This Week in Books 06.12.17 #TWIB

Welcome to This Week in Books, where we share what we’ve been up to in bookland this week and look ahead to next. 

Hi Everyone! I hope you’re all enjoying your December. I’m sorry I’ve not been interacting much of late, I’m finding it a bit hard to get back into the swing of things after having November off and I’m trying not to force myself to do it, you know!? I’m sure the motivation will come back eventually, but at the moment I’m just enjoying reading lots and spending time with friends.

I only have a week and a half left at work THIS YEAR (squeeeeeal), so I’m looking forward to having some time off, and hopefully I’ll feel like catching up on reviews and things then. Anyway, here’s what I’ve been reading…

Now

 

The Polar Bear’s Explorer Club ~ Alex Bell

I’ve barely started this so not much to report so far. I’m very excited about it though!

Join Stella Starflake Pearl and her three fellow explorers as they trek across the snowy Icelands and come face-to-face with frost fairies, snow queens, outlaw hideouts, unicorns, pygmy dinosaurs and carnivorous cabbages . . .

When Stella and three other junior explorers get separated from their expedition can they cross the frozen wilderness and live to tell the tale?

Then

 

Carnivalesque ~ Neil Jordan

Norse Mythology ~ Neil Gaiman

I enjoyed both of these, but the Neil Jordan book slightly less so.

Next???

 

I still might give Little Women a go, and I also have Artemis by Andy Weir. But Renegades (see below) also arrived and ahhh need to read nowww!

New on the Shelves

There’s too many to mention since the last time I did this feature (which was back in September!) so I’ll just share what arrived this week, and do a separate post for the others at some point.

I’m so excited about this new Marissa Meyer book. I hope it’s better than Heartless was. Eeeeek.

Secret Identities. Extraordinary Powers. She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone…except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova’s allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.

What have you been reading this week? Let me know in the comments or leave your link.

This Week in Books 20.09.17 #TWIB

Welcome to This Week in Books, where we share what we’ve been up to in bookland this week and look ahead to next. 

Happy hump-day, you guys! I’ve slowly been getting back into the spirit of things after the whole WordPress meltdown. I’m so behind in planning this year’s Horror October now, but I’ve officially decided IT IS happening so that’s something! I’ll be posting about it soon so keep an eye out if you’d like to get involved.

Anyway, here’s what I’ve been reading this week…

Now: Misery ~ Stephen King // Norse Mythology ~ Neil Gaiman

I’m not sure if I’ve ever read Misery before…is that weird? Anyway it’s been on my TBR shelves for a few years so it’s about time I picked it up either way. I also picked up Norse Mythology which I’m keeping at work to read in those elusive lunch breaks (so it’ll probably be a slow process and up here for a good few weeks)!

Then: Weycombe ~ G.M Malliet  // Killing the Dead ~ Marcus Sedgwick

Weycombe was a good read, but not amazing. My review went up on Monday. I felt much the same about Killing the Dead which is a short, World Book Day book by one of my favourite British authors. I’ll probably do a short review soon.

Next: ??? I’ll be making a start on my next lot of ARCs that I requested especially for Horror October (more on that soon)! First on the agenda is The Silent Companions, and I Am Behind You.

 

New on the Shelves

I got a bit of a windfall from work last week when lots of beautiful new books were donated to us and I got to take some home (because there were seriously sooooo many!). The perks of being a librarian, ey!? ❤ The downsides however – space & time!!!

I’m Waiting On…

Children of Blood & Bone, because…well, just look at it!!!

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now, Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers—and her growing feelings for the enemy.

Expected Publication: March 6th 2018 by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers

So that was my week in books, how was yours? If you’re participating feel free to leave your link in the comments so everyone can take a look!

This Week in Books 30.08.2017 #TWIB #CurrentlyReading

Welcome to This Week in Books, where we share what we’ve been up to in bookland this week and look ahead to next. 

Hi everyone, happy Wednesday. I didn’t get much reading done at the weekend as I was at home celebrating my Dad’s birthday, but a good time was had by all. So I’m afraid my Now, Then & Next answers are the same!

Now: The Last Dog on Earth ~ Adrian J. Walker

I did manage to read most of this on the train and  I’m almost done. It’s surpassed my expectations…it’s really funny (and naughty!).

Every dog has its day…

And for Lineker, a happy go lucky mongrel from Peckham, the day the world ends is his: finally a chance to prove to his owner just how loyal he can be.

Reg, an agoraphobic writer with an obsession for nineties football, plans to wait out the impending doom in his second floor flat, hiding himself away from the riots outside.

But when an abandoned orphan shows up in the stairwell of their building, Reg and Lineker must brave the outside in order to save not only the child, but themselves…

 

Then:  Prince of Shadows ~ Rachel Caine //  The Ice Dragon ~ George R.R Martin

I enjoyed both of these. I need to catch up on reviews this week!

Next: ??? Probably Weycombe ~ G.M Malliet

Weycombe is the chocolate-box village of everyone’s dreams. For American Jillian White, a gated life of pleasure and comfort with her titled English husband was a fantasy come true.

But the murder of a local estate agent mars the village’s so-pretty surface. Are people actually dying to live in Weycombe? Jill investigates, piecing together clues along the snaking paths and winding lanes of her adopted village. She knows truth has many versions, depending on who is doing the telling. And that few can be trusted in Weycombe, where nothing is as perfect as it seems. 

New on the Shelves

Bought: I spotted this in Asda over the weekend and couldn’t resist…I’ve heard great things about it.

A mindbending, relentlessly surprising thriller from the author of the bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy 

“Are you happy with your life?”

Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.

Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.

Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”

In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.

Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined–one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.

Dark Matter is a brilliantly plotted tale that is at once sweeping and intimate, mind-bendingly strange and profoundly human–a relentlessly surprising science-fiction thriller about choices, paths not taken, and how far we’ll go to claim the lives we dream of. 

I’m Waiting On…

 

Miles Away from You, because…it sounds like an important read. And Iceland ❤ ! I’m not sure about the style though – could be hit or miss for me.

It’s been three years since Miles fell for Vivian, a talented and dazzling transgender girl. Eighteen months since a suicide attempt left Vivian on life support. Now Miles isn’t sure who he is without her, but knows it’s time to figure out how to say goodbye.

He books a solo trip to Iceland but then has a hard time leaving the refuge of his hotel room. After a little push from Óskar, a local who is equal parts endearing and aloof, Miles decides to honor Vivian’s life by photographing her treasured Doc Martens standing empty against the surreal landscapes. With each step he takes, Miles finds his heart healing—even as he must accept that Vivian, still in a coma, will never recover.

Told through a series of instant messages to Vivian, this quirky and completely fresh novel explores love, loss, and the drastic distances we sometimes have to travel in order to move on.

Expected Publication: March 20th 2018 by HMH Books for Young Readers

 

So that was my week in books, how was yours? If you’re participating feel free to leave your link in the comments so everyone can take a look!

This Week in Books 23.08.17 #TWIB

Welcome to This Week in Books, where we share what we’ve been up to in bookland this week and look ahead to next. 

Happy Wednesday blogfriends! I’m excited this week because I’ve only got one more day of work and then I go home for a lonnnng weekend to celebrate my dad’s 70th birthday. SEVENTY! 😮

Let’s see what books have been doing the rounds this week…

Now: The Last Dog on Earth ~ Adrian J. Walker

Nothing to report yet as I’m only a few pages in.

Every dog has its day…

And for Lineker, a happy go lucky mongrel from Peckham, the day the world ends is his: finally a chance to prove to his owner just how loyal he can be.

Reg, an agoraphobic writer with an obsession for nineties football, plans to wait out the impending doom in his second floor flat, hiding himself away from the riots outside.

But when an abandoned orphan shows up in the stairwell of their building, Reg and Lineker must brave the outside in order to save not only the child, but themselves…

 

Then:  Prince of Shadows ~ Rachel Caine //  The Ice Dragon ~ George R.R Martin

I enjoyed both of these. The Rachel Caine book really made want to watch Baz Lurhman’s R&J again. It’s been a few years!

 

Next: ??? Probably Weycombe ~ G.M Malliet

Weycombe is the chocolate-box village of everyone’s dreams. For American Jillian White, a gated life of pleasure and comfort with her titled English husband was a fantasy come true.

But the murder of a local estate agent mars the village’s so-pretty surface. Are people actually dying to live in Weycombe? Jill investigates, piecing together clues along the snaking paths and winding lanes of her adopted village. She knows truth has many versions, depending on who is doing the telling. And that few can be trusted in Weycombe, where nothing is as perfect as it seems. 

New on the Shelves

Borrowed: Aren’t book-loving friends the best!?

Set in a girls’ boarding school in Massachusetts a haunting and sinister story YA story for World Book Day from prize-winning author Marcus Sedgwick. 

1963. Foxgrove School near Stockbridge, Massachusetts. One of the oldest and finest academies in the country – but what really goes on behind closed doors? Nathaniel Drake, the new young English teacher, Isobel Milewski, the quiet girl who loved to draw spirals, her fingers stained with green ink, Jack Lewis, who lent Isobel books – just words, just ink on paper, Margot Leya, the girl with those eyes – who are they, what part have they played in killing the dead? 

 

Netgalley: This will be a #Horroroctober read so I was pleased to be approved for it.

When her mom inherits an old, crumbling mansion, Seda’s almost excited to spend the summer there. The grounds are beautiful and it’s fun to explore the sprawling house with its creepy rooms and secret passages. Except now her mom wants to renovate, rather than sell the estate—which means they’re not going back to the city…or Seda’s friends and school. 

As the days grow shorter, Seda is filled with dread. They’re about to be cut off from the outside world, and she’s not sure she can handle the solitude or the darkness it brings out in her.

Then a group of teens get stranded near the mansion during a blizzard. Seda has no choice but to offer them shelter, even though she knows danger lurks in the dilapidated mansion—and in herself. And as the snow continues to fall, what Seda fears most is about to become her reality…

I’m Waiting On…

 

Gunslinger Girl, because…Hello, just look at it! having just finished the excellent Retribution Rails, I’m gagging for more YA Wild West. Does anyone else think it’s going to be the next big YA trend? I just hope it’s not done to death like dystopian was.

James Patterson presents a bold new heroine–a cross between Katniss Everdeen and Annie Oakley: Serendipity Jones, the fastest sharpshooter in tomorrow’s West. 

Seventeen-year-old Serendipity “Pity” Jones inherited two things from her mother: a pair of six shooters and perfect aim. She’s been offered a life of fame and fortune in Cessation, a glittering city where lawlessness is a way of life. But the price she pays for her freedom may be too great….

In this extraordinary debut from Lyndsay Ely, the West is once again wild after a Second Civil War fractures the U.S. into a broken, dangerous land. Pity’s struggle against the dark and twisted underbelly of a corrupt city will haunt you long after the final bullet is shot.  

Expected Publication: January 2nd 2018 by jimmy patterson

 

So that was my week in books, how was yours? If you’re participating feel free to leave your link in the comments so everyone can take a look!

This Week in Books 02.08.17 #TWIB

Welcome to This Week in Books, where we share what we’ve been up to in bookland this week and look ahead to next. 

Hi, Everyone! I missed last weeks’ post (soz) because I was just completely exhausted after going to Truck Festival and being wet, muddy and sleep deprived for 4 days – it was still fun though! I did at least get a bit of reading done since being back.

Here’s what my week looked like…

Now: Retribution Rails ~ Erin Bowman // Spectacles ~ Sue Perkins

I’ve only just started Retribution Rails – a companion book to Vengeance Road which I loved. I picked up Spectacles from work in a rare quiet moment and was hooked so had to bring it home!

Then:  Kids in Orange: Voices from Juvenile Detention ~ Mindy Hardwick // The Hate U Give ~ Angie Thomas // The Haunting ~ Alex Bell

These were all completely different, but all really good. The Hate You Give made me cry, The Haunted was totally creepy and Kids in Orange was so interesting. Reviews to follow!

Next: ???

Probably The Way it Hurts by Patty Blount, which is my next ARC review due.

New on the Shelves

Netgalley:

I thought this sounded interesting and fun!

A charming memoir of one woman’s unexpected journey from country chic to backwoods barnyard 

Just as the Great Recession was easing in some parts of the country, Jennifer McGaha experienced an economic crisis of epic proportions. Her home was in foreclosure; she had $4.57 in the bank; and worst of all, she had recently discovered that she and her accountant husband owed four years of back taxes to the state of North Carolina and the IRS. And then things got really bad…

Flat Broke with Two Goats takes readers on a wild adventure from a Cape Cod-style home in the country to a hundred-year-old, mice-infested, snake-ridden cabin in a North Carolina holler. With self-effacing humor and unflinching honesty, Jennifer chronicles the joys and difficulties of living close to nature, and in the process she comes to discover the true meaning of home. 

I was also approved for the new Andy Weir book. Whoop!

 

Jazz Bashara is a criminal. 

Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you’re not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you’ve got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent.

Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down. But pulling off the impossible is just the start of her problems, as she learns that she’s stepped square into a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself—and that now, her only chance at survival lies in a gambit even riskier than the first.

I’m Waiting On…

…Charlotte Says, because… I loved Frozen Charlotte and this is a prequel to that.

The much-anticipated prequel to the bestselling FROZEN CHARLOTTE, a Zoella Book Club title in Autumn 2016.

Following the death of her mother in a terrible fire, Jemima flees to the remote Isle of Skye, to take up a job at a school for girls. There she finds herself tormented by the mystery of what really happened that night.

Then Jemima receives a box of Frozen Charlotte dolls from a mystery sender and she begins to remember – a séance with the dolls, a violent argument with her step-father and the inferno that destroyed their home. And when it seems that the dolls are triggering a series of accidents at the school, Jemima realizes she must stop the demonic spirits possessing the dolls – whatever it takes.

Expected Publication: September 7th 2017 by Stripes Publishing

 So that’s been my week in books, now why don’t you tell me about yours!?

This Week in Books 19.07.17 #TWIB

 

Welcome to This Week in Books, where we share what we’ve been up to in bookland this week and look ahead to next. 

Another busy week this week – I went back to work after a week and half off, and I’m off to a festival at the weekend. I did, however manage to get lots of reading done last weekend which was great. So I feel like I’ve caught up again. Go me!

Here’s what my week looked like…

Now: Kids in Orange: Voices from Juvenile Detention ~ Mindy Hardwick // The Hate U Give ~ Angie Thomas

Kids in Orange is a memoir from a teacher/writer who did poetry workshops in juvenile detention centres in the U.S; about her time with the troubled children she worked with, the work they produced, and reflection on her life on the whole. It’s really interesting and relevant to my job so I’m enjoying it, but it’s not the kind of book I could read all in one go!

So I also picked up The Hate U Give which I loved by proxy before I’d even started it, and love it even more already. Can’t put it down.

Then:  White Cat ~ Holly Black // Strawberries at Wimbledon ~ Nikki Moore

I loved White Cat and definitely want to read the next book now. I also enjoyed cute little read, Strawberries at Wimbledon. I’ll try and review both in the next week or so.

Next: ???

Probably (still) Retribution Rails which isn’t out until November but I’m really eager to read it.

New on the Shelves

Netgalley: The only new book I added was The Silent Companions which I got approved for. It was my WoW pick last week. Sounds amazing so I’m chuffed with that one.  It’s also out in October so I’ll probably save it for my annual Horror October!

Inspired by the work of Shirley Jackson and Susan Hill and set in a crumbling country mansion, The Silent Companions is an unsettling gothic ghost story to send a shiver down the spine…

Newly married, newly widowed Elsie is sent to see out her pregnancy at her late husband’s crumbling country estate, The Bridge.

With her new servants resentful and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie only has her husband’s awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks. But inside her new home lies a locked room, and beyond that door lies a two-hundred-year-old diary and a deeply unsettling painted wooden figure – a Silent Companion – that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself…

 

I’m Waiting On…

…Artemis, because… I enjoyed The Martian (but didn’t LOVE it) and I’m intrigued by what Weir has come up with next.

Jazz Bashara is a criminal. 

Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you’re not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you’ve got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent.

Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down. But pulling off the impossible is just the start of her problems, as she learns that she’s stepped square into a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself—and that now, her only chance at survival lies in a gambit even riskier than the first.

Expected Publication: November 14th 2017 by Crown 

 So that’s been my week in books, now why don’t you tell me about yours!?

This Week in Books 05.07.17 #TWIB #CurrentlyReading

Welcome to This Week in Books, where we share what we’ve been up to in bookland this week and look ahead to next. 

Happy Wednesday, Everyone! This week has gone so quick I totally forgot to schedule this post! Oh well, it’s here now. Today is a good day because it was my last day at work until a week on Monday. Yayyyy! I can’t really afford to go away, but my friend Conny is coming over from Germany for a few days and we’ll be spending most of it at Wimbledon to see the tennis, so I’m excited! Whoop.

Anyway, here’s what my week has looked like…

Now: White Cat ~ Holly Black

It finally happened! I’m about half way through and really enjoying it but it’s taken a bit of a backseat since Wimbledon started on Monday.

Then:  The Horse with My Name ~ Colin Bateman

Loved this. After a long break from Bateman’s books it was a welcome comfort read. Funny and action-packed with a perfect balance of violence and silliness!

Next: ???

Probably Retribution Rails which isn’t out until November but I’m really eager to read it. Might sneak Strawberries at Wimbledon in first though.

New on the Shelves

Netgalley:

I’m weirdly not a fan of dogs (apart from Manchee) but I thought this sounded funny and interesting…it’s not out until September.

Every dog has its day…

And for Lineker, a happy go lucky mongrel from Peckham, the day the world ends is his: finally a chance to prove to his owner just how loyal he can be.

Reg, an agoraphobic writer with an obsession for nineties football, plans to wait out the impending doom in his second floor flat, hiding himself away from the riots outside.

But when an abandoned orphan shows up in the stairwell of their building, Reg and Lineker must brave the outside in order to save not only the child, but themselves…

Bought: 

This cute-looking short novella is currently free on Amazon so I couldn’t resist. Good time of the year for it!

The one that got away?

Sipping Pimms and eating fresh strawberries at Wimbledon are the perfect start to the British summer for Rayne. Immersed in her career as a journalist in the City, she’s been too busy and distracted to give men – or other outside interests – much of a chance lately. That’s something her friend Lily thinks she should correct, coming up with the perfect ‘sex with an ex’ solution – much to the amusement of the crowd on Centre Court!

When Rayne runs into old flame Adam, former good guy who is now all grown up with a hint of bad boy about him, it’s a tempting thought. But is that such a good idea, when she knows that four years ago, she broke his heart?

Back from travelling the world and settling into running the family business, Adam never expected to see his university girlfriend again. And he definitely didn’t think he would still be angry with her for running away, or that she would still have the same stunning effect on him. But she does, so maybe the perfect way to get her out of his dreams and from under his skin, is to have a hot sex-filled night with her? The only trouble is, one night might not be enough…

First love – can you ever go back?

 

I’m Waiting On…

…The  Cruel Prince, because… I need more Holly Black in my life. Plus, if it’s anything like The Darkest Part of the Forest then it’s going to be epic!

Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

Expected Publication:  January 2nd 2018 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

 So that’s been my week in books, now why don’t you tell me about yours!?

This Week in Books 28.06.17 #TWIB

Welcome to This Week in Books, where we share what we’ve been up to in bookland this week and look ahead to next. 

Happy Wednesday, blog friends! I’ve had a really nice chilled-out week so far (probably jinxed it now), hope yours has been good too. Here’s what my week in books has looked like…

Now: The Horse with My Name ~ Colin Bateman

It’s been a long time since I read any of Bateman’s books and it’s like having a reunion with an old friend. I still prefer the Mystery Man books, but the Dan Starkey series is great too. This is the 5th Starkey novel.

Then:  Fear ~ Dirk Kurbjuweit 

This was a really interesting and tense thriller but I found it a little on the slow side. Definitely worth a read though. My review will up next week.

Next: ???

Definitely White Cat by Holly Black. Promise.

New on the Shelves

I didn’t buy or borrow any books this week. Well done, me! 🙂

 

I’m Waiting On…

…The Silent Companion, because… it sounds great. Susan Hill, check. Gothic ghost story, check. Crumbling estate, CHECK, CHECK, CHECK!

Inspired by the work of Shirley Jackson and Susan Hill and set in a crumbling country mansion, The Silent Companions is an unsettling gothic ghost story to send a shiver down the spine…

Newly married, newly widowed Elsie is sent to see out her pregnancy at her late husband’s crumbling country estate, The Bridge.

With her new servants resentful and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie only has her husband’s awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks. But inside her new home lies a locked room, and beyond that door lies a two-hundred-year-old diary and a deeply unsettling painted wooden figure – a Silent Companion – that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself..

Expected Publication:  October 5th 2017 by Raven Books

 So that’s been my week in books, now why don’t you tell me about yours!?

This Week in Books 31.05.17 #TWIB #CurrentlyReading

Welcome to This Week in Books, where we share what we’ve been up to in bookland this week and look ahead to next. 

Happy Wednesday, Everyone. I hope you all had a nice long bank holiday, well, everyone who got one that it. I had a lovely time. I spent most of it sitting in the sun with friends, with cold beers in our hands 🙂

Anyway, here’s what my week has looked like…

Now: The Winter King ~ Bernard Cornwell  

I’m still reading The Winter King but I did pause to read 13 Steps of Evil in time for the launch that happened on Monday. See below for more info. I’m enjoying The Winter King a lot, but it’s one that I feel like I have to concentrate on and so I’m reading it really slowly. It’s nice to drink in all the lovely descriptive language from Cornwell though, so slow is good.

Then:  13 Steps to Evil ~ Sacha Black // The Time Machine ~ H.G Wells

I really enjoyed, and got a lot out of 13 Steps to Evil. It’s a great read for any writer. I reviewed it on Monday for the Publication day, which you can view here. I also finally finished The Time Machine, which is the smallest book ever, but took me three months of lunch-time reading to finish. Which shows how busy my work is. But busy is good, right? RIGHT?

Next: ???

It has to be my next ARC – One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus, which was out this week. Eeek!

New on the Shelves

Borrowed: 

I already know I will love this book from all the reviews and discussion about it in the news and blogosphere. My friend Dora has just finished it and loved it too, so she passed it to me. Thanks, Dora! I only hope I haven’t hyped it up too much…again.

Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed.

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl’s struggle for justice.

I’m Waiting On…

…That Inevitable Victorian Thing because just look at the cover! So pretty. Plus, it sounds great, obvs.

Set in a near-future world where the British Empire never fell and the United States never rose, That Inevitable Victorian Thing is a novel of love, duty, and the small moments that can change people and the world.

Victoria-Margaret is the crown princess of the empire, a direct descendent of Victoria I, the queen who changed the course of history two centuries earlier. The imperial practice of genetically arranged matchmaking will soon guide Margaret into a politically advantageous marriage like her mother before her, but before she does her duty, she’ll have one summer incognito in a far corner of empire.

In Toronto, she meets Helena Marcus, daughter of one of the empire’s greatest placement geneticists, and August Callaghan, the heir apparent to a powerful shipping firm currently besieged by American pirates. In a summer of high-society debutante balls, politically charged tea parties, and romantic country dances, Margaret, Helena, and August discover they share an unusual bond and maybe a one in a million chance to have what they want and to change the world in the process —just like the first Queen Victoria

Expected Publication: October 3rd 2017 by Dutton Books for Young Readers

 So that’s been my week in books, now why don’t you tell me about yours!?

This Week in Books 24.05.17 #TWIB #CurrentlyReading

Welcome to This Week in Books, where we share what we’ve been up to in bookland this week and look ahead to next. 

Happy Wednesday, Everyone. I’m so glad I have new answers for you this week!

Now: The Winter King ~ Bernard Cornwell // The Time Machine ~ H.G Wells

I was processing The Winter King at work and just had to borrow it. I didn’t know Cornwell had written an Arthurian trilogy! I’ve been meaning to try his The Last Kingdom series for a while because I liked the TV show, but couldn’t resist this one first. I am also determined to finish my lunchtime read The Time Machine this week.

Then:  The Marsh King’s Daughter  ~ Karen Dionne // Release ~ Patrick Ness

LOVED The Marsh King’s Daughter – my review went up last night. Previous to that I finished Release and I posted my review last week.

Next: ???

Either my next ARC which is One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus (see below) or perhaps something from my TBR pile – White Cat by Holly Black is currently at the top of it.

New on the Shelves

Netgalley: 

Yale hopeful Bronwyn has never publicly broken a rule.

Sports star Cooper only knows what he’s doing in the baseball diamond.

Bad body Nate is one misstep away from a life of crime.

Prom queen Addy is holding together the cracks in her perfect life.

And outsider Simon, creator of the notorious gossip app at Bayview High, won’t ever talk about any of them again.

He dies 24 hours before he could post their deepest secrets online. Investigators conclude it’s no accident. All of them are suspects.

Everyone has secrets, right?

What really matters is how far you’ll go to protect them.

Bought: This was just 99p on Kindle so I couldn’t resist. Had my eye on it since it came out.

Violet Lasting is no longer a human being. Tomorrow she becomes Lot 197, auctioned to the highest royal bidder in the Jewel of the Lone City. Tomorrow she becomes the Surrogate of the House of the Lake, her sole purpose to produce a healthy heir for the Duchess.

Imprisoned in the opulent cage of the palace, Violet learns the brutal ways of the Jewel, where the royal women compete to secure their bloodline and the surrogates are treated as disposable commodities.

Destined to carry the child of a woman she despises, Violet enters a living death of captivity – until she sets eyes on Ash Lockwood, the royal Companion.

Compelled towards each other by a reckless, clandestine passion, Violet and Ash dance like puppets in a deadly game of court politics, until they become each other’s jeopardy – and salvation.

I’m Waiting On…

…Not a Sound because it sounds great. I love that the protagonist is deaf and ends up investigating a crime.

When a tragic accident leaves nurse Amelia Winn deaf, she spirals into a depression that ultimately causes her to lose everything that matters–her job, her husband, David, and her stepdaughter, Nora. Now, two years later and with the help of her hearing dog, Stitch, she is finally getting back on her feet. But when she discovers the body of a fellow nurse in the dense bush by the river, deep in the woods near her cabin, she is plunged into a disturbing mystery that could shatter the carefully reconstructed pieces of her life all over again.

As clues begin to surface, Amelia finds herself swept into an investigation that hits all too close to home. But how much is she willing to risk in order to uncover the truth and bring a killer to justice?

New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf has been described as “masterful” and “intelligent” and compared to Lisa Scottoline and Jodi Picoult. Introducing her most compelling heroine yet, she delivers a taut and emotional thriller that proves she’s at the top of her class.   

Expected Publication: May 30th 2017 by Park Row Books

 So that’s been my week in books, now why don’t you tell me about yours!?