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 Shadow of Night, the second book in the All Souls trilogy, on Monday but have to confess I’ve not made a huge amount of progress. My concentration this week has been pretty poor and it’s not really been helped by this having a little bit of a slow start and a whole host of new characters to get my head around. It is however starting to pick up pace so fingers crossed I’ll be able to focus on it.

I’m still working my way through Have You Eaten Grandma? by Giles Brandreth which is all about grammar and spelling. It’s quite a funny read and gives some useful hints and tips which hopefully will make their way into my writing (although I guarantee I’ll still misuse commas and apostrophes). 

On audio I’m still making my way through Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare. It’s quite a long one (16+ hours) so I suspect it’ll be on here for a while, particularly as I’m not getting much listening time. I am however really loving it and I think it’s all down to the narrator. I will definitely be looking out for more books with him, as he makes each and every character distinct and has a knack for accents.

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Recently Finished

Still stressing about the whole house move thing (it’s a week on Friday!!!!!) but I did manage to devote a bit of time to reading and finished three books, the first of which was The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge. I requested this from NetGalley pretty much based on the cover and I’m so glad I did as I really enjoyed it. It’s a pretty creepy ghost story, with a little bit of monster in the woods and Norse mythology thrown in. Basically everything I love so it had me totally hooked. My only niggle was the ending which didn’t quite live up to expectations but for a debut novel it’s pretty good.

The second book finished this week was What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera and OMG I loved it. From pretty much the first page I had the biggest smile on my face and the only time it slipped was when it all got a bit emotional (in a good way). I mean there was a fair chance I was going to love it, it’s a romance set in New York, but I think it’s possibly my fave since Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares (which it did kind of remind me of). It’s just so cute and sweet and funny and just awww. Albertalli and Silvera make a great writing team and I hope this is the first of many.

The third and final book finished was another romance but this time of the historical variety. The Other Miss Bridgerton was the first book by Julia Quinn I’ve read (and the third in a series – oops) but it’s unlikely to be the last. There’s kidnapping, espionage, pirates (sorry privateers) and lots of witty banter and flirting. Basically the perfect bit of escapism when you don’t want anything too serious. I more or less devoured the whole thing in a day (and yes I should have been packing) and my only complaint was that it was all over a little too quickly.

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Reading Next

I think I’ll be lucky if I manage to finish my current reads, Shadow of Night will not be a quick read, but if I do I’m really not short on options for my next read. I have so many ARCs due it’s scary and I’ve also bought a few books recently which I’ve been looking forward to for ages so kinda want to read before I stumble across spoilers.

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 The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge on Monday and am almost finished it already. It’s not especially long (180 pages) but it’s so gripping and creepy I’m finding it difficult to put down. It’s primarily a ghost story but also brings in lots of Norse mythology and a little bit of romance. I do love a creepy ghost story set in a remote location, I just hope it manages to hold the tension till the very end.

As well as a spooky ghost story I’ve also been dipping in and out of non fiction book Have You Eaten Grandma? by Giles Brandreth. The title is a bit of a clue but it’s all about the proper use of grammar and the often unintended funny consequences of it’s misuse. So far I’ve covered full stops and commas and am just about to start the section on semi colons (have to confess I don’t really know what to do with a semi colon).

On audio I’m still listening to Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare and have made reasonable progress. Still not sure I’ll get it finished before it’s due back (hopefully there aren’t any holds on it) but I think I’m actually preferring the audio to the books. I’ve never been as keen on the Infernal Devices as I was on the Mortal Instruments but this book could change my mind. The narrator has a lovely voice and his use of accents is really bringing the story to life.

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Recently Finished

Only one book finished again this week I’m afraid, but A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness was definitely worth the time. It’s pretty long (for me at any rate) and not necessarily the fastest of reads but I am hooked on this trilogy. It kind of reminds me a little of Anne Rice’s books which I haven’t read in years but used to absolutely love. Slow paced but with a lot of character development and, once you think about it, quite a lot of ground covered. I loved Diana as a character and the relationship with Mathew was just so good (albeit kinda Twilight-y).

I’ve now started binge watching the TV show which is pretty good but lacks the depth and detail of the book (and could maybe do with a bigger special effects budget).

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Reading Next

It’s pretty much guaranteed I’m going to start the second book in the All Souls trilogy, Shadow of Night, next as I had to force myself not to read the whole trilogy in one sitting. I have tickets to go see Deborah Harkness on the 30th October so it would be good to have read the books before then. After that I suspect I may be looking for a break from witches, ghosts, vampires and demons so will likely pick up What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera.

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 A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness at the weekend but due to a binge watch of Vanity Fair (which was awesome) I have to confess I haven’t made a huge amount of progress. I am enjoying the writing style and I do want to read asap so I can start watching the TV adaptation. I always prefer reading something first so the show doesn’t influence the way I visualize the characters.

On audio I’ve started listening to Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare. At 16+ hours it’s longer than I usually listen for (and I’m not sure I’ll get it done before it’s due back) but I’ve already listened to an hour and I think I may be preferring the audio to the book.

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Recently Finished

I’m still spending far too much time on clearing my house (how did I end up with so much stuff?) so I’m reading a lot less. I did manage to finish Broken Things by Lauren Oliver however and really enjoyed it, although I’m not sure enjoyed is the right word as it’s pretty dark. The story is about three young girls who are best friends and then one is brutally murdered and the other two are blamed by everyone but it can’t be proved. A few years later, one of the two makes a discovery that brings them back together to try and discover who the real killer is. There’s a lot of potentially triggering things (paedophilia, animal abuse, fat shaming, and murder of a child) but I thought it was very well written and an intriguing story.

I also managed, at long last, to finish Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli. I don’t know why but I found this a bit of a struggle. There’s nothing bad about it, there was just nothing that made me care about Leah. So overall it was a bit meh. I also don’t really like it when authors muck about with characters so they’re different from how they were in a previous book.

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Reading Next

I’ve been overdosing a little on YA contemporary reads at the moment so I think I need something a bit different. I do want to read What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera but I think I may switch to some spooky reads to get myself in the Halloween spirit.

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 Broken Things by Lauren Oliver on Monday but have to confess I haven’t had much reading time so not much progress. I am however travelling through to Edinburgh today for work which is around an hour on the train each way so that should help. I mean I could probably do some work stuff but feel like I should be grabbing every reading opportunity I can get.

I also started reading The Quaker by Liam McIlvanney at the weekend but only made it around a third of the way through before I had to return to the library. I’m not happy as I was starting to get into it and it’s going to be at least 3 months before I get it back. I may just cave and buy it, even if it is kind of expensive.

On audio I’m still listening to Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Abertalli and am now around the halfway point. It’s an easy enough listen and the narrator is good it’s just not grabbing me for some reason.

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Recently Finished

I’m in the process of buying and selling houses at the moment, so not much reading over the last week. Partly because I haven’t had a lot of time and partly because I can’t concentrate on anything. I did however manage to finish one book,  Love And Other Words by Christina Lauren, and I really enjoyed it. I should probably pay more attention to blurbs as I hadn’t realized it was more literary fiction than romance. It is however a wonderful story about the relationship between Macy and Elliot and is told in two timelines, now and 11+ years earlier. It’s very sweet but a little bit heartbreaking.

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Reading Next

Not sure what I’m going to be in the mood to read next but I’ve been kind of tempted to pick up one of the older books on my TBR rather than an ARC although I did get one ARC last week I’ve been desperate to 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 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’ve had to schedule this post in advance (it’s a busy week) so I’m not entirely sure what I’ll be reading on Wednesday but I suspect it will be Love And Other Words by Christina Lauren. I’ve been in the mood for a Christina Lauren and this appeared on NetGalley so I couldn’t resist putting in a request.

 

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Recently Finished

I’ve been off work for the last week but have to confess I haven’t really been in the mood for reading. Instead I was taking little day trips and watching lots of TV and movies, basically taking it easy. I did however manage to finish off three books, although the first I was pretty much finished when last week’s post went up.

• Jack of Hearts (and other parts) by L.C. Rosen –  This was a lot more gripping and disturbing than I was expecting. It’s pretty addictive reading and I thought incredibly informative about some controversial topics but yeah, the stalker side of the story kind of creeped me out (not that that’s necessarily a bad thing).
• Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare – I needed something light after Jack of Hearts so yep I was back on Tessa Dare again. This time it’s a kind of historical romance take on My Fair Lady (or maybe She’s All That) given a Duke makes a bet with his mother that if she can turn any girl he picks into a convincing Duchess, he’ll marry her (the girl obvs).
• The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker – This was an incredibly intense telling of the Trojan war from the point of view of Briseis, a Trojan queen who is taken captive by the Greeks when her city is invaded. I really liked the different perspective this brought to the story but I think it lost it’s way in the second part when Achilles pov was introduced. Still a great read but could have been brilliant.

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Reading Next

I’ve got a lot on over the next week, as I’m into the busy time at work, I’m volunteering at Bloody Scotland over the weekend and I’m in the process of selling my house (which means I’m gonna have to clean) so not sure how much reading I’ll get done. I did however receive an ARC of Sarah Morgan’s latest Christmas book so I suspect I’ll sneak that in somehow and possibly either Broken Things by Lauren Oliver (who I also love) or A House of Ghosts (which is by a new to me author).

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’m pretty close to the end of Jack of Hearts (and other parts) despite only just starting it quite late on Monday night. My NetGalley request was actually only approved on Monday but I was bookless (I’d just finished one) and felt like this was exactly the story I was in the mood for (or at least was very curious about).

I suspect this is a book that’s going to really divide opinion given how open and explicit it is about sex and gay sex in particular. I think a few parents are going to be uncomfortable with their teenage kids reading it but it’s probably a book they should be reading as there’s some really good advice given in the form of an online sex advice column written by the main character Jack. There’s also a great story dealing with difficult issues, lots of diversity and as you can probably tell with how fast I’ve read it, it’s very addictive.

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Recently Finished

Between not sleeping very well, bad weather and some time off work I’ve actually had quite a lot of reading time so managed to finish four books this week, although in fairness two of these are really short.

• The Towering Sky by Katherine McGee – This was a fitting conclusion to the Thousandth Floor trilogy and it was wonderful being back in futuristic New York. However, while it was a little emotional particularly towards the end I thought it lacked some of the mystery and surprise the previous books had.
• Dream a Little Dream by Giovanna Fletcher – I wasn’t sure about this initially but once “Real” Brett (as opposed to “Dream” Brett) showed up around the halfway mark it really picked up and I ended up quite enjoying it. Still wouldn’t say it was a favourite but it did make me laugh a few times.
• And the Ocean Was Our Sky by Patrick Ness – aka Moby Dick from the POV of the whale. This has been getting mixed review but I really liked it. Ness’s creativity and brilliant writing shine out of every page and the illustrations go with the story perfectly. The only thing missing for me was emotion (it was a little lacking in feels).
• Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire – The third book in the Wayward Children series and I think this is my fave so far. It starts off back in the school from the first book and then travels to a few other worlds as they try to resurrect the dead. This just made me laugh so much and I loved that Christopher and Kade were back.

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Reading Next

I think I’m going to need something light and fluffy after Jack of Hearts so I’m thinking I may pick up Roomies by Christina Lauren next (although I’m undecided). After that, with the Scottish Crime festival Bloody Scotland fast approaching, I think I’m going to try and read a couple of the books in the running for the McIlvanney prize to get me in the mood. I managed to get a copy of The Quaker from the library so that’s likely to be first but also hoping to read Places in the Darkness.

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.

And on the subject of Bloody Scotland, I’m taking part in the blog tour with a Q&A with Ruth Ware author of The Death of Mrs Westaway, In a Dark Dark Wood, The Lying Game & The Woman in Cabin 10 on Saturday so keep your eyes peeled for that.

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’m very excited to be finally reading The Towering Sky by Katherine McGee. I knew as soon as I received it from the publishers via NetGalley I wouldn’t be able to resist it for long. It’s the third and final book in the Thousandth Floor trilogy and I’m fully expecting something wow. I tend to think of it as a kind of futuristic teen soap opera. It has that rich people stabbing each other in the back, inappropriate relationships and dangerous secrets thing that is so fun to read. I only really started it late last night so only around 5% in as I’m writing this but like the previous books in the trilogy it begins with a killer hook.

On audio I’m still listening to Dream a Little Dream by Giovanna Fletcher. I’ve actually made some good progress with it and only have around 3 hours left so I expect to finish it this weekend. I have to admit I wasn’t wholly convinced by this to start with, and I’m still not saying it’s a great read, but since I reached around the halfway point it has picked up a lot. I think my biggest gripe is the main character who’s a little too passive for my tastes. I’m crossing everything that she will at some point make a stand and give her horrible ex, her mother and her boss what for.

As I suspected trying to read two books at the one time was a bit much so I’ve put And the Ocean Was Our Sky by Patrick Ness on the back burner until next week. I want to take the time to sit and enjoy it rather than only reading a couple of pages here and there.

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Recently Finished

The first book finished this week was  Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. I received this ages ago from NetGalley but had parked it due to difficulties with the formatting of the ARC. I finally managed to get a copy from the library and dived right back in. It’s very loosely based on Rumpelstiltskin but there’s so much more to it than that. The author has made it completely her own. There’s so much depth and complexity to it and the writing and world she creates is incredible. If I had one niggle it’s that I was never wholly invested in it. Think it was a case of too many pov’s. You can read my full review here.

After Spinning Silver I was in the mood for something completely different, some light and fun nonsense, so needless to say I reverted to Tessa Dare and Do You Want to Start a Scandal. I love Dare’s historical romances and this has now become one of my favorites. It just made me laugh so much. Keeping a straight face while reading this on the train on the way to work was however a challenge, I don’t recommend it.

The third book finished The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley was a much more serious read, thank goodness (I do not want to be the train weirdo). This was a major diversion from my reading plans but I was sitting in the hairdressers trying to pick a book and this was calling to me. It’s not out till January I think, so yep I’m really early, but I just loved the sound of it. It’s one of those “group of old friends (and some creepy strangers) stranded in a remote location (Scottish Highlands) and someone is murdered” type stories. I do love these stories and this was brilliant, particularly in terms of the horrible characters. My only issue with it was that it lacked tension and that creepy factor I was hoping for.

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Reading Next

And yet again I think I have the same reading next list, I really must pick up The Silence of the Girls and Mirage soon. I also have an ARC of A House of Ghosts which I’m really looking forward to and quite a few library books including the third in Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series, Beneath the Sugar Sky. So yep, busy week ahead 🙂

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’ve somehow ended up juggling three books again which never ends well 🙂 The first of these is And the Ocean Was Our Sky by Patrick Ness. I picked this up from the bookshop last week and it is just sooo beautiful I knew I had to start reading it immediately. I’m a big stalker fan of Ness so I’ve  been anxiously awaiting this story tagged as Moby Dick from the pov of the whale. It is however quite a big book to carry around so I’m only around a third of the way through but so far so good. I just love Ness’s writing and the illustrations throughout are beautiful.

The second book I’m reading is Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. I actually started this ages ago but had put it aside as the format of the ARC I’d received was killing my enjoyment of the story (the writing was tiny). I managed however to get a copy from the library on Monday so I’ve picked it up again and am enjoying it so much more (as are my eyes). With the break I had slightly lost the plot a little but I’m getting back into it again and all of the threads are starting to come together which is quite exciting. I am loving how there are a lot of fairytale references but it’s still pretty unique and quite dark.

I’ve also started a new audio this week, Dream a Little Dream by Giovanna Fletcher. I think this might be the first contemporary romance I’ve gotten on audio and it probably wouldn’t have been my first choice when I was hunting for something to listen to but I remembered I got an ARC of this from NetGalley 3 years ago and never actually read it or submitted feedback (oops) so thought it would give me the chance to get it off my shelf. I’m currently around 3 hours in and so far I’m finding it okay. Main character Sarah is kind of annoying me (I want to shake her) which is not ideal but hopefully the story will pick up.

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Recently Finished

The first book finished his week was A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer, which I’d received from Netgalley. It’s a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and yep I’ve read a lot of Beauty and the Beast retellings but this was definitely a stand out read. I did have a little bit of a wobble at the start, it’s a bit weird and confusing, but it quickly became an addictive and engaging read. I loved main character Harper and I had a very definite soft spot for Commander of the Guard, Grey. It’s way too early for a review but I think it’ll be a solid 4.5 stars.

The next book finished was audio book Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire. This is the second in the Wayward Children series and it’s the author herself who does the narration. I did enjoy it, particularly at the start, but I think I preferred the first book. The narrator has a bit of a tendency to talk directly to the reader which is funny at times but I felt like it stopped me from really becoming engaged in the story.

The fact that I couldn’t remember the next book I read and just had to go check probably says quite a lot about Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake. It’s not that it’s a particularly bad read, there’s just nothing particularly memorable about it. It sets itself up as this big battle to the death between triplets but that doesn’t really happen. Instead there are three separate stories about each of the sisters, setting up the world, the magic system and introducing the numerous characters. It’s fine, it’s interesting, there’s some great world building but it feels like not very much happens. I also never really understood the reason why these three 16 year old girls had to murder each other and why it’s a generally accepted and encouraged practice.

The fourth and final book read was Not So Nice Guy by R.S. Grey. Honestly this has just been lurking on my kindle since it was released and I was in the mood for something light and fun. It really is a great read. It’s a friends to lovers story and it’s so nice to finally have a romance without angst or obstacles or whatever. I loved the main characters, I loved the school setting, it made me laugh, it made me smile and I just really liked it.

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Reading Next

I think my reading next pile is pretty much the same as last week’s with The Silence of the Girls or Mirage likely to be one of my next reads. I also picked up a copy of City of Ghosts at the bookshop last week so would love to start reading it soon too although I did just get my hands on an ARC of The Towering Sky by Katherine McGee which I’ve also been anxiously awaiting so we’ll see.

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 A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer on Monday morning and I am flying through it. It’s just so good. It’s not out till January but when I spied it on NetGalley I couldn’t resist requesting and when my request was approved I couldn’t resist reading it. I love a good Beauty and the Beast retelling and even though I initially had my doubts on this one I am now completely hooked. Main character Harper is pretty awesome and I know I should be rooting for her and the prince but I love Commander of the Guards Grey.

On audio I’m still listening to Down Among the Sticks and Bones, the second book in Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series. I only have about 30 mins left so should finish in the next day or so.

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Recently Finished

A slightly slower reading week for me this time with only two books finished the first of which was The Way of All Flesh by Ambrose Parry (aka Chris Brookmyre and Dr Marisa Haetzman). I’ve been a big fan of Brookmyre for a long time so was excited to see what he would do in historical crime fiction (and with his wife as a writing partner). I don’t read a lot of historical fiction but I really loved the setting in this and actually thought that part of the story was a lot stronger than the murder mystery (I guessed the killer very early on). The characters are interesting but what really fascinated me were the medical aspects, although be warned, some are not for the faint of heart.

The second book read this week was The Bus on Thursday by Shirley Barrett. This was one of those cases where I couldn’t decide what I wanted to read so went for a scout around on NetGalley and came across this. It was probably one line in the blurb “Bridget Jones meets The Exorcist” that drew me to it and while it’s not exactly like either it is brilliantly peculiar.

It’s about a woman who, recovering from cancer, accepts a teaching job in a small town in Australia. When she gets there however she discovers her predecessor disappeared in the middle of the night, there are an awful lot of locks on the door of her house and some very odd characters. The whole story is told in the form of a blog making it very difficult to tell what’s real and what’s fantasy. I would have loved it to be a bit creepier but it is really funny and unique so no real complaints 🙂

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Reading Next

I’ve just started a new team reading challenge (Game of Thrones based this time) so I’m currently on the hunt to find a book to fit some very specific tasks. If anyone has suggestions for books with a character who’s a gardener or with a female ruling line let me know 🙂

Pending me figuring that out I want to finally pick up How to Stop Time by Matt Haig. I’m going to see him on Saturday evening so would love to read it before then. I’m also thinking about picking up The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker (I love that cover) or Mirage by Somaiya Daud.

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 ❤