Playing Catch Up...

It's been a while since I posted any reviews or taken part in my usual book memes. Real life has gotten in the way some what. All good things though which is always a bonus. Since my last post I have purchased, borrowed and received many books. And I've read quite a few too. So, in this post I am going to give a quick run down of these books to incorporate my Mailbox Monday and WWW Wednesdays book memes.

Here are the books which made it in to my house over the last few weeks:

Kindle Purchases:


NetGalley Books for Review:


What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading my first Robert McCammon book, Swan Song. It's a real whopper at 856 pages. It is set in a post-nuclear-apocalyptic world with some supernatural elements thrown in to the mix. I am really liking the writing style and there are some great characters. It's pretty bleak as you'd expect when life as you know it goes down the pan. I'm nearly half way through it. I will definitely be reading more of McCammon's books in the future.

What have you read recently?

I've read quite a number of books since I last posted. My most recently read book was a firm favourite of mine, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Many of my Goodreads friends had read it and rated it 5 stars so I've wanted to read it for a while now. I decided to treat myself to the book with some money I got for my birthday. I read it as a buddy read which I am glad of as I got to discuss and reminisce over the 80s popular culture references throughout the book. I will post my review soon.

I read Horns by Joe Hill, one of my favourite authors, in preparation for the film release. The book was fantastic, although I'm yet to go to the cinema and see it.

I also read a horror classic for Halloween - Ghost Story by Peter Straub. This was my first book by Straub. I thought the book was pretty slow in pace but it still had me captivated which is quite unusual for me. I will certainly check out his other books though.

Another favourite recent read was Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz. I have read a large proportion of Koontz's work and this book is a great start to the series. I've already bought the follow up book for it. I do love it when I find a series I like that has already quite a number of books in it to work through.

Another classic was Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice which I thought I had better read as I received it for my birthday last year and a year has already flown by. I profess to loving anything vampire so it's quite embarrassing that I have never read this book before (I've seen the film though). I did enjoy it, loved the writing style but it was quite slow in pace.

And finally, I read The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. This is a fantastic book - I wish I had been a kid when it came out to experience it with childhood imagination and wonder.

What will you be reading next?
I've pretty much finished all my book challenges for the year so after I've finished Swan Song, I am going to read something fun I think. I've got quite a number of NetGalley books to read and review but also I would like to read some of my dead tree books so they can go off to the charity shop so I have one less book to pack when I move house. Decisions, decisions!

Have you read any of these? And what did you think?

WWW Wednesday - 8th Oct

The book meme WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading.

The aim of WWW Wednesday is to answer the following three questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?
I just started reading Horns by Joe Hill last week and I have about 100 pages left. It is really good and it's a great book for a group read. I'm enjoying the discussion almost as much as the book. What I love about Joe Hill and Stephen King is that they tip their hats to each other and to other books they have read. When you've read a few of their books, you start to notice them and when I do, I get all excited because I'm in out and I know what they are talking about.

I am also listening to Case Histories by Kate Atkinson. I was enjoying it at first but it seems to have slowed down midway through the book. I'm hoping it will pick up soon as the cases start to be solved. I do like Atkinson's writing style though.

What did you recently finish reading?
I haven't finished anything this week.

What do you think you’ll read next?
Well, my buddy read for A Discovery of Witches has been moved to next month now so I've decided to read Ghost Story by Peter Straub instead. I've not read any books by Straub before.

Have you read any of these? And what did you think?

WWW Wednesdays (8)

The book meme WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading.

The aim of WWW Wednesday is to answer the following three questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Well I seem to have come out of my reading slump which is great news but I am so busy at the moment I have less time to read and even less time to keep up with this blog and my weekly memes. Managing to hold on to this Wednesday one though. Hopefully things will quieten down soon and I can get back in to the flow of things.

What are you currently reading?
I just started reading Horns by Joe Hill today for a group read. In fact I nominated the book for the group read and it was chosen so I'm feeling quite chuffed about that. I want to read the book before the film comes out at the end of the month. I have loved all of Joe Hill's books so can't wait to find out what this one is like.

What did you recently finish reading?
I finished Shades of Grey By Jasper Fforde which just seemed to take ages for me to read but I did enjoy it very much and eagerly await the follow up books. Let's just hope it isn't too long before the next one comes out as I might have forgotten some of the intricacies of the world by that point. I will definitely be reading more of Fforde's work - he has two other series on the go too.

I finished Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence for a buddy read. I really enjoyed it - not for the faint hearted though. It's quite different to other fantasy books I have read in that there wasn't a huge amount of world building. I felt that it was probably a case of the Publishers limiting the word count because it was a debut book. I will be continuing with the series though as I want to know what happens to the characters I met in the first book.

I also finished Hexed by Kevin Hearne which is book two in The Iron Druid Chronicles. It is such a fun read with lots of laugh out moments. I love all the popular culture (or maybe nerd culture) references in this series too. It was this book which helped me out of my reading slump for sure.

What do you think you’ll read next?
I will most likely be reading A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness for a buddy read but that doesn't start until the 6th of the month. If I get through Horns quickly, then I might try to squeeze in Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz beforehand.

Have you read any of these? And what did you think?

WWW Wednesday (7)

The book meme WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading.

The aim of WWW Wednesday is to answer the following three questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

I seem to be in a bit of a reading slump at the moment. It's taking forever to get through my books which is very unlike me. But I guess we all go through these at some points. It is frustrating me though especially as I've committed to a number of group/buddy reads which have start dates and I'm feeling under pressure! That's not what reading should be a bout so I need to prioritise and let some slide...

What are you currently reading?
I am also still reading Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde. I am enjoying it but I feel like throwing the book right now as it's taken me nearly a month to get through and I'm sick of the cover now! It's taking a while to read because the language is very clever, very subtle with plays on words, sarcasm and humour throughout and I don't want to miss anything.

I started reading Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence for a buddy read. One of the reasons I love fantasy books is because of the world building and the interesting characters. This book, which was the author's debut, has intriguing characters but it lacks the world building aspect so I feel the story is lacking somewhat. It is holding my interest though and I want to find out where the story is leading. It is the first book in the Broken Empire series.

What did you recently finish reading?
I finished reading Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden which was fantastic. I gave it 5 stars and it made it on to my favourites list. I can't believe I waited so long to read it. I highly recommend it if you haven't read it already.

What do you think you’ll read next?
In theory, I am supposed to be reading Hexed by Kevin Hearne for another buddy read. I really want to read it as I loved the first book in the series. However, the buddy read started today and I am nowhere near finishing the two books I am currently reading. We shall see...

Have you read any of these? And what did you think?

WWW Wednesdays (6)

The book meme WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading.

The aim of WWW Wednesday is to answer the following three questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Well, it feels kind of pointless joining in this week as I've had so little time to myself to read that I am still reading the books I was for WWW Wednesday last week and I haven't finished any others since then either. I didn't even get the chance to write a post yesterday for the two Tuesday book memes I take part in. Real life has got in the way - in a good way though thankfully! In fact, this boat is what has got in the way!

What are you currently reading?
I am still reading Memoirs of a Geisha by Andrew Golden. I am really enjoyed it and I'm about 70% in so not long now. I will definitely want to watch the film after I've finished too.

I am also still reading Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde for a group read. I am enjoying it but I haven't read as much of it this week as I've been focusing more on Memoirs of a Geisha.

What did you recently finish reading?
Nothing that I haven't already mentioned in previous posts :-(

What do you think you’ll read next?
I just picked up the last book in the Women of the Otherworld series, 13 by Kelley Armstrong, from the library as I really want to tick off another series as completed so I will probably read that. But that depends on when I finish my current books as I have a buddy read due to start soon for Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence.



Have you read any of these? And what did you think?

WWW Wednesday (5)

The book meme WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading.

The aim of WWW Wednesday is to answer the following three questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading Memoirs of a Geisha by Andrew Golden. It has been on my physical bookshelf for years but I have kept putting it off for some reason. Then this month, in a group I'm in on Goodreads, we were paired up with someone who would choose a book for us to read from our To Be Read shelf. And this book was chosen for me! I am so pleased with the choice too. I can't believe I have waited so long to read it. It is beautifully written, very interesting and the characters are well developed.

I am also reading Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde for a group read and I am thoroughly enjoying it. Very humorous, extremely well written and the world is expertly crafted. This is my first book by Fforde and it won't be the last! Check out the book's intro.

I am also listening to Stephen Fry narrating Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K Rowling. it is my first read through of this series. I've seen most of the films except this one it would seem. I knew there was one that got away! I hope Stephen Fry narrates the whole series as he has the perfect voice for it. I'm enjoying it so far.



What did you recently finish reading?

I finished Shift by Hugh Howey which is the second book in his dystopian silo series. Because this one was a prequel, there was a new cast of characters - towards the end there was some overlap as the story brought us up to present day with the first book. It was a great book and set things up nicely for the series finale, Dust. I will post the review imminently.

I also finished Spell Bound by Kelley Armstrong which is the 12th book in her Women of the Otherworld series. Just one more book to go now although there are a couple books of short stories too which I might check out afterwards. Sometimes when I finish a series it's almost like I mourn it because I've enjoyed it so much, while others I can't wait to finish even though I've had fun reading all the books. With this series, I am feeling the latter - not because the series is bad - far from it. I have loved every moment of it but I'd like to finish it and move on to another series now.

What do you think you’ll read next?
A difficult question! I'm undecided. I have read all the books I "need" to read this month, except Prince of Thorns but I am reading that for a buddy read towards the end of the month. So in the meantime, I can just read some books "just because". I'd like to work through the unread books on my actual book shelf so that once read, I can put them in the box to be "carbooted" to clear some space. So that narrows it down somewhat. So I'm thinking either Made to be Broken by Kelley Armstrong, Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice, The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson or Drawing of the Three by Stephen King. I had wanted to save all my spooky books for October so that I can read nothing but spooky but I think I'll still be able to do that even if I go with one now as well.



Have you read any of these? And what did you think?

WWW Wednesday (4)

The book meme WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading.

The aim of WWW Wednesday is to answer the following three questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

I am not far off finishing Shift by Hugh Howey which is the second book in the Wool Series. While it's the second book, it is actually a prequel which I think upsets the overall series flow. It is very interesting to read about how the apocalypse came about and what happened in those early years but there is definitely less suspense (and surprises) compared to the first book. I'm still enjoying it though and I have the final book, Dust, already loaded on my kindle.

What did you recently finish reading?

Last night I finished reading Rose of Sarajevo by Ayşe Kulin for a buddy read plus I needed to review it for NetGalley. At the beginning, I wasn't sure whether the author knew whether she wanted to write a history book or a novel. It was heavy on the politics and history which I found very interesting but I didn't find that it weaved smoothly into the fictional story line. The second half of the book flowed better and was more focused on story of the main characters. I have learnt a lot about the Yugoslavian war though which was one of the main reasons I wanted to read the book.

I finished Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn which was an amazing read. I'm very sad now though as I have read all of Flynn's books and have to wait ages now for her next one! Flynn's books seem to be either love it or hate it mainly because she focuses on the darker side of life. I love that kind of thing as I think it is more real than a book which is all happily ever after.


What do you think you’ll read next?

Next up is Spell Bound by Kelley Armonstrong, which is the 12th book in The Women of the Otherworld series. I've thoroughly enjoyed the series but I'm kind of glad that it's coming to an end soon (just one more book to read after this one).

Have you read any of these?

WWW Wednesday (3)

The book meme WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading.

The aim of WWW Wednesday is to answer the following three questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

In my last WWW Wednesday post, I listed a couple of books that I was thinking of reading next. Everyone who commented suggested I choose Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. And so I did! I have read all of her other books and I really like her writing style. I like books which have interesting characters and that cover the darker side of life. I've been holding off reading this book because once I'm done, I won't have anything else by her to read and will have to join the group of many other people waiting for her next masterpiece! I'm about 70% in and I'm finding it very difficult to put down.

In September, a book group I'm a member of will be reading Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov which I have wanted to read for quite some time. I don't have a good track record with books deemed to be classics and so I wasn't sure whether to participate or not even though I really want to read it. So, I decided to download the kindle sample so I could see what the writing style was like. Well, I read it and it hooked me in so I bought the full version. I've only read about 10% of it so far and I think I will hold off reading any more until the beginning of the month so I can join in the discussion.

Wow! Not one fantasy book on the go at the moment! That has to be a first!

What did you recently finish reading?

I finished reading Storm Front by Jim Butcher which was the first in the Dresden Files series. I thought it was a great start to the series and I can't wait to read more about Harry Dresden, the hopeless Wizard Detective. Check out Storm Front's First Lines & Teasers as well as my Review.

I also finished listening to Miss Peregrine's School for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. If you haven't read this, I would recommend you read the print version as opposed to the audiobook version - I don't think it suits the format. Check out Miss Peregrine's First Lines & Teasers as well as my Review.

Another abandoned book this week - The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2014 Edition which is an anthology of short stories. I hadn't heard of any of the authors except Brandon Sanderson and Neil Gaiman, two of my favourite authors. I read a couple stories in the book but short stories just aren't for me so I skipped straight to the Sanderson and Gaiman stories and then abandoned the book after that. I may come back to it at some point in the future. It was worth it for the stories I read though.

What do you think you’ll read next?

I am going to be reading Rose of Sarajevo by Ayşe Kulin from the 29th August for a buddy read. My buddy and I both visited the Balkan region over the Summer and were struck by how little we knew of the war that occurred there back in the 90s. We wanted to know more but to learn from fiction because it's much more enjoyable. And then I say that this book was due to be released this month and we were able to get a copy through NetGalley.

I need another fantasy book to start too but not sure which one. I featured I, Morgana in my Tuesday Intro & Teasers post so I could read that one especially as I need to review it for NetGalley but it really isn't screaming "Read Me!" So, other books I'm planning to read during September include The Daylight War by Peter V Brett, Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde, Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence.


Which do you think I should tackle first?

WWW Wednesday (2)

Wow Wednesday has come round fast! The book meme WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading.

The aim of WWW Wednesday is to answer the following three questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

I started Storm Front by Jim Butcher yesterday and I'm really enjoying it so far. It's the first in the series.

I also started The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2014 Edition last week as I received it through NetGalley for review but once I finish the story I am currently on, I think I am going to stop reading. Short stories are just not for me. What tends to happen is that I am just starting to get to know the characters and what is going on and then the story ends. I find it rather frustrating. Short stories are just too short for me.

What did you recently finish reading?

I finished reading Inferno by Dan Brown at the beginning of the week which I really enjoyed. It feels good to be able to tick another finished and/or up to date series of my list.

From a great reading experience to a failed one with MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood. I just couldn't carry on with it unfortunately. I was so looking forward to the final installment in the trilogy but a couple aspects of the story (characters mainly) really started to grate on me, although I never had that with the first two books.

What do you think you’ll read next?
Depending on how quickly I get through Storm Front depends on what my next read will be as I have a buddy read coming up at the end of the month. I am flying through it at the moment though. If I finish it in the next couple of days then I might try to squeeze in one of the following: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence or Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.


Related Posts:
Storm Front First Lines & Teaser