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 It Only Happens in the Movies by Holly Bourne last night so I haven’t made much progress on it so far. I do however have high hopes for it as I’ve seen a lot of rave reviews and I loved Bourne’s soon to be released How Do You Like Me Now. Plus you know, there’s a whole movie theme.

On audio I’m still listening to Frankenstein, narrated by Dan Stevens but have made literally no progress as I haven’t really driven anywhere.

Recently Finished

It’s been my turn to be ill over the last week so I’ve had a couple of days where I haven’t been up for any reading, or in fact getting out of bed. Needless to say it also affected my reading choices, I have a bit of a tendency to go for light and fluffy romances. I did however manage to finish three books, the first of which was Happily Ever After by Kelly Oram. This was the sequel to one of my favourite feelgood books, Cinder and Ella, and while I’m not sure it needed a sequel I really enjoyed being back with all of the characters. It’s rare you get to find out what happens next after a big ending and I thought Oram did a really great job. It’s not quite as good but there are plenty of feels, yep I cried.

After Happily Ever After I came across Wildfire by Ilona Andrews on sale on Amazon and that seemed like a good excuse to finish another series I had in progress. It’s the third and I thought final book in the Hidden Legacy series but I’m pretty sure with that ending there’s more to come. Overall I found it an okay read but not as good as the first two books. I think this was me rather than the book though as I was feeling really rough when reading it. All of the other reviews I’ve seen (by reviewers I rate) rave over it. Maybe I’ll go back and re read at some point (also because I really don’t remember much of it).

The third and final book read this week was The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot. This has been lurking on my kindle for ages (possibly years) and I finally picked it up because it fit a task on the team challenge I’m taking part in on Goodreads. It was nice to finally read this and I very much enjoyed it. I’ve seen the film a few times, but there were enough differences to keep me engaged. I have to say I find Grandmere in the book much funnier and more interesting than the character in the film. I would have loved if they’d let Julie Andrews play her that way.

Reading Next

I’m going to be doing this team challenge for the next four or five weeks so I think my reading is going to be driven primarily by what I can make fit the various tasks. I’m therefore not going to attempt to guess what my next read will be.

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 Between the Blade and the Heart on Christmas Eve but have to admit I’m struggling a bit as I just can’t seem to get into it. I’m considering DNF’ing as there are a lot of more appealing books on my shelf but I think I’m going to try and push through and just get it finished.

I’m technically also still reading The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin, technically because I don’t think I’ve read a single page since last week. I haven’t been in the right mood for it so I went off and read a few other books instead.

On audio I’m listening to The Monster Collection and am currently partway through Frankenstein. I haven’t been driving much over the week so not a huge amount of progress but I am really enjoying it.

Recently Finished

I’ve been doing a lot of reading since finishing up work for the holidays on Thursday so even with family stuff I’ve somehow managed to finish three books. The first of these was When It’s Real by Erin Watt. This is one of those books I bought a while ago and have been trying to find the time to read.

As things were starting to get to me a bit last week I thought it would be the perfect book to distract me and calm me down and this was so right. I found it difficult to put down and found myself flying through the pages. It’s not a wholly original story but it’s still a fun read. My only issue was the main characters ages. Maybe I’m getting old and bitter but I struggle with 17 year olds meeting the love of their lives.

I was in the mood for more romance after When It’s Real so when Truth or Beard popped up for free on Amazon I couldn’t resist. I’d heard so many great things about this series I had high expectations and I did enjoy it. I just didn’t quite love it as much as I hoped I would.

There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s funny, fast paced and has two very likeable main characters with real chemistry but it just didn’t wow me. I do think it could maybe have been a bit shorter and sharper but it was enjoyable.

The final book finished this week was Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter which I’d received from NetGalley. This was my first Ally Carter and I loved it so much I’ve already been off hunting for some of her other books.

It’s about the daughter of a secret service agent who was best friends with the presidents son until something happened and her father decided to move them to the middle of nowhere in Alaska. When the president’s son Logan is sent to stay with them and gets himself in trouble she has to decide whether to save him.

It’s not out for a few months so too early for a full review (unless you wander over to Goodreads) but it’s really funny and the main character Maddie is fabulous.

Reading Next

Looking at the publication dates of some of the ARCs I have I think I should probably be picking up Everless or Sourdough next but all plans are kind of out the window until after the holidays so we’ll see what I feel like. There are quite a few books I own which I’ve been keen to read for months and haven’t gotten to so I may pick them up instead. I really want a book I can get lost in so happy to take recommendations.

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 discovered that another of the books on my NetGalley shelf, The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin, is due for publication earlier than I thought it was so I thought I should make a start on it. It’s very early days but I have to admit I’m already having doubts about it. I get the feeling this is more literary fiction and far less exciting than the blurb led me to believe (or maybe I just didn’t read it properly). So far it’s kind of reminding me of The Rules of Magic, and not in a good way. Siblings growing up and trying to find their way with a prophesy weighing down on them. Oh well, maybe it’ll surprise me.

I’m also still listening to The Monster Collection on audio. I finished the first of the three stories (see below) and have moved on to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein which is read by Dan Stevens.

Recently Finished

Three books finished this week the first of which was The Last Romeo by Justin Myers which was an ARC I received from NetGalley. It’s about a 34 year old guy who after breaking up with his long term boyfriend starts using dating apps and documenting his experiences on a blog. It all gets a bit out of control however when one of his dates turns out to be someone very famous.

I had mixed feelings about this book. There’s a lot to like about it, great writing, a very real story and some interesting issues but I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would. I think maybe it hit a little close to home for me and I found it a little depressing.

The second book finished was the first story in The Monster Collection, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. It’s a bit shocking that I’m only now reading this as I’ve seen and read so many adaptations. It was a lot different to what I was expecting, I’d no idea it was predominantly told from the pov of one of Jekyll’s friends. I did really love it and it’s perfect for this time of year.

The third and final book finished this week was The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. This was another ARC from NetGalley and my first Holly Black book and I absolutely loved it. It’s set in Faerie and features all different types of fae folk. It’s deliciously dark and twisted with some fairly full on violence, think Game of Thrones. No one is who they appear to be and you can never be sure what their true intentions are. Basically my favorite type of story. The only bad thing about it is that I now have a bit of a wait for the next book.

Reading Next

If I survive The Immortalists which I suspect is going to be a heavy read I think I’m going to need something a little bit lighter. The Cruel Prince has put me in the mood for a bit more fantasy so maybe Everless or Furyborn. I also received a copy of Sourdough by Robin Sloan from ReadersFirst so I might be tempted to pick it up instead. I’ve already read the first couple of chapters and think it could be quite a fun and quirky read.

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 Wednesday everyone and if I don’t post again in the coming week Happy Holidays!

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 a couple of books over the last few days as I couldn’t make my mind up what to read. I picked up The Girl Who Saved Christmas by Matt Haig first as I thought it would be nice to read a holiday themed book but I’m just not in the right mood so I also started The Last Romeo by Justin Myers. It’s very early on for both of them, I’m less than 10% in, but so far so good.

I also started a new audiobook during the week, The Monster Collection. It’s a collection of three classic gothic tales, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (read by Richard Armitage), Frankenstein (read by Dan Stevens) and Dracula (read by Greg Wise). I’m currently around halfway through Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and loving it.

Recently Finished

Two books finished this week, the first of which was Everything is Lies by Helen Callaghan which I’d received from NetGalley. I really enjoyed Callaghan’s first book Dear Amy so was excited to see what she would follow it up with and it didn’t disappoint. I did think the balance of the two time periods that feature in the story was a little off but it’s a very addictive read with an engaging storyline and a few twists that took me by surprise. Definitely one for all thriller readers to keep an eye out for.

The second book finished was Still Me by Jojo Moyes, the third book in her Me Before You series. I’d been a little wary of more books in this series but I’m really glad we got this one. Me Before You is probably one of my all time favorites and while After You was incredibly sad I found so much I could relate to in it about the process of grieving someone you loved. It was therefore so good to see Lou finally starting to move forward with her life. The story is a little on the slow side and it’s less of an emotional rollercoaster than the previous books but I think it’s a fitting conclusion to Lou’s story.

Reading Next

I seem to be reading a lot of contemporary or thrillers at the moment so it’s probably about time for a little bit of fantasy. I have a few ARCs I was hoping to get to soon The Cruel Prince, Everless and Furyborn but I just haven’t been in a fantasy mood. Hopefully once things quieten down at work that’ll change.

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 Wednesday Everyone!!!

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 Everything is Lies by Helen Callaghan at the end of last week but had to park it to read a book for book club but now I’m back focused on it again. I loved the author’s previous book Dear Amy so I was very happy to be offered an ARC of this. It’s a thriller about a woman who discovers her parents after a suspected attempted murder / suicide. She doesn’t believe it and begins to dig into their past discovering that there’s a lot of things she didn’t know about her mother.

I’m around two thirds of the way through this as of this morning and am really enjoying it. Because it is an e-ARC there are some formatting issues (there are sections out of order) which mean I’m losing the flow a bit it’s still a really tense and engaging read.

Recently Finished

Three books finished this week, the first of which was Goodbye, Perfect by Sara Barnard. As always I loved Barnard’s writing and it’s a very readable book but I had a general uneasiness about the student teacher relationship featured in the story. Thankfully it’s not the MC who gets involved with her teacher (it’s her best friend) but I still found it a little bit uncomfortable to read.

I did love the complexity of the characters and I was also very happy to see some under represented characters and issues featured, I just wish there had been a little more focus on them and a little less on that icky relationship.

The second book finished was The Muse by Jessie Burton. This was this month’s real life book club book and consequently not one I probably would have picked myself. It does have a very pretty cover and, being the superficial person I am, I was tempted by that but was a little put off by the historical fiction thing.

I did find it a bit of a struggle in the beginning, it’s very heavy on descriptions and one character has an odd accent that appears and vanishes but I did find myself becoming sucked in to the story. I wouldn’t necessarily say I liked any of the characters but there was something intriguing about it and I am happy I read it.

The third and final book finished this week was La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman. I have a physical copy of this but due to lack of time I ended up getting the CD’s from the library and listening it to in the car. As a result I think it’s taken me almost four weeks to finish it which probably stopped me becoming fully invested in the story. I did like it a lot and Michael Sheen does a brilliant job as narrator but I didn’t love it as much as I hoped I would. I didn’t fully connect with any of the characters and therefore wasn’t really emotionally engaged which for me is necessary for something to be a five star read. Maybe my views would have been different if I’d read it.

Reading Next

I found out last Friday that I’ve won an advance proof of Still Me by Jojo Moyes so I’m ridiculously excited and watching my letterbox for possibly the best book mail ever. If it appears I will be abandoning whatever I’m reading and picking it up immediately. Failing that I think I will probably be looking for a light and fluffy romance. December is unfortunately a super busy month at work for me so I don’t think I’ll be able to focus on anything more complex. I’m thinking either When It’s Real or It Only Happens in the Movies (I have a suspicion the latter may not be that light and fluffy).

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 Wednesday Everyone!!!

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 an ARC of Goodbye, Perfect by Sara Barnard yesterday and am making good progress already. It’s a YA contemporary about a girl whose 15 year old best friend runs off with one of their teachers. I have to admit I’m not sure how I feel about it story wise given the subject matter. It’s definitely not the most comfortable reading but Barnard’s writing is as always very good. What I am liking is the way she looks at friendship and loyalty. I am very curious about where this is going to go.

Also still working my way through the audio book of  La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman. I didn’t do as much driving over the last week as usual so I’ve only made it through a couple more discs. I’m now on disc 9 of 10 so should probably finish it over the weekend which works out pretty well as it’s due back to the library on Wednesday. I am enjoying it but I can’t say I’m loving it, maybe because it’s taking me so long to get through it on audio.

Recently Finished

Two books finished again this week, damn you Netflix. Actually that’s not fair it was Holly Bourne’s How Do You Like Me Now? which was mostly to blame. I literally couldn’t put it down and became a bit obsessed with it so when I finished it I needed a bit of a break (plus it wouldn’t have been fair to start anything else while it was still buzzing round in my brain). I was kind of expecting some fluffy chick lit/rom com type book but there’s so much more to it than that. It’s much more a commentary on what it’s like to be in your 30’s in today’s society, especially when you’re not where you think you should be. There was so much I could relate to in this and I think I’ve highlighted half the book. It’s not out till June next year so it’s far too early to post a review but one of my top books of this year.

The second book I finished was My Side of the Diamond by Sally Gardner which I’d received from Readers First. It’s a very strange and sometimes confusing story which I mostly liked but I wasn’t too sure about the way the story was told. It’s in the form of various characters giving their accounts to a mysterious Mr Jones of events that happened a number of years ago. You only ever hear one side of the conversation (or interview?) though which is kind of irritating and I felt like it also distanced you from the story.

It was fascinating in some ways but I wasn’t overly invested in any of the characters or the relationships between them. I also felt like it skimmed over a lot that I wanted to know more about. It is a very quick read and not particularly taxing once you figure out what the heck is going on but didn’t wow me.

Reading Next

I just posted my Winter TBR yesterday so I should probably try sticking to it for at least a few days before I wander off and read something completely different 😀 I think the next book will likely be The Muse by Jessie Burton as it’s a book club book and the meeting is next week.

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 Wednesday Everyone!!!

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 an ARC of How Do You Like Me Now by Holly Bourne. It’s not out until June next year (there’s not even a cover yet) so should probably be further down my reading list but it just sounded like the type of book I was in the mood for. It’s Bourne’s first adult novel (although I have to confess I haven’t read any of her YA books) and is about a 31 year old self help guru who’s life is not going as well as her bestselling book would suggest. I only started this late yesterday but finding it difficult to put down. The MC is not overly likeable but she’s a very real character and reminds me of more than one person I could name.

I’m also still listening to the audio of  La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman. As of writing this I’ve just started disc 7 of 10 (this whole CD thing is weird) and I’m still really enjoying it. Michael Sheen does the narration and he’s really, really good. There are a couple of things that are still bugging me a little about the story but they are the same things that bugged me about the original trilogy so I can’t really complain.

Recently Finished

Only two books finished this week as I ended up having a bit of a Netflix movie marathon over the weekend. Does it count if I watched Mockingjay? Anyway the first book finished was Hold Back the Stars by Katie Khan. I received this from NetGalley then realized I already had a copy which I’d found in a bargain bin (sorry) in the newsagents. I obviously really liked the sound of it but couldn’t remember its name.

I did really love the concept, that a couple are adrift in space with only 90mins of air left, but this is definitely a lot more romance than a sci fi as the focus is very much on their relationship. There were parts I loved, parts that made me cry and the world building is incredible. There were just a few things about it that didn’t feel right. I finished it feeling very confused about the whole thing and I’m still not sure whether I would say I enjoyed it or not.

The second book finished was one of my most anticipated reads, Killman Creek by Rachel Caine, which I received from NetGalley. I read and absolutely loved Stillhouse Lake a few months ago so I was very happy to get my hands on the sequel. I’m not sure I would necessarily say it’s as good but I think that’s more because my expectations were higher rather than anything to do with the story. It’s a really gripping read, the stakes are even higher, and the conclusion is truly epic.

Reading Next

Miraculously I seem to have managed to get my NetGalley shelf under control (well almost) and my feedback is up to 80% so I think it’s time I read some of the bought books I haven’t had time to yet. Probably one of the following:

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 Wednesday Everyone!!!

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 literally just finished a book five minutes before writing this post (on Tuesday evening) so while I’m sure I will have picked something to read on my commute this morning I’m not sure what that will be yet (I have plenty to choose from).

I do however have a new audio book on the go. I was wandering round the library (cos ya know, 400 books on my TBR is not enough) when I spotted some CDs one of which was La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman. Needless to say I couldn’t resist. I do have the physical book but I just haven’t had the time to read it so this is working out really well.

I’m almost finished disc 3 of 10 and really enjoying it. It’s narrated by Michael Sheen who does an absolutely brilliant job at bringing the story to life. I will definitely be looking out for more books narrated by him.

Recently Finished

My house is an absolute disaster zone, I’ve had quite a few late nights and completely neglected my boys but it’s great news as it means I’ve finally got my reading mojo back. I finished three books over the last week and every one of them has been worth giving up sleep for (who needs it anyway).

The first book finished was YA superhero story Renegades by Marissa Meyer which I’d received from NetGalley. It reminded me a lot of X-Men with two groups of people with super powers battling it out for control. It’s full of all of the best superhero type cliches, secret identities, tragic backstory, development (or loss) of powers, high tech gadgets and a bit of betrayal. The highlight for me though was how Meyer had me constantly switching allegiance. She is brilliant at writing sympathetic villains and less than perfect heroes. It does suffer a little from too many characters and a lot of world building and back story but the second half in particular I couldn’t put down. You can read my full review here.

Second book finished was another NetGalley pick, If There’s No Tomorrow by Jennifer L. Armentrout. It’s a YA contemporary and in a not uncommon story is about a girl who makes a mistake that has life changing consequences for her and those around her. I started this on Sunday morning intending to read just a couple of chapters before I got up and ended up reading the whole thing in one go. I just couldn’t stop. It’s an incredibly emotional read and should probably come with a warning (or at least a box of tissues) but I really enjoyed it. It’s not wholly original in terms of plot so not a stand out read but still one I’d recommend if you like contemporary.

The third and final book finished was Copycat by Alex Lake. I’d won this in a Goodreads giveaway and started it a couple of weeks ago but had to park it while I caught up on ARCs. I finally managed to get back into it on Monday and ended up blitzing my way through it. It’s about a woman who discovers someone else has set up a duplicate facebook account in her name and is sending emails to friends and family claiming to be her.

It is one of those books that’s kinda frustrating as the characters do silly things you want to shout at them for but it does keep you guessing. The ending was a little rushed and there were a couple of things that didn’t make sense but it was a very enjoyable read.

Reading Next

I finally managed to get a copy of Killman Creek by Rachel Caine (it’s Read Now on NetGalley) so I’m very tempted to read it straight away however having just finished a thriller I’m thinking I should read something else first. I should really be picking up Goodbye Perfect or My Side of the Diamond but I think I’m in the mood for a romance so any recommendations gratefully received.

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 Wednesday Everyone!!!