main character, she was just a bit of a walk over, and the ending was a little too neat for me but still a book I’d recommend if you like a fast paced thriller. You can read my review here.

The second book finished this week was The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. I got this on sale in Amazon but honestly it would have been worth paying full price for. I absolutely loved it.

It’s about a man and woman who are forced to work side by side but absolutely hate each other, and I mean truly, genuinely hate each other. When they’re both put up for promotion, their battle comes to a head and the tension between them reaches boiling point. There is however a fine line between love and hate.

When I first read the blurb I thought this would be the same as all of the other books like this I’d read but it’s so much better. It’s funny, it’s hot and it’s kind of sweet. You can read my full review here.

The third and final book finished this week was Home Tears by Tijan. Unfortunately this turned out to be my biggest disappointment of the year so far. It’s about a woman who returns to her home town after doing a disappearing act 10 years previously. I suspect I just wasn’t in the right mood for this but I couldn’t really be bothered with it and didn’t particularly care what happened.

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Reading Next

As you can probably guess I wandered in my reading again this week so my reading next list is similar to last week with NetGalley ARCs Sweetpea by C.J. Skuse and The Best of Adam Sharp by Graeme Simsion at the top of the list. I do have a feeling I may abandon my list yet again however as King’s Cage by Victoria Aveyard comes out tomorrow and I really want to read it.

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

Happy Wednesday everyone.

The WWW Wednesday 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?

Here’s this weeks WWW.

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Currently Reading

I started reading Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton at the weekend. It’s the sequel to Rebel of the Sands which I read and really enjoyed last year. I was very lucky to have my wish for it granted on NetGalley (I’ve never had a wish granted before) so I couldn’t resist starting immediately. I currently around halfway through and I think it may actually be better than the first book. Loving it.

I’ve also started listening to the audiobook of Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. I had forgotten just how much I loved the original books so I’m enjoying working my way through them again. I have to admit however there are times when I want to speed it along a bit to get to the good bits 🙂

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Recently Finished

The first book finished this week was Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. This was a thriller I received from NetGalley about the relationship between seemingly perfect couple, David and Adele, and single mum Louise who gets caught in the middle of it.

It’s a twisty tale that keeps you guessing more or less to the very end and, while I wasn’t sure about a certain plot element that I can’t go into (spoilers), once I got into it I found it very addictive reading. I also liked some of the characters, something which is rare for me in a thriller.

The second book finished this week was New York, Actually by Sarah Morgan (it seems like there are Sarah’s everywhere at the moment) which I also received from NetGalley. I love Sarah Morgan books, they’re just so funny, romantic and kind of hot and it was just the type of read I was in need of.

This is the fourth book in her From Manhattan with Love series but it can be easily read as a standalone. The story follows Molly, a blogger and writer who gives relationship advice despite her most meaningful relationship being with her dog Valentine, and Daniel, a divorce lawyer who isn’t looking for a serious relationship. They meet when he borrows a dog to try and catch her attention in the park and sparks fly.

It’s a common storyline but Sarah Morgan does it so well and there are a few surprises and laughs in there. I read the whole thing from cover to cover on Saturday. It’s like settling down to watch your favorite rom-com.

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Reading Next

Sooo, I may have gone a little bit nuts on NetGalley recently (when I’m stressed I request) but there are just so many good books coming out soon. I still don’t think I’m going to have a lot of reading time over the next week but I do want to try and make a dent in my shelf. After my current read I think I’m therefore going to pick up The Breakdown by B.A. Paris (I like to switch between genres so it’s time for another thriller).

 In the unlikely event I get that finished I’m going to try and make a start on either Sweetpea by C.J. Skuse, The Best of Adam Sharp by Graeme Simsion or The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams.

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

Happy Wednesday everyone.

The WWW Wednesday 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?

Here’s this weeks WWW.

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Currently Reading

I started A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard on Monday morning. I was very lucky to receive this from NetGalley as I have been so excited about reading it. It’s about a 16 year old girl who suffers from an anxiety disorder that means she finds it difficult to speak. She’s introduced to a boy who’s deaf, they become friends and she starts to find her voice.

I’m around the halfway point at the moment and so far I’m absolutely loving it. It’s so rare to find a book that deals with both mental illness and a disability in such a realistic way. I too suffer from anxiety (although not as severely) so I can really relate and despite my terrible synopsis it’s not a “fall in love and be magically cured” type story.

On audio, I’m still listening to The Hunger Games and am around halfway through so we’re into the games. I’ve read it before but it’s amazing just how much of the detail I’ve forgotten

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Recently Finished

Two books finished again this week, the first of which was  The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. This was a book I received from NetGalley and as mixture of Russian history and fairytale I was very excited to read it.

It is beautifully written with some incredibly vivid descriptions that make you feel like you’re there but unfortunately I didn’t love it quite as much as I wanted too. The POV jumped around too much for me particularly in the beginning and it was a little on the slow side meaning that I never really connected or became emotionally invested in any of the characters. I did still enjoy it but it didn’t have the spark. You can read my full review here.

The second book finished was Proxy by Alex London which I borrowed from the library (via Overdrive). It’s a young adult sci fi dystopian about two sixteen year old boys Knox and Syd. Knox is the rich, spoiled bad boy who leads a charmed life. If there’s trouble he’s in the middle of it but it doesn’t really matter because he has Syd as a proxy. If Knox gets in trouble Syd takes the punishment, but then Knox steals and crashes a car and someone ends up dead. The sentence for Syd is severe so both boys go on the run.

I liked this book a lot. It’s not necessarily the most unique of plot lines but the writing is great, the dialogue fantastic and for those looking for more diverse characters in their books this definitely fits the bill. Unfortunately it is a duology so it seems likely I’m going to have to hunt down the next book 🙂 I’m struggling to write a review of this for some reason but will hopefully get one up soon.

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Reading Next

I’m still trying to make some progress on my NetGalley ARCs so I think my next read will be either The Breakdown by B.A. Paris or Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough, I’m definitely in the mood for a thriller. I also managed to get The Crown’s Game and Spectacles from the library on Overdrive so I may sneak one of those in somewhere too.

Have you read any of the books above or have any other book you’d recommend? Leave comments and links below and I’ll respond when I can. Unfortunately I’m working a lot of hours at the moment so apologies in advance if I’m a little slow in replying and visiting everyone else’s posts.

Happy Wednesday everyone.

The WWW Wednesday 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?

Here’s this weeks WWW.

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Currently Reading

Yet again I’m not really reading anything at the moment, there must be something about Tuesdays (I always write this post the night before). I am however planning to start The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden which I received from NetGalley but haven’t had a chance to read as yet. I have to admit that I requested this partly due to the cover which is stunning and also because I heard the words “draws on Russian fairytales”. I absolutely love fairytale type books. I can’t say too much about it yet but it’s definitely a book I have high hopes for.

On audio, I’ve started listening to The Hunger Games and am really enjoying it. I’ve obviously read it before and have watched the films more than once but I’d kind of forgotten the details from the book. I did find the narrator a bit irritating at the start, she sounds like someone around my age who’s smoked 60 a day rather than a teenage girl but I’m getting used to it, although I still can’t stand her Peeta voice.

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Recently Finished

I honestly don’t know what I’ve been doing for the past week as, despite hardly moving from the house, I seem to have read very little and absolutely none of the books I had on my reading next list from last week. 

I am however very happy to report that I did read Ensnared, the third and final book in the Splintered series. The Splintered series is a modern day take on Alice in Wonderland with one of Alice’s descendants being sucked back into Wonderland.

I was mostly happy to read this because it finished off the series and I wanted to know how it would all end but it is quite a good read. There was a lot more action than in the previous book (which was mostly filler) but be warned there is one of the most annoying love triangles ever. I also wasn’t entirely convinced by the ending.

The second book finished, The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr, is probably my favorite book of the year so far. I know it’s only the 4th of January but I suspect it will remain a favorite as I still keep picking it up and reading little bits. It’s one of those books that just makes you smile.

I received it from NetGalley and it’s about a seventeen year old girl who suffers from amnesia. She can only hold onto a memory for a couple of hours and then it’s gone. Then one night she kisses a boy on the beach and the memory sticks. Thinking he could be the cure for her amnesia she follows him to the Arctic. It’s a little bit nuts, kinda funny and also sad in places but I found it completely addictive. You can read my full 5 star review here.

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Reading Next

Unfortunately I’m now back at work 😦 so I have a lot less time for reading and will need to switch back to ebooks as physical books are just too awkward to carry around. I’ve also realized that quite a few of the ARCs I have are due for release so I really need to get reading. I think my next reads will therefore by A Quiet Kind of Thunder  and Behind Her Eyes. I also managed to get Proxy by Alex London from the library on Overdrive so I may sneak that in somewhere too.

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

Happy Wednesday everyone.