Book Review: Flawed by Cecelia Ahern

March 28, 2016 Ali@abookishlife5 Comments

Flawed by Cecelia Ahern

My rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars

Flawed? Maybe a little, but it’s still a bloomin good read.

I’ve been a big fan of Cecelia Ahern for years and would count some of her previous books (PS I Love You & How to Fall in Love) among my all time favorites. Flawed however marks her first venture into the YA dystopian genre and I have to say that while I was so excited to read it I was also a little bit nervous. A lot of the time authors struggle when they venture into new territory but this is most definitely not the case here.

The YA dystopia market is pretty cluttered at the moment, with a new must read series out more or less every week (I have to say it’s one of my favorite genres) but in this case the author has managed to create a book that really stands out from the rest.

It has a fascinating and believable premise, is very well written (although I wouldn’t expect anything less) and had me gripped throughout. I’d meant to read it over the course of a week but ended up ditching all of my other commitments and plans to finish it within 2 days (would have been quicker but I do really need to go to work).

Synopsis

The story was actually somewhat different from what I was expecting from the blurb. I thought it was going to be about being externally flawless and genetic engineering but it goes a lot deeper than that. It’s set in a country where due to the corrupt and unethical activities of bankers and politicians (sound familiar) the world went into financial crisis resulting in civic unrest.

Fearful of a recurrence, the country where main character Celestine lives came up with the solution of introducing a new form of society and a new court system (the Guild). The purpose of the Guild is to identify those who are flawed, and by that they mean those who are morally or ethically flawed. There remains a separate legal system for criminal offences so this judges purely on ethics with punishment for things such as committing adultery, taking too many risks at work or making bad decisions.

If you’re found to be flawed, you’re branded with a letter F (reminiscent of the Scarlet Letter) which you must display at all times. Those with the brand are treated as second class citizens, shunned by the rest of society, subject to curfews, career limitations and innumerable other rules.

17 year old Celestine has lived her whole life by the rules. She’s the perfect daughter, perfect student, with the perfect boyfriend and wants nothing more than to fit in. However when a neighbor and family friend is suddenly apprehended and found to be flawed Celestine starts to wonder about the fairness of the system. This leads to a mistake on her journey to school which could lead to her being found flawed.

Thoughts

I thought the authors idea of the whole flawed justice system was very clever. There are a lot of references to current day events (the financial crisis, increased regulation and even reality TV) but there are also historical references such as the segregation that took place in the apartheid system. If I didn’t believe politicians were too corrupt and have too much power to prevent it I could actually see it happening. This whole idea was probably the most fascinating part of the book for me. The idea that certain people could judge what was morally acceptable and what was not was always going to be open to manipulation and corruption and that is what happens here.

It’s interesting to watch Celestine in particular going from the poster child and biggest supporter of the system to beginning to question it and inadvertently falling foul of it. For this reason she starts the book as an irritating goody two shoes but develops and grows over the course of the story into a much more likeable character. I did think she read a little bit young for her age (she seemed more 14 than 17) and was ridiculously naive and gullible at times but despite me regularly screaming at her not to be so stupid (in my head rather than out loud) I somehow ended up supporting her. Yes she over reacts and doesn’t always give people a chance to explain but she’s a teenager so what can you say 🙂

There’s quite a diverse mix of other characters in the book, the majority of which were also fascinating to read. Particular highlights were Pia Wang (a journalist), her mother (a supermodel) and her grandfather whose motives aren’t always too easy to judge. The weakest character in my opinion was actually her boyfriend Art. He’s the head Guild Judge’s son and the boy next door (actually across the street) but I found him a little bit on the dull side and couldn’t quite see the attraction. There is a little bit of the insta love thing going on but it doesn’t really get bogged down in the whole romance side when there are much bigger things going on.

The story itself is pretty fast paced and I found it completely addictive reading. I should add a warning that there are a few fairly graphic, violent and abusive scenes that some might find a bit much but I absolutely loved them (not sure what that says about me). I was on the edge of my seat thinking “no, that can’t possibly happen”. If I was someone who bites their nails I probably wouldn’t have any left.

Overall, while it does have it’s flaws, they are few and and pretty minor. I would definitely recommend giving it a try. Personally I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy. Flawed is out now.

Book Review: Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben

March 27, 2016March 26, 2016 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Not too sure what to think about this book after THAT ending. I was fully prepared to give it three stars as a kind of average thriller but now I’m not so sure. I can’t decide if I loved the ending or hated it but it was definitely unexpected and the author certainly fooled me at least once.

It’s worth a read for that alone.

Synopsis

The story starts with former special ops pilot Maya and her 2 year old daughter at the funeral of her husband Joe. Joe was murdered two weeks ago in front of Maya. This is the second tragedy in Maya’s life as her sister was also killed around 4 months ago. Feeling a little bit vulnerable she agrees to install a nanny cam in her home to keep an eye on her daughter while she works. A few days later though she sees something she really doesn’t expect, her daughter sitting on the lap of her husband. It’s not possible or is it? She knows if she tells anyone they’ll think she’s crazy so she starts her own investigation.

Thoughts

I’ve read a few Harlan Coben books in the past (my Dad is a big fan) and found them to be pretty enjoyable although not necessarily stand out reads. When I saw the title and read the blurb for this one though I couldn’t wait to get me hands on it.

Pretty much from the start of this story I wasn’t too sure what to think about it and this feeling continued throughout. It’s an interesting idea, a supposedly dead man shows up on a nanny cam, did he fake his death somehow, is someone playing a game with Maya or is she really just crazy? For some reason however it didn’t quite work for me. There were quite a few things that just seemed a bit odd. The very first one being the way Maya is given a nanny cam by her best friend on the day of the funeral. It just seemed strange in terms of timing but also as the nanny had been working for them for a while and had a connection to the family.

The other thing that bothered me was Maya herself. Following a controversial incident from her service she’s somewhat infamous and is suffering from PTSD. She seems to miss being at war and is uncomfortable in regular life, only really relaxing when she’s at the gun range. While I couldn’t relate to her as a character what bothered me was that she seemed unaffected by everything. She doesn’t seem overly fussed about the fact her husband has been murdered and has a slightly strange relationship with her daughter. She wants to protect her but doesn’t seem to want to spend any time with her, preferring to pass her off to someone else whenever she can. A lot of her actions are a little on the odd side (the way she deals with her niece’s soccer coach springs to mind) and her reactions were a bit disturbing.

The other characters did seem like they could be interesting but I didn’t feel like they got enough attention. I would have liked to have seen a lot more of Shane, her former squad mate, as he seemed like an interesting character and his relationship with Maya was fascinating to read.

The story itself is quite twisty and does keep you guessing although at times I felt like the timing was a little bit off with too much time spent on certain aspects and not enough on others. There are a couple of subplots which I didn’t think added much to the story and I kind of skipped over a little. I will say though the author did manage to fool me and when the ending came it was certainly spectacular and somehow very emotional. It almost made up for the rest of the story and it certainly explained a lot.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy.

Book Review: Sleepless in Manhattan by Sarah Morgan

March 26, 2016 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

Sleepless in Manhattan by Sarah Morgan

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I was absolutely stunned to read the back of this book and find that Sarah Morgan has written 75 books. That is certainly impressive. What’s more impressive is that I still enjoy pretty much every one I read. I will admit I haven’t read all 75, probably more half a dozen, but she’s definitely one of my go to authors when I’m looking for a nice and easy romantic read for a lazy afternoon.

This book is no exception. It’s an enjoyable read, with great characters and a believable (at times sizzling) romance.

Synopsis

This story marks the start of a new trilogy set in New York and similar to her last Puffin Island series features three friends and their romantic entanglements. For this book center stage goes to Paige Walker. Paige spent her childhood in and out of hospital and now she’s pretty much all clear she’s determined to live life to the fullest and prove to everyone she can do it on her own.

She’s loving life in Manhattan and knows she’s a dead cert for promotion at work however her plans fall apart when instead she’s laid off. Unable to find another job she decides to go into business for herself but it’s a big risk for both her and those who depend on her.

She’s determined to go it alone but when things are slow to take off it looks like she’ll need some help. Unfortunately Jake Romano, her brothers best friend, seems like her best option but given their past he’s the last person she wants help from.

Thoughts

I think you can probably guess just from the synopsis how it all ends but I have to admit it’s an enjoyable journey. Yes the characters are a little bit stereotyped, yes a lot of it seems unrealistic (they all seem to live in huge apartments, Jake is a millionaire IT whiz), but who cares.

The author writes characters who are likeable and, one of the key things for me, these characters include a number of strong, independent, intelligent women. Almost every character male and female is of course stunningly attractive and there are a lot of troubled histories but you still can’t help rooting for them.

What I always like most about Ms Morgan’s books however is that she has a special talent for creating chemistry between the leads. There are far too many romances that fall flat because of that missing spark. Pretty much every book of hers I’ve read however has been a success on that level and this is no exception. There are some very definite fireworks between Paige and Jake.

The plot is a little bit on the predictable side but the writing is very readable and the pacing is pretty much spot on. I had a few little gripes here and there but nothing too major.

Unfortunately I don’t tend to find this type of book particularly memorable, hence the low-ish score but it was definitely enjoyable at the time.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy.

Book Review: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

March 25, 2016March 25, 2016 Ali@abookishlife5 Comments

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Heartbreaking, beautifully written and absolutely incredible. I loved it from start to finish.

“Stories are the wildest things of all, the monster rumbled. Stories chase and bite and hunt.”

I picked this up around 11pm one night, intending to read a few chapters before bed. Two hours later my eyelids were starting to droop but there was no way I was going to stop reading. It pulled me into the story completely and just wouldn’t let go. As soon as I finished I wanted to flip to the beginning and start again.

Synopsis (from GoodReads)

The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.

But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming…

This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.

My Thoughts

I’ve previously read the Chaos Walking trilogy and absolutely loved it but a lot of people had told me that A Monster Calls was by far Patrick Ness’s best work to date. I had my doubts, as I’m always suspicious of books with a lot of hype around them, but I have to say the hype is well deserved.

I managed to get a physical copy from the library and it’s definitely worth it if you can get your hands on one. Just holding it and flicking through the pages had me intrigued. The illustrations are beautiful and somehow add something to the story. They make it feel more like a fairytale which, in many ways, it is.

The story itself is captivating. While it is fantastical, it does give a very real and very honest portrayal of a boy whose mother has cancer. I think most people’s life has been touched by cancer or some other kind of long term illness so it’s easy to relate to the emotions that Conor experiences. There were many instances when I was reading with tears running down my face. He’s very much on his own, his father has moved overseas, he doesn’t get on with his Grandmother, his friends at school avoid him and his teachers pity him. To make matters worse he’s having nightmares and is afraid to sleep.

And then late one night the monster comes. I won’t go into the purpose of the monster to the story as it would give away too much but I will say that it was not at all what I expected and yet in many ways it was.

While it is a story about loss, guilt and letting go it is strangely uplifting. There is a very strong message of hope and love that runs through the story. While it did make me cry I also found myself regularly smiling and by the end felt somehow more positive about life. If nothing else it definitely makes you appreciative of what you have.

Patrick Ness’s writing is, as always, beautiful. He has this incredible ability to make the most fantastic and unbelievable things somehow very real and completely believable. I absolutely love how he describes things (and I’m not a fan of a lot of description) but I especially loved the dialogue. Some of the conversations between Conor and the monster are absolute genius.

It’s not a long book and it’s a YA book so it’s an easy read but somehow it feels packed full. I think it’s probably one of those books I’ll re read as I suspect there are things I missed and I want to know them all. It’s definitely a book I’d recommend to everyone.

I have to admit I’m also pretty excited about the film which is due for release this year.

Book Review: How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran

March 15, 2016March 15, 2016 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this book as while I’d heard of it I didn’t have a very clear idea what it was actually about. It’s safe to say the other reviews are fairly mixed. A lot of people love it and a lot of people complain that it’s a repeat of the authors previous book.

What I found though was a funny, sad and brutally honest story about growing up and working out who you want to be and what you want to do with your life. It’s probably not for the easily offended as there is a lot of swearing and sexual content (not the bodice ripping romance sort but the fumbling experimentation of a teenage girl) but I really loved it.

Synopsis (from GoodReads)

What do you do in your teenage years when you realize what your parents taught you wasn’t enough? You must go out and find books and poetry and pop songs and bad heroes—and build yourself.

It’s 1990. Johanna Morrigan, fourteen, has shamed herself so badly on local TV that she decides that there’s no point in being Johanna anymore and reinvents herself as Dolly Wilde—fast-talking, hard-drinking Gothic hero and full-time Lady Sex Adventurer. She will save her poverty-stricken Bohemian family by becoming a writer—like Jo in Little Women, or the Bröntes—but without the dying young bit.

By sixteen, she’s smoking cigarettes, getting drunk and working for a music paper. She’s writing pornographic letters to rock-stars, having all the kinds of sex with all kinds of men, and eviscerating bands in reviews of 600 words or less.

But what happens when Johanna realizes she’s built Dolly with a fatal flaw? Is a box full of records, a wall full of posters, and a head full of paperbacks, enough to build a girl after all?

Imagine The Bell Jar written by Rizzo from Grease. How to Build a Girl is a funny, poignant, and heartbreakingly evocative story of self-discovery and invention, as only Caitlin Moran could tell it.

Thoughts

I started reading it after one of those days (weeks, months) at work where you’re completely exhausted, feeling terrible and permanently on the brink of tears. I came home early (my boss insisted, that’s how bad I looked) climbed straight into bed and picked up this book which was lying beside it. After just a few pages I was giggling away and feeling so much brighter.

It probably reminded me a little bit of Adrian Mole’s Diary as, while it’s not actually in diary form (or about a boy…hmm, I’m starting to question the comparison), it’s a story about growing up, trying to fit in and finding love. It starts in the early 90’s in Wolverhampton and follows 14 year old Johanna Morrigan. Her parents are on the dole, her father’s an alcoholic wanna be musician and her mother has post natal depression after the latest birth (there are five children).

When Johanna accidentally says something to the wrong person she worries their benefits will be cut and they’ll have no money so she sets out to find a way to save them. Having a love of books and the library, she decides the only solution is to become a writer. When her initial attempts backfire spectacularly she comes to the conclusion she has to completely re invent herself. What follows is Johanna’s journey to discover who she is and who she wants to be.

A lot of it is very funny, some of her attempts to fit in are extremely cringe worthy and there are some moments that are a little bit heart breaking. I could definitely relate to a lot of the emotions if not necessarily Johanna’s actions. I worked out at some point that I’m almost the same age but I have to say that compared to her I’ve led a very sheltered life.

I thought Johanna was a very likeable character, a tiny bit annoying at times and not without flaws but I think most people are like that. Despite the outrageousness of some of her actions she always felt quite real and believable. I think I felt a little bit sorry for her most of the time as she seemed to shoulder a lot of the responsibility for her family and was always a bit of an outsider despite her best efforts to fit in.

I am obviously a romantic at heart as I have to admit my favourite parts involved a certain musician that she meets on her journey. She has the most incredible crush on him and while these are a lot of the most cringe inducing moments they are also, in some kind of weird, twisted way the sweetest.

There were a couple of points where I thought the pacing was a little off and too much time was spent on certain elements but other than that I thought the writing was pretty much spot on. I have seen some reviews criticising it for being very similar to some of her other books but haven’t read anything else so I can’t really comment. If you do want an idea of the sense of humour however you could try watching Raised by Wolves (link to IMDB) which she co writes with her sister. If you like it you’ll probably like this.

Overall, definitely a book I would recommend although possibly not one for the kids or the easily offended 🙂

Book Review: Golden Son by Pierce Brown

March 12, 2016March 11, 2016 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

So it’s safe to say I was not a big fan of Red Rising, the first book in this trilogy. I think I possibly described it as a rip off of The Hunger Games and Harry Potter (sorry Pierce Brown). It did have it’s moments but I just didn’t think it lived up to all of the hype that surrounded it. As a result it was probably at least a year before I talked myself into reading Golden Son and giving the trilogy another shot. I’m so glad I did.

Synopsis (from GoodReads)

With shades of The Hunger Games, Ender’s Game, and Game of Thrones, debut author Pierce Brown’s genre-defying epic Red Rising hit the ground running and wasted no time becoming a sensation.

Golden Son continues the stunning saga of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom from the overlords of a brutal elitist future built on lies. Now fully embedded among the Gold ruling class, Darrow continues his work to bring down Society from within.

A life-or-death tale of vengeance with an unforgettable hero at its heart, Golden Son guarantees Pierce Brown’s continuing status as one of fiction’s most exciting new voices.

Thoughts

For me Golden Son is a vast improvement on Red Rising. It’s absolutely crammed full of action from the very first page and the writing is incredible. I will admit to struggling a little at the start but I think that was mostly due to waiting so long to read it. I’d forgotten a lot of what happened in the first book so despite the helpful character list at the start was a little bit lost in terms of who was who and what their relationship to each other was.

Once I got around a third of the way through however, and most of the characters from the first book were reunited, I was hooked. While the first book is a lot like the Hunger Games this one feels a lot more like Game of Thrones (which I’ve watched rather than read). Different families and factions are competing to rule and are completely ruthless in their attempts to seize power. Alliances are formed and broken, enemies are forced to work together and anyone could be stabbed in the back at any opportunity.

Main character Darrow, a Red masquerading as a Gold is trying to navigate his way through it all. He’s got to protect his secret but somehow manoeuvre himself into a position where he can destabilise society and create a civil war.

I have to admit I liked him a lot more in this book. He definitely develops a lot and starts to take responsibility for his destiny. This is the book where he learns he’ll need to make sacrifices and betray those he cares about to reach his ultimate goal. It’s fascinating to read him questioning himself and his decisions but pressing ahead and taking action even if it leads to guilt and the loss of friends.

My favourite character however shall forever remain Darrow’s BFF Sevro. He’s rude, violent and bent on destruction but is so loyal to his friends and so funny I just want to adopt him.

There are a lot of twists and turns in the story and more than a few shocks. There are also a lot of very violent scenes and all out war at one point leading to a lot of loss but those parts are probably my favourites. The action is well written and easy to follow despite a lot going on so you almost feel like you’re in among it all.

The one thing I struggle with, and this is a me thing, is some of the descriptions of places. I think I’m missing whatever it is you need to convert words on a page to pictures in my head of other planets, spaceships and technology. This results in me kind of skimming those bits which unfortunately there are quite a few of. I can appreciate the language and the world building, it’s incredible, I just can’t visualise it. I’m sure lovers of language, of which I know a few, will fare a lot better.

Overall therefore I’d definitely recommend this book even if like me you weren’t completely enamoured with Red Rising. The ending alone makes it worth it. Although be warned you will have to read the final book in the series too.

Book Review: Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom

February 8, 2016 Ali@abookishlife1 Comment

Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This is a book with quite a bit of hype around it but the reviews seem mixed. There are a lot of “best book ever” type ratings and some “hated it” reviews too. I’m not really in either camp. I liked it, didn’t love it but didn’t hate it either.

It does have a lot of plus points which make it worth reading, a strong female character who deals incredibly well with a disability, a realistic romance and a strong friendship between a group of girls from different social standings. However while I absolutely loved main character Parker I thought it fell a little short in terms of the secondary characters. For a debut novel though it’s pretty good.

Synopsis (from GoodReads)

The Rules:

Don’t deceive me. Ever. Especially using my blindness. Especially in public.

Don’t help me unless I ask. Otherwise you’re just getting in my way or bothering me.

Don’t be weird. Seriously, other than having my eyes closed all the time, I’m just like you only smarter.

Parker Grant doesn’t need 20/20 vision to see right through you. That’s why she created the Rules: Don’t treat her any differently just because she’s blind, and never take advantage. There will be no second chances. Just ask Scott Kilpatrick, the boy who broke her heart.

When Scott suddenly reappears in her life after being gone for years, Parker knows there’s only one way to react—shun him so hard it hurts. She has enough on her mind already, like trying out for the track team (that’s right, her eyes don’t work but her legs still do), doling out tough-love advice to her painfully naive classmates, and giving herself gold stars for every day she hasn’t cried since her dad’s death three months ago. But avoiding her past quickly proves impossible, and the more Parker learns about what really happened—both with Scott, and her dad—the more she starts to question if things are always as they seem. Maybe, just maybe, some Rules are meant to be broken.

Combining a fiercely engaging voice with true heart, debut author Erid Lindstrom’s Not If I See You First illuminates those blind spots that we all have in life, whether visually impaired or not.

My Thoughts

It’s actually not the type of book I usually read. I do read a lot of YA but I’m not keen on stories about dealing with disability, illness etc. I feel like they are either trying too hard to be worthy, trying to fit in with a fad or jump on the band wagon of other similar stories (TFIOS).

What drew me to this story and what I liked about it is that while the main protagonist is blind that’s not really what the story is about. Parker Grant is not a woe is me type character. She’s not looking for anyone else’s sympathy and heaven help you if you break one of her rules. She’s a tough cookie and someone I’d probably be terrified of in real life. She speaks her mind, doesn’t care what anyone thinks (or at least acts convincingly like she doesn’t) and can be pretty fearless.

There is a lot of detail about what it’s like to be blind and the methods of coping with everyday life which I found fascinating but it’s really a story about growing up, working out what’s important and friendship.

There is a little bit of romance thrown in but it’s kind of secondary to the plot. If you’re looking instant love and happily ever afters this probably isn’t the book for you. If you’re looking for a story about close friends supporting each other no matter what it probably is.

Similarly Parker definitely isn’t for everyone. Personally I liked her a lot but I can understand why a lot of people don’t. She does change over the course of the story and becomes a bit softer and more likeable but to me it always seems more believable to have someone who isn’t perfect, who makes mistakes and learns from them.

There were a few bits that niggled me and I felt like it was a little bit light on some of the supporting characters as it’s pretty much all within Parkers head but I suppose it does in a way reflect how she sees the world.

It is an enjoyable read, I did laugh a few times and shed a few tears, but I didn’t love as much as others have. I suspect it might be geared towards much younger readers though.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WWW Wednesday: 27th January 2016

January 27, 2016January 26, 2016 Ali@abookishlife12 Comments

It’s WWW Wednesday time.

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

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

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

So here’s my W’s for the week.

Currently Reading

After reading the first couple of chapters I had to put Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness on hold as I needed to read a couple of library books that had to be returned. As it’s a physical book and I can’t really transport it around with me I’ve also decided that I want to wait till this weekend to read the rest when I can properly focus on it. I can’t wait to find out how it all ends.

In the meantime I’m currently reading You and Me Always by Jill Mansell. Jill Mansell has always been one of my favourite chick lit authors so I was very excited to get an ARC of her latest book. I’m around the 75% mark at the moment and, while I had my doubts about it at the start (I think mostly due to the book I just finished), I’m enjoying it a lot more now and finding it difficult to put down.

Recently Finished

I’m still going through a mad busy phase at work at the moment so have been slipping a little bit in terms of reading and posting reviews but I did manage to finish a couple of books last week.

The first book which I took my Teaser from yesterday was After You by Jojo Moyes. It’s the follow up to Me Before You which I absolutely loved so I was a little bit worried about reading it. Thankfully though it’s been a while since I read Me Before You so my memory of exactly what happened was a little shaky and I found this a really great book. It’s mostly about grieving and moving on so it’s not a happy story but it was definitely one of those books that my thoughts kept wandering to when I wasn’t reading it (driving to the stables, doing housework, cooking…). I ended up finishing the whole thing in a day so would definitely recommend.

I also read Robyn Hood: A Girl’s Tale and it sequel Fight for Freedom by KM Shea. I do like K.M. Shea books as they’re based on fairytales or myths and always have strong female characters who don’t spend all of their time obsessing over boys which makes a nice change in YA. This series was along the same lines and did give me a few laughs but I have to admit to getting frustrated with the number of mistakes (words repeated, wrong words, wrong spellings etc). It’s nothing a bit of proof reading wouldn’t fix so began to drive me nuts as it destroyed the flow of the story.

Reading Next

In the unlikely event I finish the books I’m currently reading, my mission is to finish some of the ARCs I’ve had for far too long or which are due for release over the next few weeks. I think the priorities will be The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman (which is way overdue and has been in my reading next for a while), Black Widow by Chris Brookmyre (who I love and haven’t read any of his books in ages) and What Would Lizzy Bennet Do? by Katie Oliver (which I randomly picked because of the Pride and Prejudice connection).

Again there’s a fair chance I won’t read any of these but something completely different. I’m a bit of a mood reader so find it difficult to plan.

Have you read any of the books above? Do you have any recommendations?

WWW Wednesday: 20th January 2016

January 20, 2016January 19, 2016 Ali@abookishlife18 Comments

It’s WWW Wednesday time.

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

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

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

So here’s my W’s for the week.

Currently Reading

I just started Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness on Monday so haven’t had a chance to read more than the first few chapters. It’s the final part of the Chaos Walking trilogy and I can’t wait to find out how it all ends. I’ve never read any books by Patrick Ness before this series but I get the feeling from what I’ve read so far that anything could happen. I think it will be epic.

As Monsters of Men is a physical book I’m also reading an ebook, Robyn Hood, A Girl’s Tale by K.M. Shea, on my commute. I love K.M. Shea books, they are always nice and easy little reads that make me laugh. I’m around a quarter of the way through so far and I’m loving the reluctant heroine Robyn who has been bossed into becoming an outlaw by BFF Marian.

Recently Finished

The weather hasn’t been particularly great over the last week so that’s given me a great excuse to stay in and read. I suppose I could have cleaned and caught up on all the little jobs needing doing around the house but where’s the fun in that? Anyway, all the extra reading time meant that I managed to finish three books.

The first book was The Ask and The Answer by Patrick Ness, the second book in the Chaos Walking Trilogy. I was a little concerned that it wouldn’t be as good as The Knife of Never Letting Go but I needn’t have worried as it was incredible. I sometimes find it hard to believe that these are children’s books as they deal with so many big themes. I haven’t posted a review yet as I’m planning to do a review of the full trilogy once I finish.

The second book I read during the week was My Kind of Wonderful by Jill Shalvis. It was a sweet romance set in a ski resort in the Rockies. First time I’ve read a book by this author and I will probably be reading more as it did make me smile a lot. You can read my full review here.

The final book of the week was Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy. It’s book of the month in one of my GoodRead’s groups but I probably would have read it at some point regardless as it’s my kind of story. I will hopefully post a review at the weekend but if you like LGBT romances with some seriously steamy scenes I’d definitely recommend. I was supposed to read it over a week and finished it in a day 🙂

Reading Next

After I finish my current reads I’m planning to make a start on After You by Jojo Moyes. I’m a big fan of Jojo Moyes and loved Me Before You. I’ve been a little worried about whether it will live up to expectations but hoping that as it’s been a while since I read Me Before You I’ll enjoy it.

After that I’m hoping to make a dent in some of the ARC’s I’ve received over the last few weeks. I think the priorities will be The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman (which is way overdue) and You and Me Always by Jill Mansell.

Knowing me though I’ll probably wander off and read something completely different. My New Year’s resolution of not buying any new books until I’ve reduced my TBR has been a total flop and I think I’ve bought 5 or 6 books over the last week (oops!) so I have plenty of choices.

Have you read any of the books above? Do you have any recommendations?

Book Review: My True Love Gave to Me

January 18, 2016January 17, 2016 Ali@abookishlife3 Comments

My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Winter Romances by Stephanie Perkins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Yep, it’s safe to say that I’m very, very behind on my Christmas reading. It’s the middle of January and I’m only now getting round to finishing and posting my review of this book.

My True Love Gave to Me is a collection of twelve short stories by YA authors all themed around the holiday period. It’s quite difficult to rate this collection as it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Some stories I absolutely loved, some were ok and some I just wasn’t too keen on.

I have to admit before I start that I’m generally not a fan of short stories. They’re never quite long enough (I know they aren’t supposed to be) to really draw you in and let you connect with the characters. When they do draw you in, the ending always comes too soon. I want more.

Despite my general dislike of short stories I couldn’t resist this book as it included stories from two of my favourite authors, Rainbow Rowell (Fangirl, Carry On) and Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss) and I have to admit I love Christmassy themed stories.

For the most part this collection didn’t disappoint. I won’t go through story by story but I will say that Stephanie Perkins and Rainbow Rowell did not let me down. Their stories, It’s a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown and Midnights were most definitely the highlights for me. They had very likeable characters and managed to suck me into the story and the emotion from the start. While I would like more (please) the length actually worked.

As well as discovering unsurprisingly that my favourite authors are fabulous I have to say that I was also impressed with some of the other stories. I particularly enjoyed Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntyre as it made me laugh quite a lot and What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman. I’ve never read anything by these authors but I’ll definitely be looking out for them.

The remainder were more of the ok level rather than anything particularly special. I felt that in certain stories things were a little bit too complicated and convoluted for a short story which put me off. Slightly worryingly there are also a couple I don’t remember (Jenny Han and Ally Carter) so I guess they weren’t great or terrible.

Regardless, it’s definitely given me a taste of a lot of new authors and my TBR list has grown exponentially.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy and apologies for taking so long to post the thing.