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?

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Currently Reading

I started reading The Mermaid by Christina Henry on Sunday evening but have to confess I haven’t made a huge amount of progress with it so far. I am going to see Henry, Victoria Schwab and Sarah Maria Griffin on Thursday night so I was kind of hoping I’d be further through but I’ve got an hour or two on the train tomorrow so hopefully I’ll make some good progress. What I have read I have enjoyed, there’s something very fairytale like about the writing, so I am looking forward to reading more.

On audio I’ve been listening to The Princess Bride by William Goldman and it is making me so happy. It does seem to be an abridged version which is a little disappointing but I absolutely love this book (and the film) so I’m not too upset. It’s still got most of the classic lines and the narrator, Rob Reiner, while not really doing much in the way of voices, does tell a pretty good story. It is making me want to track down the film and maybe read the book again (and again, and again). Inconceivable!!!

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Recently Finished

I overdid things a bit last week as a result of trying to work crazy hours, attending author events and other stuff so needless to say my anxiety flared at the weekend and my system went into meltdown (not good). On the plus side it kind of forced me to just stop and take things easy which meant lots of reading, watching movies and sleeping. I’ve therefore managed to finish three books, the first of which was  To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo.

I really liked this Little Mermaid based YA fantasy. There are a lot of little nods to the Disney version of the story, which made me smile, but this is a much darker take on it. Lira, the Ariel of the story, is a siren and daughter of the Sea Queen/ Sea Witch. She takes great joy in literally ripping the hearts out of princes. Elian is a Prince who hunts sirens to protect his kingdom (and the hearts of the other Princes). When Lira upsets her mother she is turned into a human and has to steal Elian’s heart or lose her life but can she get close enough to him and if she does get to know him will she be able to kill him. I loved how violent and dark this was and really liked the relationship between Lira and Elian but there’s something holding me back from loving the whole thing. Maybe it’s just a little too predictable (I felt like I’d read it before) or maybe it’s just my other recent reads have had so much more depth that this couldn’t compare but it didn’t wow me.

The second book finished this week was Spare and Found Parts by Sarah Maria Griffin. It’s a kind of dystopian sci fi take on Frankenstein and tells the story of Nell Crane, the girl with a clockwork heart who decides to build an android from some parts she finds. I had some mixed feelings on this one in the beginning but it really grew on me. I was very sympathetic towards Nell and loved her as a character but there’s just something questionable about building a person as a companion for yourself. Like the original story it raises questions over what makes you human/alive and whether anyone has the right to create life for their own selfish reasons.

The third book finished was Matt Haig’s Notes on a Nervous Planet which I’d picked up from the library. It’s about how the changes in the world, which seem to be happening at a rapidly increasing rate, are responsible for an increase in stress, anxiety and other mental (and consequently physical) illnesses. I wouldn’t necessarily say that there’s much we haven’t already heard but Haig gathers all of the different theories and stories together in a very compelling and easy to understand way.

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Reading Next

I was hoping I’d be able to read Vicious by V.E. Schwab before I see her at the event tomorrow night but not sure I’ll have the time. If I don’t manage to start it tomorrow I think it’ll be going on the back burner for a bit so I can switch back to the mountain of ARCs I have waiting to be read. I feel like I really need a break from sci fi and fantasy (and mermaid stories in particular) for a bit so I think I’m going to try and pick up The Miseducation of Cameron Post next. I did however get approved for Tessa Dare’s latest book at the end of last week so there’s a fair possibility I’ll ditch everything and read it instead 🙂

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 ❤

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 reading To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo on Sunday evening and as I’m writing this (Tuesday lunchtime) I’m around 80% of the way through and really enjoying it. It’s very little mermaid-ish but a bit more bloodthirsty which I’m loving but I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s going to be a favourite.

I’m going to see the author tonight where she’s taking part on a panel on YA sci fi and fantasy along with Elizabeth May and Sasha Alsberg.

I’m also still working my way (very slowly) through Why We Sleep by Matthew P. Walker. I’ve never been very good at getting enough sleep as I’ve picked up the worst bits from both my mum (waking up at 4am) and my dad (staying up way later than I should watching crap telly). I’m hoping this may help me get into some better habits.

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Recently Finished

I’ve had a brilliant reading week mostly thanks to a weekend of doing very little (I took a break from the whole house hunting thing) and managed to finish three books. The first of these was In Bloom by C.J. Skuse which I’d received from NetGalley. It’s the sequel to Sweetpea and the best way I can find to describe it is as a combination of Dexter and Bridget Jones. It’s got that diary type format and follows the day to day life of MC Rhiannon, her relationships with family and friends, flirtations and brutal and bloody murders. It’s pretty dark and twisted but very, very funny. This time Rhiannon’s pregnant so there’s also all of the horror of that too 🙂

After In Bloom I picked up A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers. I started it when I woke up on Saturday morning and had it finished by mid afternoon. I just loved it so much I couldn’t put it down. It’s a follow up to The Long Way to a Small and Angry Planet but is more of a companion to it rather than a sequel as it has a different setting and characters. Like it’s predecessor it’s a bit of a slow burner but I did really love the characters and there were some parts which absolutely broke my heart. I posted a teaser from it yesterday and honestly just flipping through the pages made me all emotional.

The final book finished this week was Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig. I’d been slowly working my way through this for a while (I was worried it’d be triggering) but decided on Sunday morning just to sit (or that should probably be lie in bed) and read it. It’s kind of difficult to describe as it’s a kind of mixture of self help and memoir but it did make for fascinating reading and Haig is wonderfully honest and open about his experiences of anxiety and depression. It’s not prescriptive, there are no fix all cures but rather an acknowledgement that everyone is different but you are not alone in how you’re feeling. It left me feeling pretty positive and upbeat.

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Reading Next

The third book in the Wayfarers series, Record of a Spaceborn Few, came out yesterday so I’m very tempted to read that but I’ve got another author event on the 2nd August in Edinburgh and haven’t read any books by two of the authors. Next up therefore will be the The Mermaid and Spare and Found Parts. My reading is feeling a little heavy on the sci fi and fantasy at the moment so I may also try to sneak a little romance in too with Challenge Accepted.

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 ❤

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?

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Currently Reading

I started reading In Bloom by C.J. Skuse on Monday but haven’t made a lot of progress as I haven’t had much reading time. Skuse is one of my fave authors and I’ve been looking forward to this one as it’s the sequel to Sweetpea which I read and very much enjoyed last year. Hopefully I’ll manage to find a bit more time to really get into it.

As well as In Bloom I’m still dipping in and out of Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig and I also picked up Why We Sleep by Matthew P. Walker from the library and have been reading bits of it too. Both are fascinating reads but I do tend to be a little slower with non fiction.

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Recently Finished

Technically I finished The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang last week but as I had it still sitting in my currently reading I think it’s fine to put it here this week (plus this section’s looking a bit thin). It also gives me another chance to talk about how much I loved this gender switched version of Pretty Woman (I really need to write a proper review at some point). It’s just funny, sweet, very enlightening and also one of those books that make you smile. It’s not perfect but I found the very few flaws easy to overlook.

The other book finished this week was The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. I’m going to see Becky Chambers on the 24th so thought it was probably a good idea to read at least one of her books before then 🙂 I have a general wariness of all things sci fi but I ended up absolutely loving this. It reminded me a bit of my fave sci fi TV shows Firefly or Star Trek as it follows a mixed species crew as they make their way across the galaxy on a job. They have a few incidents along the way but I felt this book was less about the story and more about the characters.

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Reading Next

I kind of want to keep going with the Wayfarers series so I think I’ll probably be picking up A Closed and Common Orbit next, I just need to buy it first. I also need to make a start on The Falconer by Elizabeth May and To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo as there’s another author event I’m going to on the 25th where both authors are appearing.

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 ❤

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 reading Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig at the weekend and am making fairly steady progress with it. As it’s the true story of how Haig managed to get his depression and anxiety under control, I’ve been a bit wary about reading it in case it triggers my anxiety (sometimes just thinking about a panic attack can cause one for me). I’ve therefore just been reading a chapter or two at a time before switching to fiction. It is very good though and I’m loving both how open and honest Haig is and the way he works facts and science in throughout.

As I’ve only been dipping in and out of Reasons To Stay Alive I’ve also been reading The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. It’s kind of a gender switched version of Pretty Woman where main character Stella hires a male escort to help her figure out how to do a relationship as she is autistic. I have to confess I finished this late last night as I loved it so much I couldn’t put it down. The relationship between Stella and Michael was just the sweetest thing ever.

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Recently Finished

Another slower reading week as I’ve been trying to get my flat cleared so I can put it on the market. I did however manage to finish a couple of books, the first of which was Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence and OMG I loved this book. It’s the second in the trilogy but there’s definitely no middle book syndrome going on as I thought it was so much better than Red Sister. It’s absolutely packed with action and so many twists and turns but what I loved the most is the way it moved the story forward. There is so much character development and a few of the minor characters are really given the chance to shine.

The second book finished this week was The End We Start From by Megan Hunter. I don’t know what it was about this book but ever since I heard about it I wanted to read it, despite seeing some rather mixed reviews. At not much over 100 pages it is a very quick read and there isn’t much in the way of details or description but it still somehow manages to make a big impact. The prose is very lyrical and just beautiful to read, even if it’s so sparse it becomes frustrating at times trying to work out what’s going on in the wider world.

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Reading Next

Despite a lot of temptation in the form of Ilona Andrews new book I’m trying really hard to stick to my Summer TBR. I have a buddy read of The Power starting on the 15th so that will definitely be up soon. I also have a couple of author events in a couple of weeks, the first being Becky Chambers and the other a YA fantasy panel discussion, so I should probably read some of their books. I read a few pages of The Falconer at the weekend so think it’ll be up first followed by The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet

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 ❤

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?

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Currently Reading

I started reading Grey Sister, the second book in Mark Lawrence’s Book of the Ancestor series on Monday morning and am currently around quarter of the way through. Not sure if it’s because a lot of the world building and character intro’s are out of the way but I’ve found this one so much easier to get into than the previous book. I also really love that the author had a few pages before the start of the book recapping what happened. I only finished Red Sister about a week or so ago but I still found it helped me a lot. Very excited to see where this story is going to go but I’m a little worried I’m going to have a wait for the third and final book.

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Recently Finished

Have to admit it’s been a bit of a slow reading week for me as a result of things getting busier at work, house hunting and hot weather causing lots of travel problems. I did however manage to finish a couple of short books, the first of which was  If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura. This just looked like such a quirky and cute read and it’s so rare to find books translated from Japanese (or maybe that’s just me) that I couldn’t resist even though it’s not out till September. I will admit that I wasn’t sure about it at the start, and I think there may be some issues with the translation, but by the end it had sucked me in completely and left me a big blubbering mess.

Given the emotional trauma of this book (combined with not being able to get my kindle working) I went for more of a popcorn type read with Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu which I’d gotten from the library ages ago. This was my first book by Lu and while it didn’t exactly wow me, it was an okay-ish read that passed some time and didn’t require much thinking (or any emotional trauma). Probably a good palate cleanser but I have to admit it didn’t make me want to rush out and read more of Lu’s books.

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Reading Next

I posted my Summer TBR at the weekend so I’m going to try and stick to it for the moment. I think Grey Sister is probably going to take me a bit of time to finish but if I do I think next up will be The End We Start From by Megan Hunter followed by The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden, both of which I got from the library. Or I may end up going for The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

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 ❤

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?

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Currently Reading

I spied If Cats Disappeared from the World on NetGalley on Monday and it had such a weird title and cute cover I couldn’t resist requesting and starting immediately. I’ve been trying to read a lot more widely so it’s great to find a book by a Japanese author and it has such an unusual premise being about a man who makes a deal with the devil. I think there are a few little issues around the translation but so far I’m enjoying it and it seems like it’s going to be a quick read. I am however a bit worried about the cat 🙂

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Recently Finished

The first book finished this week was Red Sister by Mark Lawrence. This was one of those books I’d bought ages ago but never got around to reading. I did however receive the follow up from NetGalley so that gave me the little push to finally pick it up. I will admit I found it a little difficult to get into in the beginning (something that’s pretty common with me and fantasy) but it really builds to an exciting conclusion.

After a certain someone commented last week that all of my reads seemed a bit dark and lacking in romance I decided I should really rectify that and went a hunting on Overdrive where I found adult romance Alpha by Jasinda Wilder. It was a little heavy on the sex scenes but a quick read and perfect for clearing the reading palate. Not sure I enjoyed enough to finish the series but maybe.

Third and final book finished this week was an ARC of That’s Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger. It’s set three years after a school shooting and reveals the real stories from the survivors and how the truth isn’t necessarily what others want to hear. It’s a difficult topic and isn’t the easiest of reads at times as while it’s three years later they’re still struggling but it’s very relevant right now and demonstrates so well just how emotive the issues can be and how the human side of it is often forgotten about while everyone keeps trying to get their message across.

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Reading Next

I’m planning to start Grey Sister the sequel to Red Sister this weekend as I’m doing it as a buddy read from the 1st July. It was nice to have a bit of a break from the series but I am looking forward to getting back into it. A couple of library book holds also came in, The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden and Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella, so I should really be picking them up soon too.

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 ❤

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?

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Currently Reading

I started Red Sister by Mark Lawrence on Monday morning and while I struggled a little in the beginning I’m now around a third of the way through and really enjoying it. It’s a lot different from what I was expecting but the writing is great and I’m loving main character Nona.

No real progress on my audiobook Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. It’s not that I haven’t been liking it but I’ve not been doing a lot of driving and when I have I’ve been in more of a music mood. I may end up just switching to the book.

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Recently Finished

The first book finished this week was Inferno by Julie Kagawa, the fifth and final book in the Talon series. I’d been looking forward to this for a while and it did not disappoint. Action packed from pretty much the very start, epic battles, more than a few deaths and a little bit of romance it was certainly a fitting conclusion to what has been a really great series.

After Inferno my library hold on King’s Rising by C.S. Pacat came in so, as yet another final book in a series that I’ve been keen to read as soon as possible, I couldn’t resist reading immediately and finished within a few hours. I didn’t love quite as much as the previous book in the trilogy, I think due to it being bigger in scale, but again it was a fitting conclusion and had some really gripping moments.

The third and final book read this week was An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena which I’d received from NetGalley. This isn’t out for a month or so but sounded like just the type of book I was in the mood for and it turned out to be the perfect choice. It’s about a group of strangers trapped in a hotel by a snow storm. First the roads are blocked, then the power and phone lines go down and then someone discovers a body suggesting there may be a killer among them. It reminded me a lot of And Then There Were None. Lots of twists and surprises and some genuinely creepy moments. I pretty much read the whole thing in one sitting.

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Reading Next

I’m not entirely sure what’ll be up next but I think there’s a fair chance I’ll continue the Book of the Ancestor series with Grey Sister, assuming I enjoy Red Sister as much as I hope. An Unwanted Guest has also got me thinking I want to read more thrillers and murder mysteries so I may also pick up You Were Made For This or Your Closest Friend, both of which are ARCs.

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 ❤

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?

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Currently Reading

My library hold on Inferno by Julie Kagawa came in at the weekend literally right after I’d finished a book so I started it immediately. This is the fifth and final book in the Talon series so it’s one that’s been on my want to read list for a while. I’m maybe around a third of the way through and so far really enjoying it. There’s been a lot of action and Kagawa isn’t typically an author who shies away from killing off major characters so I’m expecting a real edge of the seat and possibly devastating conclusion.

On audio I’m still listening to Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. I have to confess I haven’t made much progress in the last week mostly because I lost my place when it started playing by itself on my phone. I have no idea how long it was going before I noticed (I keep headphones plugged in after similar issues with Call Me By Your Name) so I’m going to have to skim back and forward to figure out where I’d gotten to. I was enjoying it so I should probably just do it but I’m being a bit lazy.

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Recently Finished

The first book finished last week was Smoke in the Sun by Renee Ahdieh. This was the second part of the Flame in the Mist duology and I was so looking forward to reading it but I’m afraid to say it was a little on the disappointing side. I do love the author’s writing and the world building is wonderful but I found it difficult to care about the story or the characters. It took me a while to remember the events and characters from the first book and there just seemed to be a little too much going on for me to connect to it. The ending in particular was a bit of a let down as it was just so rushed. It’s so frustrating as I think it could have been fantastic.

The second book finished was Sarah Morgan’s How to Keep a Secret which I’d received from NetGalley. I’m a big fan of Sarah Morgan’s books and am always on the lookout for a new one but was warned that this would be a little bit different from her usual. It’s certainly a little less of a romance and a lot heavier on the family relationships and drama featuring as it does three generations of women but I really enjoyed it. It kind of felt like a natural progression from her and it still has enough romance in it that I doubt her fans will be disappointed.

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Reading Next

I’m currently trying to come up with my reading list for the Summer TBR Wipeout hosted by Candid Cover which will have all of the ARCs on my list as well as some books I should really read before author events (Matt Haig & Philip Pullman!!!!!) but over the next week or so I’m hoping to start Red Sister and In Bloom. Red Sister I’m reading as part of a structured group read over on Goodreads so the start date for that will be on or around the 16th. In Bloom, I received from NetGalley and kinda just want to read as soon as possible as I love C.J. Skuse 🙂

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 ❤

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?

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Currently Reading

Both Spinning Silver and The Count of Monte Cristo are kind of on hold for the moment while I try to get out from under the mountain of ARCs I currently seem to be buried in. It’s safe to say my resolution not to request too many is not going well but I can’t complain as there are a lot I’ve been really looking forward to.

The first of which is current read Smoke in the Sun by Renée Ahdieh. This is the sequel to Flame in the Mist and one I’ve been eagerly anticipating. I only started it on Monday night and I have to admit I had kind of forgotten some of the events (and character names) from the previous book but I do love Ahdieh’s writing and it’s very easy to immerse yourself in the world.

On audio I’ve started listening to Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater which as well as being an oldie (first published in 2009) is also my first book by Stiefvater, shocking I know. I’ve actually had this book on my kindle for ages but there was always something else I ended up reading first. When I spied it on Overdrive though it seemed like the perfect opportunity and so far I am very much enjoying it. It is a bit of a throwback to the Twilight style YA paranormal romance but I loved Twilight and the narration is pretty good. I only started it on Monday and am already about 3 hours in.

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Recently Finished

I can finally give myself a pat on the back this week for finishing one of those books that’s been sitting on my reading next list for the past couple of weeks, Us Against You by Fredrik Backman. I’d been looking forward to this given my love for its predecessor Beartown but was also a little nervous it wouldn’t be as good. Thankfully Backman didn’t let me down and it felt like returning to a place and characters I knew very well. The character development is wonderful and there are some brilliant new characters (the new hockey coach was my favourite) who I quickly came to care about. I think if you enjoyed Beartown you’ll enjoy this.

Unfortunately progress with my reading plan then went completely off course when I discovered I could join Edinburgh libraries (because clearly I don’t have enough books and need to be a member of three county libraries) and got overly excited at their ebook collection. So many new releases I’ve been looking forward to (many holds have been put on) but also some older books that I’ve wanted to read forever but couldn’t justify buying. One of which was Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat. As soon as I saw it I had to read it and 24 hours later I’d finished both it and sequel Prince’s Gambit. Thankfully there’s a wait list for book 3 or I’m sure I would have finished it too.

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Reading Next

I’m getting a little bit fantasy’d out so I think my next read will probably be either a romance or a thriller from the selection below.

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 ❤