WWW Wednesday: 14th August 2019

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.

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?

Currently ReadingImaginary Friend

I’ve been jumping around between a lot of different books over the last couple of days as I couldn’t decide what I wanted to read but I think I’ve finally settled on Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky. I haven’t made a huge amount of progress, I’m only around 3% in but so far I’m really enjoying it. I was surprised to discover it was a horror, I should probably read blurbs before requesting, but it did just make me even more excited about it than I was. I’m hoping for something creepy.

On audio I’ve been listening to Daisy Jones and the Six but unfortunately it returned itself to the library an hour ago so it’s now on hold again. Not too fussed as I’ve already read it but I was enjoying the audio version.

Recently Finished

The Risk (Briar U, #2)

I thought I’d finally gotten my reading mojo back at the weekend as I successfully finished two books but my cat seems to be unwell again (he’s off to the vet tomorrow) and work has been a bit nuts so I’ve lost concentration yet again.

The first book I finished was The Risk by Elle Kennedy. I do love Elle Kennedy books and this, the second in the Briar U series, was a lot of fun to read. I loved both of the main characters but Brenna is one of my fave Kennedy characters so far. She’s just so confident and self assured despite not having the happiest of pasts. There are a lot of feels in this story.Sorcery of Thorns

After The Risk I decided to pick up one of the YA fantasy books I’ve had lurking on my NetGalley shelf for a while, Sorcery of Thorns. I had somehow managed to avoid all of the reviews of this and hadn’t read the blurb so didn’t know what it was about but it pleasantly surprised me. I love books about books and libraries and I loved the idea of these magical books that can transform into monsters. Elisabeth makes for a great main character but it was a certain demon who fascinated me the most. There is something holding me back from really loving this (I can’t quite put my finger on what) but I would recommend.

Reading Next

Given Imaginary Friend is over 700 pages and I’ve been struggling to find time to read I suspect I’ll still be reading it next week but in the event I do finish it I suspect I’ll pick up either The Six by Luca Veste or The Lost Ones by Anita Frank.

The SixThe Lost Ones

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: 7th August 2019

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.

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?

Currently ReadingThe Risk (Briar U, #2)

I’m still struggling a little with focus this week due to horse, house and cat drama but I did start reading The Risk by Elle Kennedy on Monday and seem to be making reasonable progress with it. I love Kennedy’s sports romances  and this one is proving to be pretty addictive and just what I need to take my mind off things. I am loving main character Brenna and Jake is not so bad either 😉

Recently Finished

Someone We Know

I really haven’t had a lot of time for reading over the last week as I’ve been running around all over the place and driving to work rather than taking the train. I did however manage to read thriller Someone We Know by Shari Lapena over the weekend.

I’ve read one of Lapena’s books before and very much enjoyed it so was looking forward to this but I’m afraid it ended up being a bit of a disappointment. There’s nothing really wrong with it, as who dunit’s go it definitely keeps you guessing, but I never really got invested in the story. It may just have been the mood I was in when reading it but I didn’t really care who dunit. I know it probably shouldn’t factor into it but the victim didn’t come across as a particularly nice person and I didn’t really like any of the other characters either. It didn’t help either that there were multiple pov’s, as I often struggle with that style.

Reading NextThree Women

I managed to snag a copy of Three Women by Lisa Taddeo from the library so I suspect I’ll be picking it up next (there are a lot of people waiting on it). This is one of those books that seems to have a lot of buzz around it which is something that usually puts me off but it sounds like my kind of read. We’ll see though.

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: 31st July 2019

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.

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?

Currently Reading

Ummm….

Well I said I’d have a lot going on this week so I’d either be reading tons or nothing and it seems I’ve ended up on the nothing side. I’m getting a lot of building work done in the house so have been staying at my parents off and on since Sunday (for some reason they expect me to speak to them and not spend all my time reading). Have also been having both horse and cat issues so yeah… been struggling to find the time or focus to read anything.

Recently Finished

I had a few days off work at the end of last week and the weather was a little too hot for me so did manage to get a couple of books finished before the house/animal chaos started.The Girl in Red 

First up was The Girl in Red by Christina Henry, a book I’d been looking forward to for ages and it totally lived up to all expectations. Inspired by red riding hood it’s a post apocalyptic story about a girl called Red who’s making her way across the country to get to her Grandma’s cabin in the woods. From the very first page I was hooked and I can’t remember the last time I flew through a book like this so quickly. It reminded me a little of The Walking Dead (albeit without the zombies) and Red is such a brilliant character.

I also took Deanna’s at A Novel Glimpse’s advice and picked up Max Munroe’s Banking the Billionaire, the second book in their Billionaire Bad Boys series. I really enjoyed this but I have to admit I still liked the first one better.

Reading Next

Building work looks like it’s going to continue until the middle of next week so not sure if or what I’ll be reading next but I did manage to get a couple of books from NetGalley (I know, so much for the ban) that I’m really excited about. Both Adam Silvera and Tess Gerritsen are favourite authors.

Infinity Son (Infinity Cycle, #1)The Shape of Night

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.

I will apologise in advance if I’m slow in coming back. I don’t really have access to my laptop and don’t have wi-fi at my parents so am dependent on my phone’s data which isn’t always that great.

Happy Reading ❤

WWW Wednesday: 24th July 2019

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.

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?

Currently ReadingThe Girl in Red

As I’m writing this on Monday evening I’ve just finished a book and am undecided on what I’m going to pick up next but I suspect it’s going to be The Girl in Red by Christina Henry. It’s one I’ve been looking forward to for ages and as I have a physical copy and a couple of days off work it seems like the perfect opportunity to read it.

Recently Finished

If you follow me on twitter or insta you’ll probably know that I’ve been having some cat stress over the last couple of weeks. My boy has had asthma since I got him 7 years ago but it’s recently gotten a lot worse so I’ve had to start him on an inhaler. He does seem to be getting the hang of it at last (or is at least tolerating it) but yeah, I was pretty worried and having problems concentrating on anything much. I did however manage to finish three books (I decided being up all night reading was better than staying up worrying).

The PossessionThe Poet XTapping the Billionaire (Bad Boy Billionaires, #1)

  • The Possession by Michael Rutger – I didn’t realise this creepy horror story was the second in a series but it didn’t really matter as it works perfectly well as a standalone. It’s atmospheric, very creepy in places and a lot of fun. It’s sort of like a creepy X-Files episode.
  • The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo – Wow that was an emotional read, I was NOT expecting that. I do not read poetry so was a little bit concerned this wouldn’t work for me but it very definitely did. I did not anticipate how angry and upset it would make me (I mean I suspect there may have been some over tiredness involved) but I cried… A LOT!!!
  • Tapping the Billionaire by Max Monroe – I was in the mood for a romance and I always said I’d try another Max Monroe after my first experience was not that great. I wasn’t fully convinced at the start but I ended up loving this. It frustrated the hell out of me that they didn’t just talk to each other at times but I laughed a lot (probably a good thing after all the crying).

Reading Next

I honestly have no clue what I’m going to pick up next. It should probably be an ARC but I’m getting work done in the house (it’s turning into a total money pit) so not sure how much reading time or concentration I’ll have. I’ll either end up reading loads to take my mind off things or reading nothing. I do think it’ll probably be a backlist book though. I’m thinking maybe the second Mercy Thompson book or possibly the next Charley Davidson. I’m kind of in a paranormal romance / urban fantasy type mood.

Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson, #2)The Curse of Tenth Grave (Charley Davidson, #10)

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 Girl in Red

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 The Girl in Red by Christina Henry, a book I’ve been very excited about but haven’t had a chance to start as yet. I do love Henry’s books though, they’re always so dark and different from what I was expecting.

As I haven’t started it yet I have no intention of skimming through for a teaser so here’s one from the second page.


My Teaser

She should have cleaned the blade, though not because she was worried about scaring him. She should have done it because it was her only defense besides her brain, and she ought to take better care of it.

pg10 The Girl in Red by Christina Henry


BlurbThe Girl in Red

From the national bestselling author of Alice comes a postapocalyptic take on the perennial classic “Little Red Riding Hood”…about a woman who isn’t as defenseless as she seems.

It’s not safe for anyone alone in the woods. There are predators that come out at night: critters and coyotes, snakes and wolves. But the woman in the red jacket has no choice. Not since the Crisis came, decimated the population, and sent those who survived fleeing into quarantine camps that serve as breeding grounds for death, destruction, and disease. She is just a woman trying not to get killed in a world that doesn’t look anything like the one she grew up in, the one that was perfectly sane and normal and boring until three months ago.

There are worse threats in the woods than the things that stalk their prey at night. Sometimes, there are men. Men with dark desires, weak wills, and evil intents. Men in uniform with classified information, deadly secrets, and unforgiving orders. And sometimes, just sometimes, there’s something worse than all of the horrible people and vicious beasts combined.

Red doesn’t like to think of herself as a killer, but she isn’t about to let herself get eaten up just because she is a woman alone in the woods….

WWW Wednesday: 17th July 2019

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.

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?

Currently ReadingThe Possession

I started The Possession by Michael Rutger on Monday and considering it’s a hardback (and therefore not the easiest to cart around with me) I’ve been making really good progress. It’s been ages since I’ve read a big hardback and I’d kind of forgotten how awkward it is to juggle them with cups of tea, meals and snacks 🙂 I am however getting the hang of it which is great as I don’t want to have to put it down. It’s just so wonderfully creepy and it’s been far too long since I’ve read a good horror story.

The Poet XWhile I did attempt to take it to work with me yesterday I didn’t end up reading any of it so I’ve decided to read The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo on my commute and keep The Possession safe at home. I got this one from Libby so I’m reading it on my phone. I don’t generally read poetry as I always feel like I’m missing the meaning but so far I seem to be getting on ok with this. I’m only 20% in so it’s early days but yeah… I think I’ll probably carry on. I do wonder though if it would work better as an audio as I don’t think I’m getting the rhythm.

Recently Finished

My reading is still a little on the slow side this week, I think I’ve lost my reading mojo again, but I have managed to finish three books.

The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy (Montague Siblings, #2)Before the Coffee Gets ColdDestined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress, #4)

  • The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee – This was a really fun read but I’m not sure it completely lived up to expectations. I do have a suspicion that my expectations were ridiculously high though as I loved The Gentleman’s Guide. I did love the feminist messages and friendship running throughout and the writing is great. I just felt the story wandered a little.
  • Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi – Unfortunately this was a bit of a disappointment. It wasn’t bad, it just didn’t wow me the way I hoped it would. I don’t know if it’s the writing or the translation (I suspect the writing) but while there was a great premise it really lacked emotion for me and I’m not sure I liked any of the characters.
  • Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost – My reread (or listen to be more accurate) continued with the fourth book in the Night Huntress series and one of my faves. I seem to remember the series goes downhill after this one so I think I may stop for a while and choose something completely different for my next audio.

Reading Next / Recent TBR Additions

It’s pretty safe to say I’ve wandered off my Summer TBR in the last week and as I’ve been book shopping I suspect this may continue. I’ve heard a lot of great things about Call Me Star Girl and The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind so I couldn’t resist them. I also discovered that my current read The Possession was the second book in a series so decided to pick up book one The Anomaly. I’m in a bit of an odd reading mood at the moment (I think life is stressing me out) so I just want something action packed that I can  relax into without having to think too much.

The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her MindThe Anomaly (The Anomaly Files, #1)Call Me Star 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 ❤

Teaser Tuesday: The Possession by Michael Rutger

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 The Possession by Michael Rutger, an ARC of which I won in a Readers First giveaway. I only started this yesterday but am already around halfway through and loving it. It’s one of those rare horror stories that’s properly creepy, or at least I’m finding it creepy.


My Teaser

An expression slid across the girl’s face. Slowly, and lopsidedly, as if she was having to remember how it went. It took me a moment to realize it was a smile.

pg86 The Possession by Michael Rutger


BlurbThe Possession

THEY CAME LOOKING FOR ANSWERS

A group of explorers arrive in the remote town of Birchlake, Northern California, to investigate the appearance of mysterious stone walls.

WHAT THEY FOUND WERE QUESTIONS

A teenage girl has disappeared without a trace.

FOR NOT EVERYONE IS AS THEY SEEM

Soon it becomes clear that the two events may be connected in the most terrifying way. Because sometimes the walls we build end up closing us in . .

WWW Wednesday: 10th July 2019

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.

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?

Currently Reading

The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy (Montague Siblings, #2)

As it’s due back to the library in two days and there are five people waiting on it (I hate that Libby tells you this) I thought I should really get cracking on The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee. I’ve been wanting to read this ever since I finished the first book in the series The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue so I was very excited when it appeared in the library. I started it late on Sunday and have been really flying through it so I think I’ll probably be done by this evening. It’s a lot of fun and you can’t help but like the three women at the center of it. I was also so happy that Monty and Percy make an appearance even if it is brief.

Recently Finished

I’m on a mission to write up some of the reviews I have outstanding this month so my reading is still a little slower than usual. Probably not helped by me making the most of the good weather and getting out and about. I did however manage to finish a couple of books again this week.

And Then She VanishesThe Wallflower Wager (Girl Meets Duke, #3)

  • Then She Vanishes by Claire Douglas – This was my first book from Douglas and for the most part I enjoyed it. I did find it a little on the slow side and I never felt especially invested in the characters or the story but it was well written and had enough twists and turns to keep me reading.
  • The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare – When I spied this on NetGalley last week I couldn’t resist requesting despite trying to reduce my shelf rather than increase it. I did however pretty much read the whole thing the same day and submit my review so it’s all good. I do love Tessa Dare’s books and this was one of her best. I had a little niggle that some of the obstacles were overcome a little too easily but other than that I loved it. I’ll post a full review closer to publication.

Reading Next / Recent TBR Additions

I’m still vaguely trying to stick to my Summer TBR but as I’m unsure which book I’ll pick up next I thought I’d just list the books that I acquired over the last week here instead.

From NetGalley I was very excited to get an ARC of the first book of Katherine McGee’s new series American Royals. McGee is the author of the Thousandth Floor trilogy which I loved so am very interested to see what she’ll do with an alternative history. I also stumbled across Before the Coffee Gets Cold on NetGalley and couldn’t resist requesting, what can I say I’m a sucker for Japanese fiction with cats on the cover (and this one also features time travel).

Finally from the library I picked up The Girl in Red by Christina Henry. I love Henry’s books, she takes classic tales and puts a unique and dark twist on them, so have been looking forward to this postapocalyptic take on Red Riding Hood.

American RoyalsBefore the Coffee Gets ColdThe Girl in Red

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 Lady’s Guide to Petticoats & Piracy

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 The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzie Lee. I’ve been wanting to read this ever since finishing the previous book The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. I only started reading on Sunday evening so it’s early days but it’s living up to all expectations.


My Teaser

I also want to cry, or shout that I hope all their genitals sprout wings and fly away, or perhaps travel back in time to the start of the meeting and go about this whole thing differently. I want to shut up the small, nasty voice in my head whispering that maybe they’re right and maybe I am unsuited for this and maybe I am hysterical because even though I don’t think I am, it’s hard to be raised in a world where you’re taught to always believe what men say without doubting yourself at every step.

16% The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats & Piracy


BlurbThe Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy (Montague Siblings, #2)

A year after an accidentally whirlwind grand tour with her brother Monty, Felicity Montague has returned to England with two goals in mind—avoid the marriage proposal of a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh and enroll in medical school. However, her intellect and passion will never be enough in the eyes of the administrators, who see men as the sole guardians of science.

But then a window of opportunity opens—a doctor she idolizes is marrying an old friend of hers in Germany. Felicity believes if she could meet this man he could change her future, but she has no money of her own to make the trip. Luckily, a mysterious young woman is willing to pay Felicity’s way, so long as she’s allowed to travel with Felicity disguised as her maid.

In spite of her suspicions, Felicity agrees, but once the girl’s true motives are revealed, Felicity becomes part of a perilous quest that leads them from the German countryside to the promenades of Zurich to secrets lurking beneath the Atlantic.

WWW Wednesday: 3rd July 2019

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.

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?

Currently ReadingAnd Then She Vanishes

Wow, I can’t believe we’re into July already. This has been such a quick year. Anyway, I started reading Then She Vanishes by Claire Douglas at the weekend and made some really good progress with it. Unfortunately this progress came to a bit of a halt on Monday when I discovered my commute to work would be by replacement bus service rather than train. I get travel sick if I try to read on a bus (or car, or plane) and my commute is now three times as long so it’s proving difficult to get much reading done. It has been a great read so far so fingers crossed I can find some time to devote to it.

Recently Finished

Two books finished again this week, both very different reads but both enjoyable.

The Binding99% Mine

  • The Binding by Bridget Collins – Have to confess I picked this up largely because of the cover, I’m not sure I even read the blurb, but thankfully this turned out to be good decision as I loved it. It wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be, it’s more of a love story than a fantasy, but the writing and descriptions are wonderful and the central concept of being able to remove memories and bind them into books is brilliant.
  • 99% Mine by Sally Thorne – As someone who absolutely loved The Hating Game this was one of my most anticipated reads of this year but after seeing a few not so great reviews I’d been putting it off. I couldn’t however resist when it popped up on NetGalley and read the whole thing in pretty much a day. It’s a very different book, with very different characters from The Hating Game but it had to be and I loved it. I think I just really liked main character Darcy and found her very relateable. The romance could have had a bit more heat but the whole thing just made me so emotional I couldn’t not adore it.

Reading NextThe Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy (Montague Siblings, #2)

I finally got around to posting my Summer TBR at the weekend so I feel like I should maybe try to stick to it for at least the next week or so 🙂 Despite this however it is looking likely that my next read will be The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy (which is not on my TBR) as I got it on Libby and it’s due back in a few days.

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 ❤