Teaser Tuesday: 8th November 2016

November 8, 2016November 7, 2016 Ali@abookishlife20 Comments

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

Teaser Tuesday | BooksAndABeat.com
This week my teaser comes from The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. This is my current real life book club read and I have to admit I’m finding it a bit of a struggle. There’s a lot of philosophy, something I know very little about, so I’m not sure I will actually manage to finish it. As book club is tomorrow lunchtime, and I’m currently on page 65, I’m definitely up against it.

My Teaser

Thus the concierge couple, as served by the metaphor of their totemic poodle, seems to be utterly devoid of such passions as love and desire and, like their totem, destined to remain ugly, stupid, submissive and boastful. If, in certain novels, princes fall in love with working-class lasses, and princesses with galley slaves, between two concierges, even of the opposite sex, there is never any romance of the type that others experience and that might someday make a worthy story.

~ page 42, The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

Blurb

Renée is the concierge of a grand Parisian apartment building, home to members of the great and the good. Over the years she has maintained her carefully constructed persona as someone reliable but totally uncultivated, in keeping, she feels, with society’s expectations of what a concierge should be. But beneath this facade lies the real Renée passionate about culture and the arts, and more knowledgeable in many ways than her employers with their outwardly successful but emotionally void lives.
Down in her lodge, apart from weekly visits by her one friend Manuela, Renée lives resigned to her lonely lot with only her cat for company. Meanwhile, several floors up, twelve-year-old Paloma Josse is determined to avoid the pampered and vacuous future laid out for her, and decides to end her life on her thirteenth birthday. But unknown to them both, the sudden death of one of their privileged neighbours will dramatically alter their lives forever.

Happy reading everyone.

WWW Wednesday: 2nd November 2016

November 2, 2016November 1, 2016 Ali@abookishlife15 Comments

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

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 just started What Light by Jay Asher yesterday but due to a couple of long train journeys I’m already more than half way through. It’s a YA contemporary about a 16 year old girl whose family grow and sell Christmas trees meaning she leads two lives. Most of the year she’s in Oregon where the farm is but for the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas the whole family relocate to California to sell the trees. I love the idea of someone having two different lives and I’m absolutely adoring the romance and Christmassy feel.

Recently Finished

I kind of feel like this has been a bit of a slower reading week for me. It probably shouldn’t be as I’m now in the final week of my team challenge but between a trip to see Leigh Bardugo and Rainbow Rowell at the Edinburgh stop of their tour and Halloween (I felt the need to watch a lot of horror films) I haven’t had much time. The Sun Is Also a Star

I did however finish The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon which I was sooo excited to receive from NetGalley. Yoon is the author of Everything, Everything which I have to admit I hadn’t read but had heard loads of good things about. I don’t know therefore how they compare but I did really enjoy The Sun is Also a Star.

It’s a YA romance about two teenagers, Daniel and Natasha who come from very different backgrounds but meet by chance on the day where Daniel has an interview for a college he doesn’t want to go to and Natasha is facing deportation. It does have it’s sweet and cutesy moments but it also raises some issues around cultural differences and racism in a really intelligent and thoughtful way. It’s one of those books where I almost always had my highlighter out, noting down the quotes I just loved. There was the odd bit I wasn’t so sure about but overall it’s definitely a book I’d recommend. You can read my full review here

I also finished another NetGalley book, An Almond for a Parrot by Wray Delaney. This is another one of those books I wanted to read mostly based on the cover and a very unusual blurb. It’s a mix of a lot of different genres, romance, mystery, paranormal and historical which somehow kind of works.

The story begins in London in 1756 with Tully Truegood, in prison for the murder of her husband. It then flashes back to tell the story of her life and how she ended up in her current predicament. As her life story includes periods as a conjurer’s assistant and a famous prostitute it definitely makes for some fascinating reading. It could maybe have been a little bit darker than it was in my opinion but still a good story. You can read my full review here

Reading Next

I think Love You to Death by Caroline Mitchell will be the next book I pick up. I’m in the mood for something a bit darker and more serious so this seems like the perfect choice. I also really need to start my next real life book club read, The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. The meeting is next week so I’ve been leaving it as close to the meeting as possible.

I also picked up a copy of Landline by Rainbow Rowell during the week so hopefully I’ll be able to make a start on that too.

Love You To Death The Elegance of the Hedgehog Landline

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

Also, on a slightly related note, has anyone else come across the new TV show Class? It’s a Doctor Who spin off created and written by Patrick Ness. I have become completely addicted.

Happy Wednesday everyone.

Teaser Tuesday: 1st November 2016

November 1, 2016October 31, 2016 Ali@abookishlife13 Comments

Teaser Tuesday | BooksAndABeat.com
This week my teaser comes from Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo which is the second and final (noooo!!!) book in the Six of Crows duology. I read this almost two weeks ago but didn’t get a chance to post a teaser so thought I should fix that. Leigh Bardugo is a fantastic author and one of the few on my auto buy list. I’d recommend everything she’s ever written.

My Teaser

“I,” she said, planting a hand on her hip, “am a delicate flower.”

“You aren’t a flower, you’re every blossom in the wood blooming at once. You are a tidal wave. You’re a stampede. You are overwhelming.”

~ page 233, Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Blurb

Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn’t think they’d survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they’re right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and left crippled by the kidnapping of a valuable team member, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz’s cunning and test the team’s fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city’s dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of magic in the Grisha world.

Happy reading everyone.

WWW Wednesday: 26th October 2016

October 26, 2016October 24, 2016 Ali@abookishlife21 Comments

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

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’m almost finished The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon which I received from NetGalley. It’s a contemporary YA romance about two teenagers, Daniel and Natasha who come from very different backgrounds but meet by chance (or is it fate?) on the day where Daniel has an admission interview for a college he doesn’t really want to go to and Natasha is facing deportation. They have nothing in common but could change each others life.

As it’s set in New York and is about a couple of teenagers I have to admit I did a lot of comparing to Dash and Lily at the start which was completely unfair. It does have it’s cutesy moments but deals a lot more with cultural differences, racism and bigotry. Now that I’m further into the story I’m loving it a lot.

Recently Finished

It’s been a bit of a mixed week for me with a fantastic book, a truly terrible read and something decidedly average.

First up was The Score by Elle Kennedy which is the third book in her Off Campus series. It’s a new adult romance about a girl who after breaking up with her long term boyfriend gets involved with a bad boy hockey player. It was an ok read but I didn’t think there was anything particularly stand out about it. Thankfully having just finished Heartless by Marissa Meyer and suffering from a major book hangover it was exactly what I needed. The Swarm

After The Score I still didn’t want to start anything good so picked up The Swarm by Christopher Pearson (basically it fit a challenge I was doing). It’s a horror story with swarms of mutant bugs attacking people everywhere. I’d describe it as the worst book ever written but I suspect that would just encourage more people to read it 🙂 It’s like a bad B movie or a teenage boy trying to come up with the most over the top gory book ever. Unfortunately it’s not even so bad it’s kind of good. It’s just bad.

Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2) The final book of the week was the one that I’ve been looking forward to for what feels like forever, Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. It’s the follow up to Six of Crows and is a mixture of young adult fantasy and a clever heist story. I absolutely love Bardugo’s writing, there is something about it that draws you in, but the highlight for me was the relationship between the characters and all the little moments of humor.

Reading Next

Not 100% sure at the moment but I think my plan is still to read Love You to Death by Caroline Mitchell and What Light by Jay Asher next. I received both from NetGalley and am really excited about them as they sound really good in very different ways. I also have my next real life book club read to make a start on, The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. I haven’t been massively impressed with the book club choices so far but have higher hopes for this one.

What Light Love You To Death The Elegance of the Hedgehog

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

Happy Wednesday everyone.

Teaser Tuesday: 25th October 2016

October 25, 2016October 24, 2016 Ali@abookishlife14 Comments

Teaser Tuesday | BooksAndABeat.com
This week my teaser comes from The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon, author of Everything, Everything. It’s a young adult, contemporary romance that I received from NetGalley. I’m about 75% in so far and really enjoying it.

My Teaser

It seems like such a long time ago when I thought the world of him. He was some exotic planet and I was his favorite satellite. But he’s no planet, just the final fading light of an already dead star.

And I’m not a satellite. I’m space junk, hurtling as far as I can away from him.

~ location 513, The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon

Blurb

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

Happy reading everyone.

WWW Wednesday: 19th October 2016

October 19, 2016October 18, 2016 Ali@abookishlife23 Comments

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

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

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

Here’s this weeks WWW.

Currently Reading

The Score (Off-Campus, #3) I finished a fantastic book on Monday morning (more below) so have been suffering from a serious book hangover ever since. In the spirit of getting over one book by getting into another one rebound style, I have picked up The Score by Elle Kennedy which is the third book in the new adult Off Campus series. I actually didn’t realize it was the third book until I was a few chapters in, I haven’t read the first two yet, but what the heck. It’s good, not very clean fun, which was just what I was needing. I’m about 65% in due to some binge reading so probably won’t take long to finish.

Still no progress with Grim this week but hopefully I’ll read a story or two from the collection over the next few days.

Recently Finished

This has been an absolutely fantastic reading week for me. I’ve had a run of really good books starting with Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn and it’s sequel The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily. I’m hoping to get reviews up for both very soon but Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares is definitely making my all time favorites list. It does seem to divide opinion (lots of people really hate it and find it pretentious) but it’s exactly the type of book I love. I’ve never highlighted so many passages in a book before.

The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily, which I received from NetGalley was also excellent but not quite as good as the first book. It picks up a year later with things not going so well for the duo and for Lily in particular. It’s a bit more grown up than the first book and a lot more serious, probably why I didn’t love as much, but it still left me in a happy Christmassy spirit (I know I’ve got a while to wait).

After my Lily and Dash fest I ended up doing a quick re read of Endeavor by K.M. Shea. It’s the 6th book in the King Arthur and her knights series and is about Britt Arthurs who’s been pulled back in time by Merlin to cover for the real Arthur who has run off with a shepherdess. It’s a quick and funny take on the Arthur legend and I can’t wait for book 7 as this finished on a bit of a cliffhanger.

After lots of YA I decided to switch genre and read The Killing Game by J.S. Carol which is a thriller about a hostage situation in an exclusive restaurant in Los Angeles. I spotted this on another blog last week (sorry I can’t remember who’s) and managed to pick up a copy from NetGalley. It’s an exciting read and I pretty much lost most of my Saturday due to an inability to put it down. The hostage taker is pretty trigger happy which makes for a lot of shocks and twists. If I had one criticism it’s that I didn’t really take to any of the characters and I doubt it’s a story that’ll stick with me. You can read my full review here.

And finally, drum roll please……. Heartless

My big read of the week was Heartless by Marissa Meyer. I was absolutely stunned to receive this from NetGallley as I’ve been soooo excited about this book. It’s a prequel to Alice in Wonderland and tells the story of the Queen of Hearts. It’s an incredible read and possibly better than the Lunar Chronicles. As it is the back story of a villain you have a good idea of where it’s going but I did still hope for the best for MC Cath. Once I recover I will post a review but it’s definitely getting 5 stars.

I should give a warning though, as well as giving you a book hangover there is a strong possibility it will lead to excessive cake consumption. I felt the need for a tea party.

Reading Next

I’m going to see Leigh Bardugo and Rainbow Rowell on their Worlds Collide book tour on the 27th so I’m planning to read Crooked Kingdom before then. I was originally planning to read last weekend but decided I couldn’t resist Heartless and didn’t want to read them back to back. I think before that I will try to make a dent in my NetGalley shelf with some of my recent approvals, Love You to Death a thriller by Caroline Mitchell and YA contemporary What Light by Jay Asher.

Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2) What Light Love You To Death

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

Happy Wednesday everyone.

Teaser Tuesday: 18th October 2016

October 18, 2016October 17, 2016 Ali@abookishlife25 Comments

Teaser Tuesday | BooksAndABeat.com
This week I’m very excited to have a teaser from Heartless by Marissa Meyer. This is a book I’ve been looking forward to since first hearing of it and I was so excited to get an ARC from NetGalley. It’s a prequel to Alice in Wonderland and tells the story of the Queen of Hearts. I’ve more or less finished and I have loved each and every moment.

Anyway the teaser…

My Teaser

‘Tisn’t rude to rebuke an arbitrary greeting, a nonsense question upon first meeting. To be all right implies an impossible phase. We hope for mostly right on the best of our days.’

~ location 581, Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Blurb

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland — the infamous Queen of Hearts — she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the yet-unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend and supply the Kingdom of Hearts with delectable pastries and confections. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next Queen.

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the king’s marriage proposal, she meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship.

Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

Happy reading everyone.

WWW Wednesday: 12th October 2016

October 12, 2016October 11, 2016 Ali@abookishlife24 Comments

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

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 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 fo Dark 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.

Teaser Tuesday: 11th October 2016

October 11, 2016October 10, 2016 Ali@abookishlife11 Comments

Teaser Tuesday | BooksAndABeat.com
This week my teaser comes from Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn which I picked up yesterday after finishing Empire of Storms. Only around 20% in but I’m absolutely loving it. It’s cute and very, very funny (my fellow commuters probably think I’m nuts). It also turns out it that it’s Christmas themed and set in New York so I’m in book heaven.

Anyway the teaser…

My Teaser

I was horribly bookish, to the point of coming right out and saying it, which I knew was not socially acceptable. I particularly loved the adjective bookish, which I found other people used about as often as ramrod or chum or teetotaler

~ page 3

Blurb

I’ve left some clues for you. If you want them, turn the page. If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.

At the urge of her lucky-in-love brother, sixteen-year-old Lily has left a red notebook full of dares on her favourite bookshop shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept. Curious, snarky Dash isn’t one to back down from a challenge – and the Book of Dares is the perfect distraction he’s been looking for.

As they send each other on a scavenger hunt across Manhattan, they’re falling for each other on paper. But finding out if their real selves share their on-page chemistry could be their biggest dare yet….

Happy reading everyone.

WWW Wednesday: 5th October 2016

October 5, 2016 Ali@abookishlife26 Comments

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

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.

Grim My 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

A 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.

After 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.