WWW Wednesday: 12th October 2016

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.


Dash and Lily's Book of DaresCurrently Reading

I just finished Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares about five minutes before starting this post but as I’m still basking in a post book glow (and haven’t started my next book yet) I thought I’d leave it in my currently reading. It’s a YA contemporary romance set over Christmas in New York and I am absolutely loving it. It is just so funny and cute, the characters are very likeable (Dash in particular) and it makes me smile. Expect a big gushy review soon as this is definitely going on my happy book list and possibly all time favorites list.

No progress with Grim this week as I’ve been busy reading other books. As it’s a collection of short stories I suspect this is one I’ll dip in and out of over a long period of time.


Recently Finished

First book finished over the last week was Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Enjoyable sci fi book but not one of my favorites and probably not one I’d be rushing to read again. It was just that little bit too sci fi and too geeky foDark Water (DCI Erika Foster #3)r me.

The next book read was Dark Water by Robert Bryndza which I received from NetGalley. It’s the third in the DCI Erika Frost series and I was so excited to get it I couldn’t resist picking up straight away. Unfortunately I fear I was too excited about it as it didn’t quite meet my expectations. I found the MC to be a little too emotional and the writing seemed a bit stilted for some reason. It was still enjoyable but not as much as the previous book in the series. That may just be me though. Full review coming soon.

Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass, #5)The third book finished over the course of the weekend was  Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas, the fifth in the Throne of Glass series. This is another book that I was ridiculously excited about reading but unfortunately ended up feeling a little bit let down by. I did enjoy it, particularly the second half, but it doesn’t quite live up to previous books in the series. I think it’s maybe just a case of it becoming too big and epic and losing a little bit of the emotional connection that I need to make a book great. Again, a full spoiler free review is coming soon.


Reading Next

Still a couple of books carried forward from last week, Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo and The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh so hoping to get to them soon. However I did get The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily, which is a follow up to Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares, from NetGalley so I think that will be up first.

Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2)The Wrath & the Dawn (The Wrath & the Dawn, #1)The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily

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

Happy Wednesday everyone.

WWW Wednesday: 5th October 2016

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

Two books on the go at the moment both of which are physical books which is quite unusual for me but which I am enjoying. I love my e reader but it doesn’t compare to a physical book.Ready Player One

The first book is Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. I got this from the library a couple of weeks ago and just finally managed to get round to reading it. It’s a YA dystopian set in the not too distant future and is about the hunt for an object hidden within a virtual reality game. I have a bit of a rocky relationship with sci fi books but I’m starting to get into the story a bit more now and for the most part enjoying. I am liking all of the 80’s references as I’m a child of the 80’s but occasionally it goes a little too geeky for me and gets bogged down in endless trivia that I couldn’t care less about.

GrimMy second book, Grim, is one I found in the bargain bin of my local newsagent/bookshop. It’s a collection of 17 fairy tale inspired short stories by YA authors, some I’ve heard of and some who are new to me. I love all things fairy tale and it’s a very pretty hardcover so I couldn’t resist. So far I’ve read the first two stories and while the first was ok I’m very happy to report that the second, Fragments by Jeri Smith-Ready (who I’ve never heard of) was brilliant. In only around 30-40 pages it had me in tears. I’m a big softie but that could be a record even for me.


Recently Finished

AWhat Remains of Me slightly slower reading week with only two books finished. The first of those was What Remains of Me by A.L. Gaylin which I received from NetGalley. It’s a psychological thriller set in Hollywood and follows Kelly Lund who, 30 years after she was jailed for killing a famous director as a troubled teen, is now suspected of murdering her father in law in a similar way. It’s a well written and twisty story that jumps back and forwards in time but I found it a bit of a struggle. It just didn’t grip me the way I hoped it would and I thought there could have been a bit more action. You can read my full review here.

If We Were a MovieAfter What Remains of Me I was badly in need of something lighter and more upbeat so picked up new adult romance If We Were A Movie by Kelly Oram which has been on my kindle for a couple of months. It’s part of the matchmaker series of twelve books by twelve different authors with a common link and is by the author of one of my all time favorite books.

It tells the story of music student Nate, who trying to escape his over powering brothers, ends up roommates with film student Jordan. There are lots of music and film references which I love and the whole thing is just sweet and fluffy with a lot of laughs.


Reading Next

I’m ashamed to admit that, after more wandering off track, my reading next list is pretty much the same as the previous few weeks with Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas, Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo and The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh still at the top of the list. I also managed to pick up Dark Water by Robert Bryndza from NetGalley. I have been loving his DCI Erika Foster series so I doubt it’ll be long before I start reading.

Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2)The Wrath & the Dawn (The Wrath & the Dawn, #1)Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass, #5)Dark Water (DCI Erika Foster #3)

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

Happy Wednesday everyone.

WWW Wednesday: 28th September 2016

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

What Remains of MeI started What Remains of Me by Alison Gaylin yesterday so I’m around the 20% mark at the moment. This is a psychological thriller I received from NetGalley about a 17 year old girl who shoots and kills an Oscar nominated Hollywood director. She’s sent to jail but 30 years later and five years after she’s released her father in law is found dead in a similar manner. Her past comes back to haunt her as she becomes the prime suspect. The story jumps back and forward in time telling the story of the events leading up to the first murder and the investigation of the second.

While it is early days I have to say that I am enjoying the authors writing style. There’s something very engaging and slightly addictive about it. If I had one criticism it’s that I’m finding the jumping back and forward in time a little confusing.


Recently FinishedFeminist Fight Club: An Office Survival Manual for a Sexist Workplace

Another diverse mix of books read this week with the first one finished, Feminist Fight Club by Jessica Bennett. While I usually stick to fiction there was something about this that appealed when I spied it on NetGalley. It’s probably the first one of these types of books I’ve ever managed to finish so that’s definitely a big plus. It manages to deal with serious issues in quite a light hearted way and the structure of it makes it easy to dip in and out. You can read my full review here.

All She Ever Wished ForThe second book I finished during the week, All She Ever Wished For by Claudia Carroll, was another NetGalley pick (I’m determined to get my shelf down). Due to my own total ignorance and failure to read the blurb properly I thought this was a Christmas book and was a little disappointed to find it wasn’t. It’s Claudia Carroll so it is a pretty good read but I have read better from her. I think I just didn’t quite connect with any of the characters. Again, I’ve written a full review (I was definitely on a roll this week)

The next book read was Settling the Score by R.S. Gray which is a new adult, sports romance. I pretty mSettling the Score (The Summer Games, #1)uch just spotted this on Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited and thought why the heck not. I’ve liked other books by this author and I do love sports romances. This one is the first in a series set at the Olympics in Rio and tells the story of a British swimmer and American Soccer (football for those of us in Europe) player. I thought it was ok rather than anything spectacularly great. For me it was let down by a lack of detail around the sports. I’m not convinced the author knows anything about them (I mean she didn’t even attempt to explain the offside rule).

Fourth and final book this week was the quick read, Seduced by a Pirate by Eloisa James. Mostly chosen because it worked for a challenge, it’s a fun and quirky little novella about a Viscount who runs out on his new bride on their wedding night and ends up becoming a pirate (as you do). When he finally returns 14 years later he finds his wife and her three children (???) aren’t exactly thrilled to see him.


Reading NextEmpire of Storms (Throne of Glass, #5)

Another week and Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas is still on my reading next list. I currently have the ebook and the paperback from the library and expect a hardback in the next couple of days so I really have no excuse.

My book buying/ borrowing/ requesting spree continued with a vengeance this week (my credit card is getting worn out) so I picked up another few books I really, really want to read soon.

Hopefully arriving today (please, please, please) are hardback copies of Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo and The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee  Ahdieh. I am ridiculously excited about both as I have been waiting for Crooked Kingdom pretty much since finishing Six of Crows and The Wrath and the Dawn has been on my wish list forever. I had to get hardbacks though as I put together a new bookcase at the weekend and need to fill it with something 🙂

From NetGalley I also received The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (honestly I saw that cover and read “inspired by Russian fairytales” and couldn’t resist) and The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan.

Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2)The Wrath & the Dawn (The Wrath & the Dawn, #1)The Bear and the NightingaleThe Twelve Days of Dash and Lily

I think I may be in book overload. So many books so little time…

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

Happy Wednesday everyone.

WWW Wednesday: 21st September 2016

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

I still seem to be going through a little bit of an odd reading phase at the moment, with my choices being somewhat random rather than the books I have lined up on my list.

Feminist Fight Club: An Office Survival Manual for a Sexist WorkplaceWhat’s especially unusual this week is that I’m currently reading a non fiction book. I think non fiction typically reminds me too much of all those text books I was forced to read at school and University but when I spotted Feminist Fight Club by Jessica Bennett on NetGalley I couldn’t resist.

I am kind of fascinated by feminist issues and this offers advice on identifying and fighting sexism in the modern day office environment. It’s a little bit American at times but is pretty funny with some advice that I think will come in handy.


Recently FinishedDouble Black (Stark Springs Academy #2)

Last week I was midway through Double Black by Ali Dean, the second book in the Stark Springs Academy series about an elite winter sports school. I’d become slightly addicted to this series so I wasn’t long in finishing both this and the final book in the trilogy Black Ice. It had quite a good mix of competitive sports and high school drama so was the light read that I was just in the right mood for. I’m not sure books two and three were as good as the first one but still enjoyed them.

I then went off in a slightly different reading direction with Elizabeth Darcy of Pemberley by Maggi J Coxon. As you can probably guess by the title it’s a sequel to Pride and Prejudice but what made it a little bit different is that it’s in the form of letters between all of the main characters. I did enjoy it but the letter formMiracle On 5th Avenue (From Manhattan with Love, Book 3)at does create a little bit of emotional distance from the hatches, matches and dispatches.

The fourth book finished this week was Miracle on 5th Avenue by Sarah Morgan which I requested and received from NetGalley. Yep, I’ve started my Christmas reading early this year. I do love a good Christmas book and I love Sarah Morgan and this is definitely one of her best. It’s sweet, funny and romantic. It’s a little early for a review but expect one soon.

The final book of the week, Love to Hate You by Anna Premoli, was a bit of a random choice from Amazon. Love to Hate You: A fun, feisty romanceAs you can possibly guess from the title and cover it’s chick lit. It’s set in the tax consultancy department of a bank (I didn’t know they had them) and is about two co workers who absolutely hate each other but are forced to work together on a project. There is however a fine line between love and hate.

At the start of this book I have to admit I hated it to the extent I was already planning my big ranty review once I’d finished but bizarrely around the halfway point I got a little bit addicted and couldn’t stop reading. In general I would say I enjoyed the non office based bits.


Reading NextEmpire of Storms (Throne of Glass, #5)

Needless to say Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas is still on my reading next list. It will happen soon as it’s driving me nuts steering clear of social media to avoid spoilers.

The one thing that may stop me is that I went on a bit of a book buying spree over the weekend and also requested a few more books from NetGalley. There are too many books to list them all (I have no shelf control) but the ones I can’t wait to read are The Ice Lands by Steinar Bragi (I’m snow and ice obsessed at the moment), Unwind by Neal Shusterman, The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss and the Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch.

The Ice LandsUnwind (Unwind, #1)The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastard, #1)The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1)

In other exciting news this week I also managed to get tickets to go see Leigh Bardugo and Rainbow Rowell when they tour the UK together at the end of October. Can’t wait. If anyone is interested in attending any of the events in London, Dublin, Manchester or Edinburgh you can find details on the Worlds Collide Tour webpage here

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

Happy Wednesday everyone.

WWW Wednesday: 14th September 2016

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.


Double Black (Stark Springs Academy #2)Currently Reading

I’ve developed a weird book addiction to the Stark Springs Academy series by Ali Dean this week. I read the first book in the series, Black Diamond at the start of the week and moved straight on to the second book Double Black yesterday. I’m almost finished so will no doubt be picking up the third book shortly. It’s a YA series and mixes the usual high school drama, teen romance type story with competitive winter sports. I absolutely love sports and underdog type stories so I’m very much enjoying it.


Recently Finished

It’s been another slightly odd reading week for me as yet again I wandered off from my plan and ended up picking up some very different books, mostly because they worked for a team reading challenge.Walking Disaster (Beautiful, #2)

I did manage to finish Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire which I was reading last week. It’s a sequel to  Beautiful Disaster which is a new adult contemporary romance but rather than picking up where Beautiful Disaster finishes it retells the story from the point of view of the main male character. As a result I didn’t enjoy as much as the first book, you know what’s going to happen, but it was an easy read which is pretty much what I was looking for.

Chasing SpringThe second book finished was Chasing Spring by R.S Grey which is more of a young adult contemporary romance. Honestly I picked this up because it had the word “Spring” in the title and had some decent reviews but I ended up enjoying it a lot more than I expected to. The only slight warning I would give on it is that there’s quite a bit of under age drinking and drug use so may not be suitable for really young adults or parents who worry about what their kids get up to when they’re out with their friends 🙂

My next book, Grimm’s Fairy Stories by the Brothers Grimm, was a bit of a random choice. I was looking around for something quick to read, spotted it and thought why not. I read a lot of fairytale retellings but in the majority of cases I’ve never actually read the original story so it was definitely an eye opener. They are classic stories for a reason but I have to say there are some oddities, particularly with the endings. There were also quite a few stories I’d never Switching Hour (Magic and Mayhem, #1)come across before, some of which I can understand why.

Fourth book of the week was Switching Hour by Robyn Peterman, which at not much over 100 pages was a really quick read I blitzed my way through on Saturday morning. I do love Robyn Peterman as her stories are always funny and very steamy but they are becoming a little bit on the repetitive side. I think I’ve maybe just read too many of them.

Touch Me Not by Apryl Baker, was the next book finished. It’s another new adult contemporary romance (seems to have been a bit of a trend this week) about a girl who’s afraid of being touched and makes a deal with the campus manwhore (the books description not mine) to help her get over it. It was quite a funny, lighthearted read but there were a few plot points that I thought were a little unnecessary and distracting. It’s a bit of a new genre for Apryl so considering that she did a pretty good job but I’m mostly just waiting on the next Immortal WritersGhost Files book.

I also managed to make a small dent in my NetGalley shelf this week by reading the Immortal Writers by Jill Bowers. It’s not out for a couple of months yet so waiting till closer to the time to post a review but that’s probably not a bad thing as I’m not too sure what to make of it. I thought the storyline was a lot of fun and there are some really great moments but bits of it are just bad as far as the writing goes. Hopefully there is still some editing to go and it’ll all get sorted as it has the potential to be a really great read.

Black Diamond (Stark Springs Academy #1)The final book of the week was Black Diamond by Ali Dean which was my surprise love of the week. I’d never heard of it but came across it by random on Amazon Unlimited. It’s about a 17 year old girl who gets a scholarship to an elite ski academy but has some difficulty fitting in to the regime. If you like books about mean girls, bullying and high school class system it’s a great read. For me the definite highlight was the skiing. I have this bizarre love of sports books and it’s pretty edge of your seat stuff at some of the races.


Reading NextEmpire of Storms (Throne of Glass, #5)

I picked up Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas last week but still haven’t started it yet (other than the first few pages). I’ve been waiting till I have a bit of free time and am in the right frame of mind for it (basically not stressed or tired). I want to take my time and enjoy it rather than reading it because I feel pressured to get through it before coming across spoilers. I also have that slight fear that it won’t be as good as the previous books in the series.

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

Happy Wednesday everyone.

WWW Wednesday: 7th Sept 2016

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

Walking Disaster (Beautiful, #2)I’m a bit all over the place with my reading at the moment as I’ve just come off a series binge (more on that below) and think I may have a bit of a book hangover. I don’t really know what I want to read so am half heartedly reading two books which is probably not fair on them but I don’t want to start anything I really want to read.

The first book I’m around halfway through is Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire which is the follow up to Beautiful Disaster. I say follow up but it’s essentially the same story told from the pov of the male main character Travis. It’s a light and enjoyable read but nothing spectacularly great.Missing, Presumed

The second book I started but didn’t get very far with is Missing, Presumed by Susie Steiner which I received from NetGalley. It’s a detective story that seems to get compared to Kate Atkinson and Tana French so should be perfect for me. I’ve kind of parked it though as I’m not in the right frame of mind for it at the moment. Maybe once I finish Walking Disaster I’ll go back to it.


Recently Finished

The Great GatsbyFirst book finished this week was The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I really don’t read enough classics and this is one that I’d somehow never read before. It’s not the happiest of stories (it depressed the hell out of me) and I’m not sure there was a character I liked but I did enjoy the writing style. It’s definitely inspired me to try reading more out of my comfort zone.

After the Great Gatsby it’s safe to say my whole reading plan such as it was went out the window. I’m playing book Bingo on GoodReads at the moment as part of a team challenge so that’s very much influencing what books I read.

AttachmentsNeeding something with electronic equipment on the cover, the second book read was Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. While I have to admit I haven’t read a lot of Rainbow Rowell books absolutely every one I have picked up has been brilliant. I don’t know how she does it but she creates these extremely likeable and realistic characters and very sweet and funny stories. Attachments is kind of classed as chick lit rather than her usual YA but it was just as good. My main criticism it that it was just too funny. It kept making me laugh when I was reading it on the train which is never good.

Red Queen (Red Queen, #1)The final two books read, and the reason for my current slump, were Red Queen and Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard. I’d sworn I wasn’t going to read any YA fantasy or science fiction until after I read Empire of Storms but I’ve had Red Queen on my kindle for a while and managed to get Glass Sword from the library a few weeks ago so when they fit a challenge I couldn’t resist.

I’m probably one of the last people to read this series but it’s really, really good. It does have elements that are familiar from other stories like Hunger Games, Red Rising etc and yep there is a love triangle (actually make that a quadrangle) but it’s very readable and totally addictive. The only bad thing is that now I have to wait till February for the next book 🙂


Reading NextEmpire of Storms (Throne of Glass, #5)

When I got up this morning (it’s Tuesday night as I’m writing this) Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas was sitting waiting for me on my kindle so I think I will be reading that next. I’m giving it a little bit of time so I can get over Red Queen but pretty sure I’ll be making a start this weekend.

I will of course be avoiding all social media, reviews and anything else that may contain spoilers in the meantime.

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

Happy Wednesday everyone.

WWW Wednesday: 31st August 2016

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.


The Great GatsbyCurrently Reading

I’m around the 90% mark of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald at the moment. I’m ashamed to admit I’ve never read this (and haven’t even seen the film). My reading of the classics has been limited pretty much to the Bronte’s, Jane Austen and Thomas Hardy so I’ve been meaning to broaden my range for a while.

I always find the language a bit of a struggle in classics (it takes me a while to get into the flow) but I have been very much enjoying the writing and the voice of the narrator.


Recently Finished

A Long Way DownFinished three books this week, the first of which was A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby. It’s about four people with very different backgrounds who meet on the roof of the tower block they’ve decided to commit suicide by jumping off. After a bit of an argument and some pizza they agree to wait a bit and see if they still want to kill themselves in a few weeks.

I still don’t know what to make of this. It’s well written and funny in places but there was just something a little bit uncomfortable about it. I don’t think it helped that I only saw the film a few weeks ago as I ended up comparing and my image of the characters was very much influenced by the actors who played them.

The Thousandth FloorThere was a bit of a theme this week as the second book finished, The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee, was also about someone falling off the top of a tower block. Although in this case the tower block was considerably higher.

It’s described as a kind of futuristic Gossip Girl as it’s set in Manhattan in 2118 and follows a group of privileged (and not so privileged) teenagers. There’s back stabbing, romance, obsession, drug use and blackmail. I have to admit I love this kind of read so it was perfect for me and that ending was incredible. I’m planning to post a review later this week.

The final book finished was Repressed by Elisabeth Naughton which is a romantic suspense. I quite like Elisabeth Naughton but found this one a little bit too predictable, although maybe I’ve just read too many of them.


Reading Next

At the moment I feel like I’m pretty much just waiting on Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas to be released on the 6th September. Although as I’m pretty much finished The Great Gatsby I do need to find something to tide me over.

I do have a decent haul of library books so will maybe pick up one of them. My most recent borrows are Echo Boy by Matt Haig and Longbourn by Jo Baker. I also still have Paige Toon’s latest novel The One We Fell In Love With which I bought from Amazon and really want to read as soon as possible.

Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass, #5)The One We Fell in Love WithEcho BoyLongbourn

In semi related news I managed to get tickets today to see Sarah J Maas when she comes to Glasgow in October. I’m soooo excited!!!

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

Happy Wednesday everyone.

WWW Wednesday: 24th August 2016

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

A Long Way DownExciting news this week as, after languishing on my Reading Next list for the last 30 years (ok probably 6 weeks), I’ve finally made a start on A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby. I have to admit I haven’t read much, only a few pages, but there is something instantly likeable about the writing style so I have high hopes despite a slightly uncomfortable plot line.

As A Long Way Down is a physical book (which I stole borrowed from my brother) I’m also reading ebook Repressed by Elisabeth Naughton which I got from Amazon a month or so ago. I generally find Elisabeth Naughton books to be pretty enjoyable and quick reads. Perfect if you’re looking for a bit of romantic suspense (and who isn’t??).

I’m between audio books at the moment as I can’t find any that I particularly want to listen to so if anyone has any recommendations I’m open to suggestions.


Recently Finished

I had a look at my books read for this week and kind of gave myself a fright. I can’t believe I finished 6 books. Things have been a bit quieter at work so I’ve had a little more free time which I think I’ve used to read pretty much non stop.
Stealing Snow (Stealing Snow, #1)

The first book finished was Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige which I received from NetGalley. It was a retelling of the Snow Queen which unfortunately despite having the bones of a really good read turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. The reviews of it are mixed so there are others who love it. I just felt it was a little too rushed and not enough time was spent on character development or world building. You can read my full review here

My second book read, Resistance is Futile by Jenny Colgan, was Resistance Is Futilesomething completely different. It’s a science fiction/romance about a group of mathematicians brought together to solve a mysterious code that’s been received from space. It turned out to be a lot different from what I was expecting and after a slightly shaky start I ended up loving it. It’s quirky, cute and funny but has some really touching bits to it as well. Definitely one I’d recommend if you’re looking for something unique and out of this world. Again, I’ve actually posted a review which you can read here

Following Jenny Colgan I went on a bit of a Jeaniene Frost reading binge. I finished the audio book I’ve been listening to for the past couple of weeks, The Beautiful Ashes and then made the fatal mistake of moving onto her Night Prince series. I had meant to just start Once Burned as my next audio book but things got a little bit out of control, obsessive compulsive reading kicked in and I read and/or listened to all three books in the series so far over the weekend. Oops!

Once Burned (Night Prince, #1)Twice Tempted (Night Prince, #2)Bound by Flames (Night Prince, #3)


Reading Next

I think I’m going to abandon my previous reading next plan as I’ve been on a mad book acquiring spree over the last week or so and have managed to pick up a few new ones which I desperately want to read right now.

From NetGalley I was really excited to get The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee. Not sure what appeals to me about this but it does. Maybe just been too long since I’ve read any YA dystopian. Also managed to get Faithful by Alice Hoffman. Have to admit haven’t read any of her books so not sure if it’ll be for me or not but the plot sounds interesting.

Amazon had a sale on (never good) so I bought Paige Toon’s latest novel The One We Fell In Love With for 99p a couple of days ago. I love Paige Toon and it’s been on my wish list for a while so I don’t think I’ll hold out long.

The Thousandth FloorFaithfulThe One We Fell in Love With

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

Happy Wednesday everyone.

WWW Wednesday: 17th August 2016

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

Stealing Snow (Stealing Snow, #1)Unusually for me I currently have three books on the go at the moment. I tend to just focus on one book and one audio for when I’m driving but due to some indecisiveness at the weekend I somehow started two books at the same time.

The first of these books is Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige which I received from NetGalley. It’s another retelling (I know I have an addiction), this one based on the Snow Queen. I was very excited to get this but it does seem to have a lot of negative reviews. I’m only around 15% through so it’s very early days but so far I am definitely enjoying the writing. We’ll see what happens when I reach the love quadrangle.

ThResistance Is Futilee second book I’m reading is Resistance is Futile by Jenny Colgan. I started it at weekend as it sounded like quite a quirky, funny read and something a bit different from Jenny. For some reason though I’m struggling to get into it. I’m sure if I persevere I will love it but I’ve already wandered to another book which is not good. Hopefully I’ll wander back at some point 🙂

I’m also still listening to The Beautiful Ashes by Jeaniene Frost. It’s the first in a paranormal/romance/urban fantasy series and this time instead of vampires and ghouls it’s angels and demons. Not quite enjoying as much as the Night Huntress series as the main character is kinda bugging me but it is good.


Recently FinishedUnhinged (Splintered, #2)

The first book finished this week was Unhinged by A.G. Howard. It’s the second book in the Splintered series which is based on Alice in Wonderland. I think this was possibly suffering from “middle book in a trilogy syndrome”. It seemed to take a while to get going and then took off towards the end to reach that big cliffhanger which means I’m probably going to have to read the third and final book to find out how it all ends….grrr!!

After that I was looking for something quick and light sThe Libby Garrett Intervention (Science Squad, #2)o decided to read some Kelly Oram. Kelly Oram is the author of one of my all time favourite happy books, Cinder and Ella (if you haven’t read it you should). After a bit of a search on Amazon I picked up The Libby Garrett Intervention, which is the second in the Science Squad series. It was quite a cute (but slightly more adult than I was expecting) story about Libby who’s in a toxic relationship which she refuses to give up until her friends stage an intervention. This is one of those books which has a positive (ish) message for young girls but somehow manages to be quite funny rather than preachy.

I enjoyed it so much I couldn’t resist re reading the previous book in the series The Avery Shaw Experiment. It’s quite similar and is about Avery, Libby’s best friend, who uses the seven stages of grief to try to get over a broken heart. It’s also a pretty good read and one I’d recommend if you’re looking for something light and fun.One Grave at a Time (Night Huntress #6)

Final book finished this week was One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost which is book 6 in the Night Huntress series. This time Cat and Bones were doing a bit of ghost busting which made for something a little bit lighter than their usual end of the world, doomsday type stuff.


Reading Next

Yep, A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby is still on my reading next list. I think that makes it five or six weeks it’s been there now. I’m saying nothing… Other than that I’m not too sure what other books I will be reading. I have a book bingo challenge starting which I think will have me choosing books based on what picture is on the cover rather than the story.

I do have The Island by Victoria Hislop which is my next real life book club read. Have to admit I’m not overly excited by it as it’s not the type of book I usually go for. I’m just biding my time until it’s my turn to choose a book then it’ll be all zombie apocalypse or YA dystopian 🙂

I’m also thinking about trying a bit of Neil Gaiman with The Ocean at the End of the Lane. I think it’s well overdue that I read one of his books and I’ve had this on my kindle for a while. Just not sure if it’s the best one to start on.

A Long Way DownThe IslandThe Ocean at the End of the Lane

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

Happy Wednesday everyone.

WWW Wednesday: 10th August 2016

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

Unhinged (Splintered, #2)I was looking for a book with either a title or author starting with U at the weekend (always a good way to choose books) so decided to pick up Unhinged by A.G. Howard. It’s the second book in the Splintered series which is based on Alice in Wonderland. I’m around halfway through at the moment and while it was a little bit slow at the start it’s starting to pick up the pace now.

I also have an audio on the go at the moment, The Beautiful Ashes by Jeaniene Frost. It’s the first in a paranormal/romance/urban fantasy series and this time instead of vampires and ghouls it’s angels and demons. Really enjoying but not getting as much time as I’d like to listen to it as I haven’t been doing much driving.


Lying in WaitRecently Finished

First book finished was Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent. I requested this from NetGalley after hearing a lot of good things about it and I’m so glad I did as I think it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year and definitely the best thriller. It starts off with respectable couple Andrew and Lydia murdering someone and covering it up so it’s less of a who dunnit and more a why did they do it and will they get away with it. It’s one of those stories that you just can’t put down so I’d definitely recommend. You can see my full review here

The Ex  FactorAfter Lying in Wait I was in need of something a little bit lighter so picked up The Ex Factor by Eva Woods which was another NetGalley request. It’s a story about four thirty something best friends who find themselves single at the same time. Rather than internet dating one of them suggests they set each other up with their ex boyfriends on the basis that they’ve already been vetted and just because they weren’t right for one of them doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be perfect for another. Unsurprisingly things get complicated and a little awkward.

I thought the start was a bit shaky but it turned into a pretty good read. What I really liked was that you were never 100% sure how it would all turn out. I’ll be posting a full review closer to the release date in September.


Reading Next

This week I am absolutely positively determined that I’m maybe going to make a start on A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby. It seems to have been on my reading next list forever but I do really need to pick it up soon.

After a recent trip to the library I’m also thinking about making a start on Resistance is Futile by Jenny Colgan. I do love Jenny Colgan but must admit to picking up this one based on the cover and the title. It doesn’t hurt that it’s described on the back as “a charmingly quirky tale of love, friendship…and the possible obliteration of mankind”. Sounds good to me. 

I was also very excited to receive The Trespasser by Tana French from NetGalley during the week. She’s another favourite author so I doubt I’ll be able to resist reading this latest offering for long 🙂

A Long Way DownResistance is FutileThe Trespasser (Dublin Murder Squad, #6)

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

Happy Wednesday everyone.