WWW Wednesday: 12th April 2017

April 12, 2017April 11, 2017 Ali@abookishlife24 Comments

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

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

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

Currently Reading

I’ve finally started Last Breath by Robert Bryndza, woohoo!! This is the fourth in his Detective Erika Foster series and a book I’ve been looking forward to since finishing the previous one in the series.

Very early days, I’m only a few chapters in but so far so good and I’ve seen some incredible reviews for it so I have high hopes.

Recently Finished

First book finished this week was The Cornish Escape by Lily Graham which I received from NetGalley. The story is about a woman who, after her husband admits to having an affair, escapes to a village on the Cornish coast. While out for a walk one day she discovers a derelict cottage hidden away near the cliffs. Curious about it and all of the local rumours about a curse she begins to dig into its past.

This was somewhat different from the light and fluffy romance I was expecting but I really enjoyed the mystery around the cottage. My biggest gripe was the ending which left me feeling very frustrated. You can read my full review here. Saint Death

The second book finished this week was Saint Death by Marcus Sedgwick, which was another NetGalley pick. It’s about two guys who live near the Mexico/America border and end up on the bad side of one of the gangs. They have 36 hours to find a lot of money or they’ll likely end up dead.

Have to admit to having very mixed views on this one. For the most part I liked the story, the writing was good and there are some brilliant scenes but I found the whole thing a little slow and difficult to focus on. It’s not the easiest of topics to read but is probably worth sticking with. Review should be up later this week.

Reading Next

OK I have to confess that last week I got distracted by 13 Reasons Why on Netflix (watch it if you get a chance) but this week I’m hoping to get a bit more reading in particularly over the Easter weekend. Next up from the NetGalley shelf will most likely be Want You Gone by Chris Brookmyre and A Dark so Deadly by Stuart MacBride (my two favourite Scottish crime authors). I also have Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor so I’m still hoping to squeeze it in somewhere.

In other news I discovered a new real life book club the pick for which is Anatomy of a Soldier by Harry Parker. Initially when I heard it was a story told by a series of objects I kind of thought “oh no!!!” but having listened to a bit of the audio I’m actually kind of excited about it. I managed to get a copy of the book from the library but I’m thinking I may try and get the audio instead.

A Dark So Deadly Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer, #1) Want You Gone (Jack Parlabane, #8) Anatomy of a Soldier

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

Happy Wednesday Everyone!!!

Teaser Tuesday: 11th April 2017

April 11, 2017April 10, 2017 Ali@abookishlife1 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 Saint Death by Marcus Sedgwick which I received from NetGalley. I’m around halfway through and while I’m liking the writing and it has had some very tense and gripping scenes I have to admit I’m not finding it the easiest read. I think it’s the subject matter but also I feel like it jumps around a lot rather than just telling the story.

My Teaser

And is it better, Arturo has wondered, to be a fly who spends the whole of its short life banging against a closed window, buzzing crazy, buzzing, buzzing until its life runs out and it drops to the windowsill, slowly twitching, or to be a fly who finds an opening, a gap in the window frame, and flies out to who knows where? Who knows what?

~ 7% Saint Death by Marcus Sedgwick

Blurb

A potent, powerful and timely thriller about migrants, drug lords and gang warfare set on the US/Mexican border by prize-winning novelist, Marcus Sedgwick.

Anapra is one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the Mexican city of Juarez – twenty metres outside town lies a fence – and beyond it – America – the dangerous goal of many a migrant. Faustino is one such trying to escape from the gang he’s been working for. He’s dipped into a pile of dollars he was supposed to be hiding and now he’s on the run. He and his friend, Arturo, have only 36 hours to replace the missing money, or they’re as good as dead. Watching over them is Saint Death. Saint Death (or Santissima Muerte) – she of pure bone and charcoal-black eye, she of absolute loyalty and neutral morality, holy patron to rich and poor, to prostitute and narco-lord, criminal and police-chief. A folk saint, a rebel angel, a sinister guardian.

Review: The Cornish Escape by Lily Graham

April 6, 2017 Ali@abookishlife4 Comments

The Cornish Escape by Lily Graham

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Cornish Escape was my first book by Lily Graham and, in the best possible way, was completely different from what I thought it would be. I was expecting a light and fluffy beach romance but, while there are in fact two romances, what really captivated me was the mystery. There’s something very haunting about it in places and I loved the authors writing style. It drew me in completely and I found it very difficult to put it down

It has also convinced me that I absolutely must run away to Cornwall.

WWW Wednesday: 5th April 2017

April 5, 2017April 4, 2017 Ali@abookishlife15 Comments

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

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

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

Currently Reading

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

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

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

Recently Finished

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

Blacklist (Beautiful Idols #2) The next book finished was Blacklist by Alyson Noel which is the second in the Beautiful Idols trilogy and a book I received from NetGalley. The series is suspense/mystery about a group of teens who get mixed up in the club promotion and celebrity scene in Hollywood.

I read the first book around this time last year and really enjoyed but I think this one was better. Someone is missing and someone is being accused of their murder so there are a few twists and turns as they investigate what happened. It’s easy and kind of addictive reading but finished on a cliffhanger which is very frustrating. Swan Lake (Timeless Fairy Tales, #7)

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

Reading Next

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

Last Breath (Detective Erika Foster, #4) Saint Death A Dark So Deadly Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer, #1)

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

Happy Wednesday Everyone!!!

Review: Blacklist by Alyson Noel

April 4, 2017 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

Blacklist by Alyson Noel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Blacklist, the second book in Alyson Noel’s Beautiful Idol’s series is even more addictive than the first. It’s a fast paced and enjoyable read and there are plenty of reveals and twists to keep you hooked. With another cliffhanger ending I will definitely be looking out for the third and final book in this trilogy.

Note as this is the second in the series there are some spoilers for the first book.

Teaser Tuesday: 4th April 2017

April 4, 2017April 3, 2017 Ali@abookishlife8 Comments

This week my teaser comes from More Than This by Patrick Ness. I first read this last year but it’s been picked (by me) as our next book club read (I had 10 mins to pick and had a bit of a panic) so I’m re reading. I love Ness so it’s not really a hardship and it’s well timed as he’s doing a book tour next month (which I’m ridiculously excited about).

My Teaser

Whatever happened to you down there, whatever the world looks like now, that’s not how it always looks. That’s not how it’s always going to look. There’s more. There’s always more.

~ 63% More Than This by Patrick Ness

Blurb

A boy drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments. He dies.

Then he wakes, naked and bruised and thirsty, but alive.

How can this be? And what is this strange deserted place?

As he struggles to understand what is happening, the boy dares to hope. Might this not be the end? Might there be more to this life, or perhaps this afterlife?

Review: Paris for One and Other Stories by Jojo Moyes

March 29, 2017 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

Paris for One and Other Stories by Jojo Moyes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m generally not a fan of short stories, they’re far too short, so why I decided to pick up this collection is probably a fair question. The answer was very simple, Jojo Moyes. I absolutely love Jojo Moyes writing and think I have read pretty much every book she’s written. I was therefore very curious to see what she would do with the shorter format. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been really let down by a favorite authors attempt at a short story but thankfully Moyes didn’t disappoint.Read More »

WWW Wednesday: 29th March 2017

March 29, 2017March 28, 2017 Ali@abookishlife22 Comments

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

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

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

Currently Reading

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

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

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

Recently Finished

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

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

Endings (King Arthurs and Her Knights, #7) My next book finished, Endings by K.M. Shea, was also a light and really enjoyable read. It’s the seventh and final book in her King Arthur and her Knights series and a book I feel like I’ve been waiting on for ages. It’s a retelling of King Arthur and the Knights of the round table but in this story the real Arthur doesn’t want to be king so runs off with a shepherdess leaving Merlin to pull American teen Britt Arthurs from the future to take his place.

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

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

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

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

Reading Next

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

Legion (Talon, #4) Last Breath (Detective Erika Foster, #4) He Said/She Said The Cornish Escape Wintersong And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga, #1) The Crown's Game (The Crown's Game, #1) Guardian (Proxy, #2)

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

Happy Wednesday Everyone!!!

Teaser Tuesday: 28th March 2017

March 28, 2017March 26, 2017 Ali@abookishlife19 Comments

This week my teaser comes from Paris for One and Other Stories by Jojo Moyes which I received from NetGalley. I love Jojo Moyes so I’m really enjoying this collection from her. So far I’m only around halfway through but I absolutely adored novella Paris for One and would recommend this collection for that story alone.

My Teaser

Nell’s mother, Lilian, was fond of telling anyone who would listen that Nell was ‘not the adventurous type’. She was also ‘not the type to travel’, ‘not the kind of girl who can rely on her looks’, and now, occasionally, if her mother thought Nell was out of earshot, ‘no spring chicken’.

~ 2% Paris for One and Other Stories by Jojo Moyes

Blurb

From the #1 “New York Times” bestselling author of “Me Before You” and “After You,” a sensational collection featuring the title novella and eight other stories. Quintessential Jojo Moyes, “Paris for One and Other Stories” is an irresistibly romantic collection filled with humor and heart.

Nell is twenty-six and has never been to Paris. She’s never even been on a romantic weekend away to anywhere before. Everyone knows travelling abroad isn’t really her thing. But when Nell’s boyfriend fails to show up for their romantic mini-vacation, she has the opportunity to prove everyone including herself wrong. Alone and in Paris, Nell uncovers a version of herself she never knew existed: independent and intrepid. Could this turn out to be the most adventurous weekend of her life?

Funny, charming, and irresistible, “Paris for One”is vintage Moyes as are the other stories that round out the collection.”

ARC Review: Spring at Blueberry Bay by Holly Martin

March 26, 2017March 26, 2017 Ali@abookishlife6 Comments

Spring at Blueberry Bay by Holly Martin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Funny and sweet romance. This put a big ginormous smile on my face and made a cold and miserable day so much brighter.

When I spied this on Netgalley I couldn’t resist requesting as it sounded like just the type of book I was in need of. Having read some heavy and kind of depressing books I was looking for something light, fluffy and romantic to get me out of a slump so this seemed like the perfect choice. From the very pretty cover to the enticing blurb this was definitely a story that appealed and it didn’t let me down.