This Week in Books 28.11.18 #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 hope you’re all having a good week so far.

Here’s what I’ve been reading…

 

Then

Next?

Then

Now

Next?

NOW: This morning I started The Keeper of Lost Things  by Ruth Hogan for my work book group tomorrow. I’ve left it a bit late but hoping to get through at least half of it today. Luckily it’s started off well so shouldn’t be too much of a chore! 

THEN: Last night I finished Christmas by Accident by Camron Wright. It wasn’t the best Christmas book I’ve read and it almost lost me on so many occasions (which I’ll explain in my review), but in it the end it was just a bit better than OK.

 I also finished listening to the audio version of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, which I probably enjoyed more than reading the book (many years ago now). But I must say, I still prefer the film. Which I hardly ever say, HONEST!

NEXT: It’s still my intention to try How to Fracture a Fairy Tale by Jane Yolen, but I’ve also downloaded another audiobook (they are perfect for my short journey into work). I’ve gone for Seven days of Us by Francesca Hornak. It’s another Christmassy one…soznotsoz.

What have you been reading this week? Let me know in the comments below, or why not join in and publish a TWIB post of your own. Leave the link to your post and I’ll come take a look.

This Week in Books 02.05.18 #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, Everyone. Hope you’re all having a good week so far. Here’s what I’ve been up to…

Now

Clean Break ~ Tammy Cohen

I picked this up as a lunch-time read and I’m enjoying it so far. I was really sad the hear that the funding for Quick Reads has been withdrawn, they are a great way to entice reluctant adult readers. It’s a huge shame.

 

Marriage is complicated, especially for Kate.

Her husband Jack has a temper on him, and has been an absent father for years.

Kate knows it’s time for a divorce.

The trouble is, Jack refuses. And now that he has found out Kate has met another man, his jealous rages escalate.

Can Kate rid herself of her jealous husband before it’s too late?

Then

 

Mother of Eden ~ Chris Beckett

This was a great sequel to Dark Eden. It an imaginative, and scary version of a future ‘after earth’. Highly recommended!

“We speak of a mother’s love, but we forget her power.”

Civilization has come to the alien, sunless planet its inhabitants call Eden.

Just a few generations ago, the planet’s five hundred inhabitants huddled together in the light and warmth of the Forest’s lantern trees, afraid to venture out into the cold darkness around them.

Now, humanity has spread across Eden, and two kingdoms have emerged. Both are sustained by violence and dominated by men – and both claim to be the favored children of Gela, the woman who came to Eden long ago on a boat that could cross the stars, and became the mother of them all.
When young Starlight Brooking meets a handsome and powerful man from across Worldpool, she believes he will offer an outlet for her ambition and energy. But she has no inkling that she will become a stand-in for Gela herself, and wear Gela’s fabled ring on her own finger—or that in this role, powerful and powerless all at once, she will try to change the course of Eden’s history.

 

Next…?

 

Definitely Final Draft by Riley Redgate.

I probably would have started this by the time this post publishes. I hope so, anyway. It sounds great!

The only sort of risk 18-year-old Laila Piedra enjoys is the peril she writes for the characters in her stories: epic sci-fi worlds full of quests, forbidden love, and robots. Her creative writing teacher has always told her she has a special talent. But three months before her graduation, he’s suddenly replaced—by Nadiya Nazarenko, a Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist who is sadistically critical and perpetually unimpressed.
 
At first, Nazarenko’s eccentric assignments seem absurd. But before long, Laila grows obsessed with gaining the woman’s approval. Soon Laila is pushing herself far from her comfort zone, discovering the psychedelic highs and perilous lows of nightlife, temporary flings, and instability. Dr. Nazarenko has led Laila to believe that she must choose between perfection and sanity—but rejecting her all-powerful mentor may be the only way for Laila to thrive.

 

 

What have you been reading this week? Leave a comment/link and I’ll do my best to take a look.

This Week in Books 23.04.18 #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. Hope you’re all having a good week so far. Here’s what I’ve been up to…

Now

 

Mother of Eden ~ Chris Beckett

So far so good on this sequel to Dark Eden.

 

“We speak of a mother’s love, but we forget her power.”

Civilization has come to the alien, sunless planet its inhabitants call Eden.

Just a few generations ago, the planet’s five hundred inhabitants huddled together in the light and warmth of the Forest’s lantern trees, afraid to venture out into the cold darkness around them.

Now, humanity has spread across Eden, and two kingdoms have emerged. Both are sustained by violence and dominated by men – and both claim to be the favored children of Gela, the woman who came to Eden long ago on a boat that could cross the stars, and became the mother of them all.
When young Starlight Brooking meets a handsome and powerful man from across Worldpool, she believes he will offer an outlet for her ambition and energy. But she has no inkling that she will become a stand-in for Gela herself, and wear Gela’s fabled ring on her own finger—or that in this role, powerful and powerless all at once, she will try to change the course of Eden’s history.

 

 

Then

 

The Language of Thorns ~ Leigh Bardugo

I liked this collection of stories, but a couple of them fell a bit flat for me. The book itself is absolutely stunning though, which more than made up for it. 

‘Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns.’

Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid’s voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy’s bidding but only for a terrible price.

Inspired by myth, fairy tale, and folklore, #1 New York Times–bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciously atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love.

 

Next…?

 

Definitely Final Draft by Riley Redgate.

It sounds great and I’ve been meaning to get round to it for a while!

The only sort of risk 18-year-old Laila Piedra enjoys is the peril she writes for the characters in her stories: epic sci-fi worlds full of quests, forbidden love, and robots. Her creative writing teacher has always told her she has a special talent. But three months before her graduation, he’s suddenly replaced—by Nadiya Nazarenko, a Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist who is sadistically critical and perpetually unimpressed.
 
At first, Nazarenko’s eccentric assignments seem absurd. But before long, Laila grows obsessed with gaining the woman’s approval. Soon Laila is pushing herself far from her comfort zone, discovering the psychedelic highs and perilous lows of nightlife, temporary flings, and instability. Dr. Nazarenko has led Laila to believe that she must choose between perfection and sanity—but rejecting her all-powerful mentor may be the only way for Laila to thrive.

 

 

What have you been reading this week? Leave a comment/link and I’ll do my best to take a look.

This Week in Books 11.04.18 #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 haven’t been around much lately, but I’m hoping to get a few reviews up and catch up with all your posts this weekend. Fingers crossed!

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

Now

 

The Language of Thorns ~ Leigh Bardugo

I haven’t started this yet, but will have by the time you read this. It’s such a pretty book, I hope it lives up to it!

‘Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns.’

Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid’s voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy’s bidding but only for a terrible price.

Inspired by myth, fairy tale, and folklore, #1 New York Times–bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciously atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love.

Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, these tales will transport you to lands both familiar and strange—to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse.

This collection of six stories includes three brand-new tales, all of them lavishly illustrated with art that changes with each turn of the page, culminating in six stunning full-spread illustrations as rich in detail as the stories themselves.

 

Then

 

Member of the Family: Manson, Murder and Me ~ Dianne Lake

I only finished this last night. It was an interesting read, but not amazing.

In this poignant and disturbing memoir of lost innocence, coercion, survival, and healing, Dianne Lake chronicles her years with Charles Manson, revealing for the first time how she became the youngest member of his Family and offering new insights into one of the twentieth century’s most notorious criminals and life as one of his “girls.”

At age fourteen, Dianne Lake—with little more than a note in her pocket from her hippie parents granting her permission to leave them—became one of “Charlie’s girls,” a devoted acolyte of cult leader Charles Manson. Over the course of two years, the impressionable teenager endured manipulation, psychological control, and physical abuse as the harsh realities and looming darkness of Charles Manson’s true nature revealed itself. From Spahn ranch and the group acid trips, to the Beatles’ White Album and Manson’s dangerous messiah-complex, Dianne tells the riveting story of the group’s descent into madness as she lived it.

Though she never participated in any of the group’s gruesome crimes and was purposely insulated from them, Dianne was arrested with the rest of the Manson Family, and eventually learned enough to join the prosecution’s case against them. With the help of good Samaritans, including the cop who first arrested her and later adopted her, the courageous young woman eventually found redemption and grew up to lead an ordinary life.

While much has been written about Charles Manson, this riveting account from an actual Family member is a chilling portrait that recreates in vivid detail one of the most horrifying and fascinating chapters in modern American history.

Anything You Do Say ~ Gillian McAllister

I really enjoyed this. It was as addictive as I’d been told it was!

 Joanna is an avoider. So far she has spent her adult life hiding bank statements and changing career aspirations weekly.

But then one night Joanna hears footsteps on the way home. Is she being followed? She is sure it’s him; the man from the bar who wouldn’t leave her alone. Hearing the steps speed up Joanna turns and pushes with all of her might, sending her pursuer tumbling down the steps and lying motionless on the floor.

Now Joanna has to do the thing she hates most – make a decision. Fight or flight? Truth or lie? Right or wrong?

Next…?

 

Probably Mother of Eden…

 

“We speak of a mother’s love, but we forget her power.”

Civilization has come to the alien, sunless planet its inhabitants call Eden.

Just a few generations ago, the planet’s five hundred inhabitants huddled together in the light and warmth of the Forest’s lantern trees, afraid to venture out into the cold darkness around them.

Now, humanity has spread across Eden, and two kingdoms have emerged. Both are sustained by violence and dominated by men – and both claim to be the favored children of Gela, the woman who came to Eden long ago on a boat that could cross the stars, and became the mother of them all.
When young Starlight Brooking meets a handsome and powerful man from across Worldpool, she believes he will offer an outlet for her ambition and energy. But she has no inkling that she will become a stand-in for Gela herself, and wear Gela’s fabled ring on her own finger—or that in this role, powerful and powerless all at once, she will try to change the course of Eden’s history.

 

What have you been reading this week? Leave a comment/link and I’ll do my best to take a look

This Week in Books 28.03.18 #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. Here’s what I’ve been reading this week…

Now:

 

Member of the Family: Manson, Murder and Me ~ Dianne Lake

I don’t read a huge amount of true crime but I’ve always had a weird fascination with Charles Manson, so I had to pick this up when I spotted it in the library last week. Not much to report so far, but hoping it’ll be an interesting read.

In this poignant and disturbing memoir of lost innocence, coercion, survival, and healing, Dianne Lake chronicles her years with Charles Manson, revealing for the first time how she became the youngest member of his Family and offering new insights into one of the twentieth century’s most notorious criminals and life as one of his “girls.”

At age fourteen, Dianne Lake—with little more than a note in her pocket from her hippie parents granting her permission to leave them—became one of “Charlie’s girls,” a devoted acolyte of cult leader Charles Manson. Over the course of two years, the impressionable teenager endured manipulation, psychological control, and physical abuse as the harsh realities and looming darkness of Charles Manson’s true nature revealed itself. From Spahn ranch and the group acid trips, to the Beatles’ White Album and Manson’s dangerous messiah-complex, Dianne tells the riveting story of the group’s descent into madness as she lived it.

Though she never participated in any of the group’s gruesome crimes and was purposely insulated from them, Dianne was arrested with the rest of the Manson Family, and eventually learned enough to join the prosecution’s case against them. With the help of good Samaritans, including the cop who first arrested her and later adopted her, the courageous young woman eventually found redemption and grew up to lead an ordinary life.

While much has been written about Charles Manson, this riveting account from an actual Family member is a chilling portrait that recreates in vivid detail one of the most horrifying and fascinating chapters in modern American history.

Then:

 

Emily Windsnap and the Falls of Forgotten Island

This was my first Emily Windsnap book and it was great. Cute, with a great adventure…and I love a good prophecy! I was also really pleased that it read well as a stand-alone.

 

Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda ~ Becky Albertalli

I knew I would enjoy this book, but I do think it was hyped up a bit too much. I was expecting something more unique, but that’s not to say I didn’t thoroughly enjoy it, because I did!

Next:

 

Either Anything You Do Say, or Mother of Eden. What would you go for?

 Joanna is an avoider. So far she has spent her adult life hiding bank statements and changing career aspirations weekly.

But then one night Joanna hears footsteps on the way home. Is she being followed? She is sure it’s him; the man from the bar who wouldn’t leave her alone. Hearing the steps speed up Joanna turns and pushes with all of her might, sending her pursuer tumbling down the steps and lying motionless on the floor.

Now Joanna has to do the thing she hates most – make a decision. Fight or flight? Truth or lie? Right or wrong?

 

 

“We speak of a mother’s love, but we forget her power.”
Civilization has come to the alien, sunless planet its inhabitants call Eden.

Just a few generations ago, the planet’s five hundred inhabitants huddled together in the light and warmth of the Forest’s lantern trees, afraid to venture out into the cold darkness around them.

Now, humanity has spread across Eden, and two kingdoms have emerged. Both are sustained by violence and dominated by men – and both claim to be the favored children of Gela, the woman who came to Eden long ago on a boat that could cross the stars, and became the mother of them all.
When young Starlight Brooking meets a handsome and powerful man from across Worldpool, she believes he will offer an outlet for her ambition and energy. But she has no inkling that she will become a stand-in for Gela herself, and wear Gela’s fabled ring on her own finger—or that in this role, powerful and powerless all at once, she will try to change the course of Eden’s history.

 

What have you been reading this week? Leave a comment/link and I’ll do my best to take a look 🙂

This Week in Books 21.03.18 #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. Here’s what I’ve been reading this week…

Now:

 

Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda ~ Becky Albertalli

I fiiiinally bought myself a copy of this book. I’m sure I will love it!

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

 

Then:

 

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue ~ Mackenzi Lee

This was a bit of a stop/start book for me, but after the half way mark I didn’t want to put it down.

Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed.

The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

Next:

 

Possibly Emily Windsnap and the Falls of Forgotten Island.

OK, so I didn’t realise this was a series when I saw it on Netgalley…and this is book 7. Eek. I’m really hoping it won’t matter though, it looks so pretty!

While on vacation, Emily Windsnap finds herself swept up in an ancient prophecy as the New York Times best-selling series continues.

Emily is headed to a tropical island for a relaxing vacation with friends and family. And this time, Emily promises her best friend, Shona, there will be absolutely no adventure — just plenty of fun. But somehow excitement always seems to find Emily, and before she knows it, she ends up on the other side of a powerful waterfall on a forgotten island no one else can get to. Well, no one that isn’t a half-mer like Emily and her boyfriend, Aaron. The people who live on the island believe in a prophecy that foretells how they can be saved from an imminent, devastating earthquake — and this prophecy seems to revolve around Emily and Aaron, as well as a mysterious, mythic giant. Will they be able to find the giant — and fulfill the prophecy — before it’s too late?

 

What have you been reading this week? Leave a comment/link and I’ll do my best to take a look 🙂

This Week in Books 07.03.18 #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. Here’s what I’ve been reading this week…

Now:

 

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue ~ Mackenzi Lee

I’m still going on this, but only because I put it down for a while. It’s got nothing to do with the story, the book is just too damn big to carry around with me!

Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed.

The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

 

Then:

 

Inspector Chopra and the Million-Dollar Motor Car ~ Vaseem Khan

This was a fun little mystery. It’s definitely made me want to read the series.

The Premier No.1 Garage is the place to go in Mumbai if you want a luxury car. Even Mumbai’s biggest gangster shops there – he’s just ordered a classic race car worth millions.

But now the car is gone. Stolen from a locked room, in the middle of the night.

Who stole it? The mechanic who is addicted to gambling? The angry ex-worker? The car thief pulling off one last job?

And how on earth did they make it vanish from the locked garage?

Inspector Chopra has just days to find the culprit – and the missing car – before its gangster owner finds out … and takes violent reveng.

Scarecrow ~ Danny Weston

This was a fun, quick read but I think the great cover is misleading – I was expecting a scary one!

Jack and his dad are runaways. Jack’s father recently turned whistleblower, revealing the truth about the illicit dealings of some powerful people. Realising that he and Jack might be in danger, Dad drives them to a remote shooting lodge in the Scottish Highlands, where they intend to lay low.

In the cornfield beside the lodge stands a scarecrow. When Jack witnesses something incredible, he begins to realise that it is no ordinary scarecrow – it is alive, hungry and fuelled by rage. And when Dad’s enemies begin to converge on the lodge, the scarecrow might just turn out to be Jack’s best hope of survival

 

Almost Midnight ~ Rainbow Rowell

I couldn’t resist picking this one up from work when it was snowing. It got me in the mood! It was my first go of Rainbow Rowell and everything I expected it to be – very cute!

Midnights is the story of Noel and Mags, who meet at the same New Year’s Eve party every year and fall a little more in love each time . . .

Kindred Spirits is about Elena, who decides to queue to see the new Star Wars movie and meets Gabe, a fellow fan.

Midnights was previously published as part of the My True Love Gave to Me anthology, edited by Stephanie Perkins and Kindred Spirits was previously published as a World Book Day title.

Next:

 

Once again I have no idea! I’m very indecisive at the moment.

 

What have you been reading this week? Leave a comment/link and I’ll do my best to take a look 🙂

This Week in Books 28.02.18 #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! Here’s what I’ve been reading this week…

Now:

 

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue ~ Mackenzi Lee

I haven’t made much of a headway with this I’m afraid…but so far so good!

Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed.

The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

Inspector Chopra and the Million-Dollar Motor Car ~ Vaseem Khan

I did however, pick up this Quick Read at lunch the other day, as the author is coming in to do a talk soon. 🙂 I haven’t read any of Khan’s books before but I’m enjoying this a lot. It’s fun. 

The Premier No.1 Garage is the place to go in Mumbai if you want a luxury car. Even Mumbai’s biggest gangster shops there – he’s just ordered a classic race car worth millions.

But now the car is gone. Stolen from a locked room, in the middle of the night.

Who stole it? The mechanic who is addicted to gambling? The angry ex-worker? The car thief pulling off one last job?

And how on earth did they make it vanish from the locked garage?

Inspector Chopra has just days to find the culprit – and the missing car – before its gangster owner finds out … and takes violent revenge.

Then:

 

The Hematophages ~ Stephen Kozeniewski

I didn’t finish anything new this week. The last one was this. My review is here.

Doctoral student Paige Ambroziak is a “station bunny” – she’s never set foot off the deep space outpost where she grew up. But when she’s offered a small fortune to join a clandestine salvage mission, she jumps at the chance to leave the cutthroat world of academia behind.

Paige is convinced she’s been enlisted to find the legendary Manifest Destiny, a long-lost colonization vessel from an era before the corporations ruled Earth and its colonies. Whatever she’s looking for, though, rests in the blood-like seas of a planet-sized organism called a fleshworld.

Dangers abound for Paige and her shipmates. Flying outside charted space means competing corporations can shoot them on sight rather than respect their salvage rights. The area is also crawling with pirates like the ghoulish skin-wrappers, known for murdering anyone they can’t extort.

But the greatest threat to Paige’s mission is the nauseating alien parasites which infest the fleshworld. These lamprey-like monstrosities are used to swimming freely in an ocean of blood, and will happily spill a new one from the veins of the outsiders who have tainted their home. In just a few short, bone-chilling hours Paige learns that there are no limits to the depravity and violence of the grotesque nightmares known as…THE HEMATOPHAGES

Next:

 

Still no idea. I’m going to see how I feel.

 

What have you been reading this week? Leave a comment/link and I’ll do my best to take a look 🙂

This Week in Books 29.11.17 #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. 

I’ve finally got back into reading after enjoying some time off and lots of TV bingeing. I also missed last week’s post, so I have more books than usual to share, which is nice!

Now:

Carnivalesque ~ Neil Jordan

Norse Mythology ~ Neil Gaiman

Then:

Heir of Locksley ~ N.B Dixon

The Santa Thief ~ Alane Adams

Christmas Under a Starlit Sky ~ Holly Martin

Yuletide Homicide ~ Jennifer David Hesse

Now

I loved Heir Of Locksley and look forward to the next book, The Santa Thief was a cute little picture book set in the 1920s, Christmas Under a Starlit Sky was nice enough, but not as good as I was expecting (or the first book), and Yuletide Homicide was a fun, unique little mystery.

I better get working on some reviews ASAP.

Next???

 

I’m tempted to read Little Women which I’ve actually bought for my Nan for Christmas. Shhhhhh! I’ve never been huge on classics, and tried to read it when I was a kid but didn’t stick it out. Maybe I should give it another go? I also have Artemis by Andy Weir to read but I have a feeling I’ll be in the mood for more Christmassy reads…

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

 

 

This Month in Books: August 2017 #TMIB #MonthlyRoundup

August. What happened in August? I went to a few excellent birthday parties including my Dad’s 70th but other than that I’m drawing a blank. LOL. I’m so over the Summertime now and I’m already looking forward to Winter! I plan on started my annual hibernation ASAP. 😉

August 2017 Stats

Total Posts: 14 (+7 from previous month)

Books Read: 6 (=)
Spectacles ~ Sue Perkins
Klaus Vogel and the Bad Lads ~ David McAlmond
The Way it Hurt ~ Patty Blount (DNF)
Retribution Rails ~ Erin Bowman
The Ice Dragon ~ George R.R Martin
Prince of Shadows ~ Rachel Caine

The Breakdown:
Genres: YA (3/6); Fantasy (1/6); Non-Fiction (1/6); Children’s (2/6)

Formats/Sources: Advance Copy (2/6); Digital (2/6); Hardback (1/6); Paperback (3/6) // Owned (1/6); Borrowed (3/6); For Review/proofs (2/6)

Most Surprising: Spectacles
Most Disappointing: The Way it Hurts
Most Exciting: Retribution Rails
Most Swoon-worthy: Retribution Rails
Most Beautifully Written: Prince of Shadows

Reviews

• • The Hate U Give (5/5)
  • Reading Round-up (mini reviews)
  • Kids in orange (3/5)
  • Retribution Rails (5/5)

Most Viewed Posts

1. Book Promo: Manipulated Lives by H.A Leuschel
2. Top Ten Tuesday: Favourite Books of 2017 (so far)
3. This Week in Books 09.08.17

Promos, Guest Posts & Other Highlights

• Book Promo: Manipulated Lives by H.A Leuschel
• Coming Up!
• Reading Round-up: July

Awards

 

TBR Shelf Update

Last year I decided I HAD to do something about my physical TBR shelves. Each month I’ll be doing a quick update to see how I’ve done. See my original post here, and my updated TBR list here. 

Previous TBR Count: 82

Books Added: 4

Books Read: 1

Remaining: 85

That was my month, how was yours?

Look out for my reading round-up next week!