WWW Wednesday: 20th November 2019

November 20, 2019November 19, 2019 Ali@abookishlife18 Comments

The WWW Wednesday meme is 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?

Currently Reading

I seem to be juggling a few books at the moment which is really not like me. The first is The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black, which I bought at the weekend. This is the final book in the trilogy and is one that I’ve been looking forward to for a while. I only started it on Monday night and as it’s a hardback I’m only reading in the house so I’m around 75 pages in. So far so good, I loved the first book in the trilogy but was less sure of book two so I was a little bit wary going in but based on what I’ve read so far I do have high hopes for it. I do love main character Jude, she’s unexpected.

Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men My library hold for Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez came in on Monday too so I’m mostly reading it on my commute. It’s non fic so fits quite nicely with Non Fic November (even though I’m not really taking part in that challenge). I don’t read much non fiction but this is one that I’ve been interested in ever since I read an article in the Guardian newspaper about it. It’s all about how the data used to design products, test drugs etc generally excludes women and makes for fascinating and slightly frightening reading.

Also on ebook I’m still plugging away at Full Throttle by Joe Hill. I have a tendency to dip in and out of short story collections so I suspect this one will be on my list for a while. And, yes I am also still listening to Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray on audio. Audiobooks are never particularly quick for me either and I don’t think I’ve even hit the halfway point yet.

Recently Finished

I have very definitely got my reading mojo back this week with a whole four books finished, the first of which was Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin. This is a YA retelling of MacBeth with a girl Jade/Elle out for revenge on the group of boys who drugged and assaulted her at a party. I got off to a slightly shaky start with it because of the writing style but ended up absolutely loving it. It’s dark, it’s violent and it is really, really twisted but completely addictive. It’s too soon for me to post a review but if you go a hunting on Goodreads you’ll find it there.

After the darkness of Foul is Fair I needed something a lot fluffier so went for novella It Happened on Christmas Eve by fave author Kirsty Greenwood and it was just what I needed. It’s light, funny, romantic and really got me into the Christmas spirit (I may have had some Christmas songs playing in the background). My only complaint is that I really want a full length novel from Greenwood, it’s been far too long since Big Sexy Love was out.

Next up was another rom com by a fave author with His Royal Highness by R.S. Grey. Grey’s books are always really tropey but I love them for it. This time around it’s a variation on crush on a teacher (or in this case mentor) but all set in a theme park. It’s a lot of fun but it did also make me a little teary in a couple of places.

Fourth and final book this week was Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton a story about a shooting in a school which coincidentally also had a bit of a Macbeth connection (some of the kids are rehearsing the play in the theatre). I came across this on NetGalley a few months ago and it does seem to be getting a lot of rave reviews but I’m a little more on the fence about it. It’s very well written but there’s something about it that left me a little cold. It is told from multiple pov’s so I suspect it may be that, I often struggle if a book jumps around too much.

Reading Next

My library book hold on Kingdom of Souls came in on Monday (why do they all come in at the same time) so assuming I’m still in a YA fantasy mood after Queen of Nothing I think I will probably pick it up next. After that I’m hoping to switch back to the books on my NetGalley shelf and will probably pick up The Alibi Girl by CJ Skuse or A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones

The Alibi Girl Kingdom of Souls (Kingdom of Souls, #1) A Bad Day for Sunshine (Sunshine Vicram, #1)

Have you read any of the books on my list this week? Any others you’d recommend? As always please feel free to leave comments and links below.

Happy Reading ❤

Teaser Tuesday: Queen of Nothing

November 19, 2019 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purple Booker. 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 The Purple Booker.

This week my teaser comes from Queen of Nothing by Holly Black, the third and final book in the Folk of the Air trilogy. I was trying this month to stick to galleys but when I spied this in the bookshop I couldn’t resist and started it pretty much immediately. As this is the third book I’ll add a warning here that while I’ve chosen the spoiler free teaser there are mild spoilers in the blurb below.

My Teaser

Maybe she wanted to play the great game. Maybe she thought of all the things he could do for her if he were sitting on the throne.

Pg44 Queen of Nothing by Holly Black

Blurb

He will be destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne.

Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power.

Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan’s betrayal. She bides her time determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her deceptive twin sister, Taryn, whose mortal life is in peril.

Jude must risk venturing back into the treacherous Faerie Court, and confront her lingering feelings for Cardan, if she wishes to save her sister. But Elfhame is not as she left it. War is brewing. As Jude slips deep within enemy lines she becomes ensnared in the conflict’s bloody politics.

And, when a dormant yet powerful curse is unleashed, panic spreads throughout the land, forcing her to choose between her ambition and her humanity…

WWW Wednesday: 13th November 2019

November 13, 2019November 11, 2019 Ali@abookishlife3 Comments

The WWW Wednesday meme is 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?

Currently Reading

After quite a bit of dithering, I decided to read NetGalley ARC Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin. I only started it on Sunday but after a bit of a wobbly start when I wasn’t sure if I liked the writing style I am now flying through it. I can be a bit dense at times so didn’t realise this was a YA contemporary retelling of Macbeth despite the clue being in the title. I studied Macbeth at school and while that was a really long time ago this is bringing it all back (in a good way). It may be a little obvious at times (the characters are Mack, Duffy, Duncan, Banks etc) but it’s very cleverly done and I can’t wait to see if the ending’s the same.

I’m also slowly but surely working my way through Joe Hill’s collection of short stories, Full Throttle. I’ve read three of thirteen which were pretty good but nothing stand out as yet. I suspect this one will be on my list for a while.

And, speaking of books on my list for a while, I’m still listening to Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray. I have made some progress, think I’ve managed another couple of hours, but it’s a long one so will probably take a while. Thankfully I’m enjoying it and not in any rush.

Recently Finished

Only one book finished this week and really I had it finished last Wednesday so I don’t know what I’ve been doing with my time. I think I just had too many books and couldn’t decide what to read so didn’t really start anything till Sunday.

Anyway, the one book I did finish was A Wedding in December by Sarah Morgan. I do love Sarah Morgan’s Christmas themed books and this was no exception. I did occasionally wonder if it was a little too sweet and fluffy, I wanted a bit more heat and conflict, but it is the perfect read for the season. Unfortunately I am now going to have to move to Aspen so I too can enjoy a romantic white Christmas. Not sure how good the wifi is there so this may be my final post 🙂

Reading Next

I’m persevering in my plan to read predominantly ARCs this month so I think I’m probably going to pick up either The Alibi Girl by CJ Skuse next or maybe Into the Crooked Place by Alexandra Christo. It’ll probably depend on my mood although I suspect something lighter and less murdery will be needed after Foul is Fair.

The Alibi Girl Into the Crooked Place (Into the Crooked Place, #1)

Have you read any of the books on my list this week? Any others you’d recommend? As always please feel free to leave comments and links below.

Happy Reading ❤

Teaser Tuesday: Full Throttle by Joe Hill

November 12, 2019November 11, 2019 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

This week my teaser comes from Joe Hill’s short story collection Full Throttle, or if I’m being more accurate from the introduction to Joe Hill’s short story collection where he talks a bit about becoming a writer and his famous parents. I’ve only read a couple of the stories so far but the introduction has been my favourite part of the book I’ve read so far. I think Hill needs to write an autobiography, I have a feeling he has lots of great stories, and advice, to share.

My Teaser

My brain doesn’t move fast enough for conversation, but words on a page will wait for me. Books are patient with slow learners. The rest of the world isn’t.

Loc147 Full Throttle by Joe Hill

Blurb

In this masterful collection of short fiction, Joe Hill dissects timeless human struggles in thirteen relentless tales of supernatural suspense, including “In The Tall Grass,” one of two stories co-written with Stephen King, basis for the terrifying feature film from Netflix.

A little door that opens to a world of fairy tale wonders becomes the blood-drenched stomping ground for a gang of hunters in “Faun.” A grief-stricken librarian climbs behind the wheel of an antique Bookmobile to deliver fresh reads to the dead in “Late Returns.” In “By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain,” two young friends stumble on the corpse of a plesiosaur at the water’s edge, a discovery that forces them to confront the inescapable truth of their own mortality . . . and other horrors that lurk in the water’s shivery depths. And tension shimmers in the sweltering heat of the Nevada desert as a faceless trucker finds himself caught in a sinister dance with a tribe of motorcycle outlaws in “Throttle,” co-written with Stephen King.

Featuring two previously unpublished stories, and a brace of shocking chillers, Full Throttle is a darkly imagined odyssey through the complexities of the human psyche. Hypnotic and disquieting, it mines our tormented secrets, hidden vulnerabilities, and basest fears, and demonstrates this exceptional talent at his very best.

WWW Wednesday: 6th November 2019

November 6, 2019November 5, 2019 Ali@abookishlife9 Comments

The WWW Wednesday meme is 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?

Currently Reading

I’ve decided it’s time to break out the festive reads so I started A Wedding in December by Sarah Morgan on Monday and if I don’t have it finished by the end of today I’ll be shocked. I always look forward to Morgan’s Christmas books, I don’t think it’d feel like the holidays without one (even if I am reading it 7 weeks before). I’m currently around the 75% mark and very much enjoying it. Like many of her recent stories the focus is on family and there are three pov’s but for the first time I feel like I’m equally invested in all of them. I may be slightly leaning towards Katie’s story but only slightly.

My NetGalley request for Joe Hill’s latest collection of short stories, Full Throttle was approved on Monday so I’ve also been dipping in and out of it too. I’m incapable of sitting and reading one short story after another so I suspect this is one I’ll be picking up and putting down for a week or two. Having recently watched the Netflix adaptation of In the Tall Grass I have to confess to being tempted to just skip to that one, but will try to resist.

On audio I’m still listening to Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray. Still around 10 hours to go so it’ll also no doubt be here for a while but I’m loving it so it’s no chore.

Recently Finished

As I thought my happen, one Charley Davidson book led to another last week and I ended up going on a bit of a series binge and finished the final three books in the series. I won’t go into any details about the books, too much potential for spoilers, but I have absolutely adored this series. They are just such fun (and funny) reads and completely addictive. If I’d owned all thirteen books I probably would have read the whole lot in one go. I’m a little sorry it’s over but I think the way the author finished it was pretty perfect.

Reading Next

I’ve decided to make this month NetGalley November as I’m going to try and stick mostly to ARCs, of which I have far too many. I posted a TBR at the weekend with the books I’m hoping to read so I should maybe try to stick with it, for a little while at any rate. I like to mix up my genres so given the amount of fantasy I’ve been reading lately, I’m thinking I may pick up YA contemporary Foul is Fair or CJ Skuse’s new book The Alibi Girl which I think is a thriller(?)

Foul Is Fair The Alibi Girl

Have you read any of the books on my list this week? Any others you’d recommend? As always please feel free to leave comments and links below.

Happy Reading ❤

WWW Wednesday: 30th October 2019

October 30, 2019October 29, 2019 Ali@abookishlife19 Comments

The WWW Wednesday meme is 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?

Currently Reading

At long last I finally made a start on The Wych Elm by Tana French on Monday but unfortunately it seems like French’s writing may be a little too vivid as it somehow managed to trigger a panic attack. This is genuinely the first time that has ever happened to me and there’s a strong possibility that it was a number of different factors that contributed but it has made me a little wary of reading on. I’m already finding old anxieties resurfacing so I think I’m going to put it on hold till I feel less wobbly.

Eleventh Grave in Moonlight (Charley Davidson, #11) I’ve therefore decided on a slightly safer choice of reading with Eleventh Grave in Moonlight by Darynda Jones. The Charley Davidson books always make me laugh and I’m determined I’m going to finish all thirteen books in this series before the end of the year. I only started it yesterday morning but have been making great progress (they’re pretty quick reads) and am around a third of the way through.

On audio I’m still listening to Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray. I think I’m maybe 5 hours in so still not even half way through. It is making me laugh a lot though and I’m really enjoying it. Someone really should give the narrator a prize for how unique she makes each character’s voice, she brings the story to life.

Recently Finished

Two books finished again this week, the first of which was Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay. I tend to be a bit hit or miss with Barclay but was drawn in by the premise of a serial killer using elevators to bump people off. Unfortunately while not a bad read, it never really gripped me. I think I was expecting something with a little more pace and action but with multiple pov’s (something I’m not a fan of generally) it all seemed slow and I didn’t really connect to any of the characters. It does pick up towards the end and I loved the way the author showed the impact on New York but not for me I’m afraid.

Next up I decided to read Tess Gerritsen’s The Shape of Night. I’m a long time fan of Gerritsen so had been looking forward to this new standalone for a while and I actually ended up reading the whole thing in a day, I found it very addictive. I do however have some rather mixed thoughts on it and I was kind of surprised how much this felt like one of Gerritsen’s old romantic suspense reads. It’s definitely heavier on the romance than the mystery and the romance is a bit Fifty Shades. This wouldn’t be a bad thing, I kind of liked Fifty Shades, but the relationship feels abusive making it somewhat problematic. Hopefully once I get my thoughts straight I’ll get a review up.

Reading Next

I’m thinking I maybe need to stick to avoid creepy and violent reads for a bit and maybe go for something a little fluffier. I have a couple of Christmas books on my NetGalley shelf so I may dip into them or I may try to press on with Charley Davidson.

Christmas Party A Wedding in December The Trouble with Twelfth Grave (Charley Davidson, #12)

Have you read any of the books on my list this week? Any others you’d recommend? As always please feel free to leave comments and links below.

Happy Reading ❤

Teaser Tuesday: The Wych Elm by Tana French

October 29, 2019October 28, 2019 Ali@abookishlife2 Comments

This week my teaser comes from The Wych Elm by Tana French, a book I received from NetGalley but only got around to starting yesterday. I do love Tana French books but I seem to be having a few issues with this one. Nothing wrong with it (it’s definitely me and not the book) but it starts with a pretty brutal attack on the MC and it’s so vivid and real it kind of freaked me out. Think it may be getting put on the back burner a little longer.

My Teaser

There was something horrifying about being exposed and handled so efficiently and impersonally. He was acting like my body was meat, not attached to a person at all.

8% The Wych Elm by Tana French

Blurb

For me it all goes back to that night, the dark corroded hinge between before and after, the slipped-in sheet of trick glass that tints everything on one side in its own murky colours and leaves everything on the other luminous and untouchable.

One night changes everything for Toby. A brutal attack leaves him traumatised, unsure even of the person he used to be. He seeks refuge at the family’s ancestral home, the Ivy House, filled with cherished memories of wild-strawberry summers and teenage parties with his cousins.

But not long after Toby’s arrival, a discovery is made. A skull, tucked neatly inside the old wych elm in the garden.

As detectives begin to close in, Toby is forced to examine everything he thought he knew about his family, his past, and himself.

A spellbinding standalone from a literary writer who turns the crime genre inside out, The Wych Elm asks what we become, and what we’re capable of, if we no longer know who we are.

WWW Wednesday: 23rd October 2019

October 23, 2019October 22, 2019 Ali@abookishlife18 Comments

The WWW Wednesday meme is 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?

Currently Reading

I managed to get my hands on a copy of Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay on Overdrive/Libby so as there’s only 5 days left on my hold and there are 8 people waiting I thought I’d better read it. I haven’t read many books by Barclay, my Dad’s a bigger fan of his stuff than I am, but I did like the sound of this one (even if I may never get in an elevator again). I’m around a quarter of the way through as of last night and so far it’s been ok. I don’t feel like it’s completely hooked me yet. This could just be me though as I’m still feeling pretty tired and a little ropey, so struggling to focus on anything.

On audio I’m still listening to Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray. I think I’m maybe 3 hours in so still quite a bit to go (and we’re not really into the action yet) but I’m very much enjoying it.

Recently Finished

Two books finished this week, one from my Spooktober TBR (four down, 8 to go) with the other a bit of a wander off track (not sure it was worth it). I’m pretty sure you can probably guess which is which 😀

First book finished was Monstrous Heart by Claire McKenna, an advance copy of which I’d received from NetGalley. It’s not out till next year so I’m not entirely sure how “finished” it is but I ended up very much enjoying it. It has a few problems (nothing is explained or described so if you’re like me reading it is work) but it’s so atmospheric and the writing so wonderful that it’s easy to overlook them. I think comparisons to the Binding are probably fair as while there are some fantasy aspects it’s quite a slow read with a focus on the romance.

After the darkness of Monstrous Heart I did feel l needed something light so when I spied Melissa Foster’s latest book on NetGalley I decided to grab it and read it immediately. I’ve actually never read a book by Foster so This is Love was my first and for the most part I enjoyed it. It’s a fun romance that reminded me of The Bodyguard movie in terms of story. I did feel like there were too many secondary characters though and I found myself skimming through the parts they were in. I guess they’re from previous books so if you’re a fan you’ll probably be happy to catch up with them but for a newbie I wasn’t especially interested. I also felt it was a little too lovey dovey (and the characters too good) but that may just be me being my usual bitter and twisted self 😉

Reading Next

Gah!!! It’s been on my TBR forever so I really, really need to pick up The Wych Elm by Tana French next. I always do this with French’s books and I always end up loving them once I convince myself to read them. After that I don’t know but I’m thinking maybe The Lingering by SJI Holliday. I’ve been wanting to read it for ages but tend to bump it for ARCs.

The Wych Elm The Lingering

Have you read any of the books on my list this week? Any others you’d recommend? As always please feel free to leave comments and links below.

Happy Reading ❤

WWW Wednesday: 16th October 2019

October 16, 2019October 14, 2019 Ali@abookishlife13 Comments

The WWW Wednesday meme is 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?

Currently Reading

I’ve been having trouble trying to decide what to read over the last few days but after starting and stopping about four different books I think I’ve finally settled on Monstrous Heart by Claire McKenna. This was an ARC I received from NetGalley a few weeks ago and it’s not out for ages so should probably be further down my reading list but it just seemed the kind of book I was in the mood for. I only started on Monday so very early days but I think I’m enjoying it. I have to confess I’m a little confused about what’s going on but I am liking the writing style and am still at the intrigued stage.

On audio I started listening to Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray. Again I only started it at the weekend so not made a lot of progress but so far so good and it seems like an appropriate read for the season.

Recently Finished

Three books finished this week, two of which were actually from my Spooktober TBR (three down, 9 to go) so I’m pretty happy with that. First up was The Curse of the Tenth Grave by Darynda Jones. This is the tenth book in the Charley Davidson series and I forgot how much I loved these books. It’s been a good six month since I read the previous book but it was very easy to fall back into the story. My biggest difficulty has been resisting going off to read the rest of the series.

After Charley Davidson I was still in the mood for something light and fluffy so decided to go for historical romance When Strangers Marry. I did kind of enjoy it but I don’t think it was anything special. It did make a nice change to find one that’s set in New Orleans.

The third book finished was Blood Bound, the second Mercy Thompson book, by Patricia Briggs. It’s been a few months since I read the first in the series so I did have my doubts about this but really, really liked it. I think it first came out in 2007, so I was worried it would be a bit dated but it’s really not. It also made for a pretty fantastic Halloween read with ghosts, vampires, werewolves and other creatures. It’s light on the romance and also genuinely creepy in a couple of places. I’m kind of tempted to read on.

Reading Next

I’m still planning to keep plugging away at my Spooktober TBR (I’m determined I will read everything on it) and I think I’m going to try and pick up The Wych Elm by Tana French next. With the Dublin Murders starting on TV, I’m in the mood for one of French’s books. I’d also like to pick up Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell. I’ve been really looking forward to it so not sure I’ll be able to resist for long.

The Wych Elm Wayward Son (Simon Snow, #2)

Have you read any of the books on my list this week? Any others you’d recommend? As always please feel free to leave comments and links below.

Happy Reading ❤

WWW Wednesday: 9th October 2019

October 9, 2019 Ali@abookishlife9 Comments

The WWW Wednesday meme is 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?

Currently Reading

I haven’t really been in a reading mood over the last couple of days, a combination of work stress and general tiredness, so I’ve been dipping in and out of How to Fail by Elizabeth Day. As someone who is a bit of a perfectionist and therefore not able to cope will with failure (or just not being very good at something) this has been a pretty eye opening read. It’s full of anecdotes about failure from the various celebrities the author has interviewed but what I’m loving the most are the author’s own personal stories, they’re very relatable. Unfortunately my library loan is up soon so I don’t think I’ll manage to finish it but I’ll definitely be putting a hold on it so I can get it back out again (or maybe I’ll just buy it).

Recently Finished

As always, the second I do a TBR post I seem to lose my reading mojo so only managed to finish one book this week, The Secret of Cold Hill by Peter James. I actually finished it late on Friday night but ended up reading literally nothing over the weekend (I may have gone on a bit of a netflix/movie binge watch). The Secret of Cold Hill is a classic haunted house story but the author has brought it up to date by setting it in an ultra high tech home kitted out with every gadget you could ever want. It was a completely addictive and often creepy read but I’m not sure it’s one I’ll necessary remember. You can read my whole review here.

Reading Next

I posted my Spooktober TBR at the end of last week so I’m going to try and keep making progress on it. Given my current slumpiness I think I’m probably going to pick up the next Charley Davidson book next or maybe Victoria Schwab’s City of Ghosts.

The Curse of Tenth Grave (Charley Davidson, #10) City of Ghosts (Cassidy Blake, #1)