Monday Highlights #28

The idea is to just link your favourite blog post from the past week (for example a post you're very proud of or just had a lot of fun making) and then I, and hopefully others, can discover new blogs to follow and interact with and discover more posts from blogs we may already follow!

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare), Facebook and Instagram to keep up with what we are reading.

Sunday Post 15th October 2017

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer, it's a chance to post a recap on the past week, show the books we have received and share what we plan for the coming week. Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and Reading Reality and the aim is to show our newest books and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops or downloaded on to their e-reader.

Last Week on the Blog:

• Monday Highlights #27
• How To Survive a Zombie Apocalypse
• Clare Reviews: S.T.A.G.S by M.A. Bennett
• Would Our Favourite Characters Survive a Horror Movie

Books We Got This Week:

All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater: I have loved Stiefvater's other books so I've been eagerly anticipating this. I have already buddy read it with Vera @ Regal Critiques.

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green: OMG THE EXCITEMENT! I have so far read the first couple of pages and loved them and cant wait to dive into the rest of the story.

The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli: Dragons. This better be as badass as it seems because I have been disappointed in a few Dragon stories lately.

The Midnight Dance by Nikki Katz: I'm a huge fan of ballet so the front cover of this immediately drew me in. I'm not 100% sure of the plot but it does seem October appropriate so I can read it and find out soon!!
The Goblins of Bellwater by Molly Ringle: My Mum is a big Christina Rosetti fan so when I heard this was based on one of her poems I had to give it a try. I am really hoping to read this soon because it sounds very intriguing.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson: I am currently reading this and really enjoying it. I had to get it because I loved We Have Always Lived in the Castle so much!

Reading Update:

Ann:

Clare:

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson: 5 stars, Just incredible. This is going down as an all time favourite and I've already shoved it at Ann! The relationship dynamics were amazing, the characters were dark and complex the story was likewise and the ENDING. I already want to reread this to pick up everything I missed. Also there's some great humour in there that made me laugh out loud. Which is rare.

Mass Effect Revelaion by Drew Karpyshyn: 3 stars, This was enjoyable but it's very much an opening book. There is a lot of time spent on world building and character creation - which is great for anyone coming in who hasn't played the games. But it did feel a bit info-dumpy at times.

Mass Effect Acension by Drew Karpyshyn: 4 stars, A definite improvement. The action picks up, there are some morally grey characters. Kahlee was a great character to read from the perspective of and had a much stronger voice than she did in the first novel.

Mass Effect Retribution by Drew Karpyshyn: 3.5 stars, OMG this book made me hate the Illusive Man so much. It's so interesting getting more in-depth with some of the peripheral or more mysterious characters from the game because it puts a different spin on so many things (which just makes me want to replay the games and see if any of my decisions change).

Mass Effect Deception by William C. Dietz: 2.5 stars, Definitely the weakest of the series. The writing is by no means bad but the author change is very apparent in the change of tone and the characters. I liked that everything was more or less wrapped up but wish this had been a stronger finish.

Mass Effect Andromeda by Jason M. Hough and K.C. Alexander: 3 stars, The characters in this were strong and it definitely put a new spin

The Stolen Throne by David Gaider: 4 stars, Strong enough that I think even someone who hasn't played Dragon Age would still enjoy this book. I really enjoyed reading the characters and discovering more of the Dragon Age world and will definitely continue the series soon.
All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater: 4 stars, Enjoyable, great characters and an excellent atmosphere. This felt very original and whilst I didn't love it as much as The Raven Boys it was still a good read.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: 5 stars, Why oh why did I wait so long to read this? Everything that can be said about it has already been said by someone else I am sure but I loved the characters and the tension and want to read more by Flynn!!

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare), Facebook and Instagram to keep up with what we are reading.

Would Our Faves Survive a Horrror Movie??

I don't know about you but I have found myself wondering whether I would survive a horror movie (the answer is a resounding NO I would definitely not). So just for fun Ann and I decided to take a selection of our favourite fictional characters and rate their chances in a horror movie situation!

Ann's Picks:

Jace (The Mortal Instruments)

Would do well in horror movies that DONT involve ghosts or zombies - because in his world they are not believed to exist and he wouldn't know how to deal with them. In other situations, however, I think he would do very well. He is well-trained and very skilled in combat!

Harry, Ron, Hermione (Harry Potter)

Hermione would be amazing at this. She would research whatever creature they were up against and then plan everything so failure would be impossible.

Ron would die.

Harry is very resilient so he stands a good chance. He managed to stand up to the Dark Lord many times with just a simple spell so I'm sure he could handle anything that came his way!

Elizabeth Bennett (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies)

Regular Pride and Prejudice Elizabeth doesn't stand a chance. But P&P&Z Lizzie!? She would do amazing in a zombie apocalypse - she would have her family fighting with her and she is well-trained. However I feel she would be less likely to succeed in other horror movie situations as she is lacking the knowledge.

Clare's Picks:

Gus and Hazel (The Fault in Our Stars)

I'll be honest - Turtles All the Way Down is staring at me right now so John Green books are heavily on my mind which inspired this pick. But I actually love it. OK so Gus would be useless but hilarious in any kind of horror situation. I can just see him throwing random wisdom at the poor monsters as they (increasingly bewildered) try to kill him. Hazel might fare better, but I think she stands a good chance of sacrificing herself if it would save someone else - especially Gus.

Frodo (Lord of the Rings)

I'm 90% sure that on his own Frodo couldn't survive a stroll to the shops. But with the whole LotR fellowship behind him? Totally. Sam would just carry Frodo right out the other side through the credits.

Westley and Buttercup (The Princess Bride)

Possibly one of my all time favourite books. OK so Westley is down for definite survival. 100%. The monster should run from him, he is not to be defeated. Buttercup.... I don't know. I was going to say her chances of survival were low but LOOK HOW FIERCE SHE IS! There's no way she would go down without a fight at the very least.

There are so many characters we didn't choose because their survival was so obvious (Katniss, Kaz, Inej etc.) but overall I'm pretty happy with the survival chances of (most of) our favourite characters! Let us know if your faves would survive and if you agree with our verdicts!!

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare), Facebook and Instagram to keep up with what we are reading.

Clare Reviews: S.T.A.G.S by M.A. Bennett

Title: S.T.A.G.S

Author: M.A. Bennett

Format: E-Arc

Source: Received via Netgalley

Pages: 290

Star Rating: 2/5

Blurb: It is the autumn term and Greer MacDonald is struggling to settle into the sixth form at the exclusive St. Aidan the Great boarding school, known to its privileged pupils as S.T.A.G.S. Just when she despairs of making friends Greer receives a mysterious invitation with three words embossed upon on it: huntin' shootin' fishin'. When Greer learns that the invitation is to spend the half term weekend at the country manor of Henry de Warlencourt, the most popular and wealthy boy at S.T.A.G.S., she is as surprised as she is flattered.
But when Greer joins the other chosen few at the ancient and sprawling Longcross Hall, she realises that Henry's parents are not at home; the only adults present are a cohort of eerily compliant servants. The students are at the mercy of their capricious host, and, over the next three days, as the three bloodsports - hunting, shooting and fishing - become increasingly dark and twisted, Greer comes to the horrifying realisation that those being hunted are not wild game, but the very misfits Henry has brought with him from school...  

Have you ever just been so, SO excited for a book and then it really let you down? That was this book for me. A group of teenagers getting hunted in the woods sounded amazing. To read about anyway. But the execution of the idea was kind of... bland.

The characters had a lot of potential, they were diverse and flawed and selfish which was everything I was hoping for. Unfortunately, so much of their personality was revealed in the first few chapters. Having the narrator telling the story from the future looking back was an intriguing idea but it left me without the tension of wondering whether certain characters were who they seemed. They weren't. And we are told that so often that nothing they do holds any suspense.

Likewise much of the plot is revealed early on. On the very first page the main character talks about the death of a character. On the first page. And whilst she doesn't give all the details by any stretch - she gives enough that you can infer most of the rest. So I spent a lot of my time reading this just... waiting for that to happen. In some books knowing the ending from the start might not be so off-putting. But S.T.A.G.S needed that level of tension. It needed for me to be on the edge of my seat wondering who would make it out alive. Instead everything felt very inevitable.

In addition to this I had a lot of problems understanding the feasibility of the whole situation. Sure, rich people can and do sometimes get away with things. But this level of torture and murder would not go unnoticed. It's all very well saying they always choose victims from poor or "common" families who can't speak up - but that doesn't hold as true in a modern society. Especially with social media and just the media in general who would leap on this story if just one victim or victims family were to spill. Which I think they would. I know fiction doesn't have to be believable. But I like thrillers to be at least a little believable - that's what makes them so, so thrilling.

The narrator did have a very strong voice and the writing style was descriptive enough that I often felt like I was there with the characters. I would be intrigued to see what this author writes next and would definitely give it a try, although I will go in with lowered expectations this time. Perhaps if you go into the story expecting a psychological study of the teenagers in question - you would enjoy this. But if, like me, you expected action and excitement and a little bit of horror, then you'll be disappointed.

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare), Facebook and Instagram to keep up with what we are reading.

How to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse (Featuring our Brother)

I'm sure we can all agree - the Zombie Apocalypse is right around the corner. You've seen the movies, you've read the books but are you truly prepared? I know I'm not, which is why I have enlisted the help our little brother Robert, the zombie expert, to come up with some quick and simple rules that will help you ready yourself - and I found some examples from my favourite zombie stories!

1. Find a Base

Robert Tip #1: Get somewhere high

You do NOT want to be surprised. Surprise zombies are the worst zombies. Any advantage you can get is good right? In The First Days by Rhiannon Frater the ones who survive are always up high. In forts, on hills, on top floors of apartment buildings. If you can see them coming they cant surprise you!

2. Don't Waste Ammo

Robert Tip#2: Only shoot them in the head NOT anywhere else

Kind of an obvious one I'm sure but the ONLY way to kill the undead is the head. Ammo is not a never ending resource - this is the apocalypse guys. Of course you could go all wise (Like the above Walking Dead gif) and use a sword. This also comes under Robert Tip #3: If you have a knife make sure you stab them in the head and make sure they are dead.

3. Don't Let Them Get Close

Robert Tip #4: Do not get bitten anywhere on your body

Sure this seems obvious but in how many zombie movies does someone get bitten and then try to cover it up in the hopes that they wont turn. If you get bitten - it's over. So simply do not let them get close. This circles back to rule number 1 as well - get up high, don't let them close.

4. Zombies Are Not Your Friends

No Robert tip for this one because this is all me. I've seen Warm Bodies, I know that makes it look like they can be cured with love? But they can't. Zombies are not your friends. And if you're friends are now zombies - they are not your friends.

5. Squad Goals

We're all better with friends. And if you have a badass zombie fighting team at your back? Your chances just went up. Plus you look way cooler. Just look at the Bennett sisters. Look at them. So stylish yet deadly.

And if you want some more Zombie tips check out these movies for some great rules to live by:

Zombieland (Actually has rules in it - also hugely funny)

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (For pure badassery and fun)

The Rezort (Its dark, it questions humanity, it genuinely made me jump - I also reviewed it here)

Warm Bodies (OK NOT rules to live by, remember to ignore it. But it IS a good movie)

Resident Evil (AND the games - will give you great examples of how to survive)

Dead Rising: Watchtower (Another one based on a game and it was actually way better than I expected it to be)

AND the Books:

This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers (My absolute favourite and will give you strong feelings about Squad building)

The First Days by Rhiannon Frater (A little shaky in places but a really strong example of survival and some great characters)

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (OK I actually haven't read this yet BUT I am reading it this Halloween and everyone always recommends it)

Alice in Zombieland (Sadly has very little to do with Alice in Wonderland - misleading title - but the zombie fighting is pretty cool)

Enrule by Holly Sparks (Again this is actually one from my Halloween TBR. I met the author at YALC this year and she was so nice, and this sounds incredible)

I hope between us Robert and I have managed to prepare you a little for the inevitable Zombocalypse. Good luck out there and hope you're all having a wonderful Halloween month so far!

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare), Facebook and Instagram to keep up with what we are reading.

Monday Highlights #27

The idea is to just link your favourite blog post from the past week (for example a post you're very proud of or just had a lot of fun making) and then I, and hopefully others, can discover new blogs to follow and interact with and discover more posts from blogs we may already follow!

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare), Facebook and Instagram to keep up with what we are reading.

Sunday Post 8th October 2017

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer, it's a chance to post a recap on the past week, show the books we have received and share what we plan for the coming week. Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and Reading Reality and the aim is to show our newest books and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops or downloaded on to their e-reader.

Last Week on the Blog:

• Monday Highlights #26
• Clare's September Wrap Up and October TBR
• Clare Reviews: Odd & True by Cat Winters
• Clare Reviews: Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassell

Books We Got This Week:

Clare:

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling, illustrated by Jim Kay: I LOVE my growing collection of these editions. They are so, so gorgeous and I am looking forward to the day when they are all released.

Magnus Chase and the Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan: I really want to read this soon, I am planning to read The Dark Prophecy first though, they may be different series but all Riordan books tie together so I prefer to read them chronologically.

Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray: I feel like I've been waiting forever for this! Will be buddy reading it this month with Vera @ Regal Critiques and we are both excited for it!

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden: I've been wanting to read this since it was released but for some reason it was really hard to get in the UK. But this new edition just released and I found it and grabbed it up!

Dragon Age, Books 1-5: Fun fact - I am obsessed with Dragon Age. OBSESSED. So when I found out there were books set in the world WRITTEN by people who wrote the games I obviously had to get them. I will probably be reading these very soon!

Mass Effect, Books 1-4: Again, love the Mass Effect games. Not as much as I love Dragon Age but still excited about the world and excited to read more stories set there.

27 Hours by Tristina Wright: I've been waiting to read this all year. It is right near the top of my anticipated releases and I am definitely, definitely going to be reading it this month.

Mirror Mirror by Cara Delevigne: I love Cara as a model and as an actress so I am intrigued to see how I like her as an author as well. The plot sounds very interesting and I did read the first page on the way home from Tesco and enjoyed that.

Reading Update:

Ann:

Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings: 5 stars, I wasn't planning on reading this book yet but after getting back from London and having it sat on my shelf waiting to be read I couldn't resist.

Hush Hush Series: 5 stars, this is a series that I have read several times before but I was in a reading slump again so I figured that rereading it would help get out of the reading slump and it did!

There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins: 4 stars, I loved the violence of this book and the twistedness of the murders but I did not however enjoy the romance as it distracted from the plot of the book.

Clare:

The Treatment by C.L. Taylor: 4 stars, This was very tense and had some great characters. The action did lag at times but for the most part I really enjoyed this!

There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins: 3 stars, If this had more horror and waaay less romance I would have adored this. I did enjoy it but the overly sappy and honestly quite boring romance really detracted from my enjoyment of the book as a whole.

This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada: 3.5 stars, Loved the brutality of the dystopia - and its been a while since I've read a dystopia because I was getting bored of the genre, but this one was definitely original. I really liked the main character but again, could have done without the romance. (I love romance I do, but it has a time and a place and when it dominates a plot I get frustrated).

Next Week on the Blog:

• Monday Highlights #27
• How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse (featuring our Brother)
• Clare Reviews: S.T.A.G.S by M.A. Bennett
• Would Our Favourite Characters Survive a Horror Movie?
• Werewolves vs Vampires: The Showdown
• Clare Reviews: Breaking by Danielle Rollins

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare), Facebook and Instagram to keep up with what we are reading.

Clare Reviews: Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel

Title: Black Bird of the Gallows
Author: Meg Kassel
Format: E-Arc
Source: Received via Netgalley
Pages: 300
Rating: 4.5/5

Blurb: A simple but forgotten truth: Where harbingers of death appear, the morgues will soon be full.Angie Dovage can tell there’s more to Reece Fernandez than just the tall, brooding athlete who has her classmates swooning, but she can’t imagine his presence signals a tragedy that will devastate her small town. When something supernatural tries to attack her, Angie is thrown into a battle between good and evil she never saw coming. Right in the center of it is Reece—and he’s not human.
What’s more, she knows something most don’t. That the secrets her town holds could kill them all. But that’s only half as dangerous as falling in love with a harbinger of death.

I was initially nervous about this book. Socially awkward girl meets mysterious new neighbour and supernatural shenanigans follow? Haven't I read that story before? But no. No I have not.

In a lot of ways I found this to be comforting and nostalgic. It does have the same sort of feel to it as many older YA books do - the Lux series springs to mind. For the first half of the book I was amazed that I was so enjoying a genre I thought I had lost interest in. But that is where Meg Kassel excels. The writing and the characters were so strong that I was immediately hooked and the familiar became charming rather than tiresome. Added to this however is the fact that this book is so very unique. I know, I just spent a lot of words on how familiar this feels. Yet somehow this is one of the most unique books I have read all year. Somewhere in the combination of very, very creepy plot line, strong and realistic heroine and adorable romance was a story so excellent I just know I'll be remembering it for years to come - and re-reading it plenty too.

The main character, Angie, was thoroughly wonderful. She was strong and flawed, funny and damaged and I wanted to befriend her so badly. She had leaped off the page and into my heart before I had finished reading the first page so obviously I was very invested in her getting a happy ending! The other characters were also strong although I would have liked to have seen more of them. The relationships were very intriguing - I adored the loving relationship Angie had with her Dad for example, and her close friendship group - but the book was so short and packed full of excitement that we didn't get as much of an opportunity to observe these relationships.

I am in two minds regarding the romance. On the one hand it felt very insta-love in places as well as retaining that oh-so-creepy element so prevalent in YA where a centuries old guy falls in love with a teenager (I just struggle to get past that I really do). But they were so cute. Their conversations and interactions made me melt and I had a goofy smile on my face for much of their soppier moments. The romance wont be for everyone, but it also doesn't dominate the plot so those less interested in the romance will still have plenty to be excited for!

THIS should be on your Halloween TBR and if it's not - why not??? The whole concept of harbingers and beekeepers was deliciously creepy and the execution had me alternating between horror and goosebumps - a bee buzzed around my head whilst I was reading this book and I was terrified!

Whilst this definitely feels like a classic YA supernatural romance/mystery there is plenty new and exciting to discover in the novel and characters you can so easily fall in love with. Plus bees. That live in a man's mouth. And make people violent. Just. Such a wonderful read and I definitely, definitely need more from Meg Kassel. Soon.

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare), Facebook and Instagram to keep up with what we are reading.

Clare Reviews: Odd & True by Cat Winters

Title: Odd & True

Author: Cat Winters:

Pages: 368

Format: E-Arc

Source: Received via Netgalley

Rating: 5/5

Blurb: Trudchen grew up hearing Odette’s stories of their monster-slaying mother and a magician’s curse. But now that Tru’s older, she’s starting to wonder if her older sister’s tales were just comforting lies, especially because there’s nothing fantastic about her own life—permanently disabled and in constant pain from childhood polio.
In 1909, after a two-year absence, Od reappears with a suitcase supposedly full of weapons and a promise to rescue Tru from the monsters on their way to attack her. But it’s Od who seems haunted by something. And when the sisters’ search for their mother leads them to a face-off with the Leeds Devil, a nightmarish beast that’s wreaking havoc in the Mid-Atlantic states, Tru discovers the peculiar possibility that she and her sister—despite their dark pasts and ordinary appearances—might, indeed, have magic after all.

If you know me you'll know how much I love Cat Winters' novels. So it's pretty obvious that this was one of my most anticipated reads of the entire year and I was very excited when I got approved for it on Netgalley. And it did not disappoint at all. If anything this was more impressive than I had even expected.

Od and Tru were two of the most wonderful characters I have ever read. They were very different from each other - Od was the more obviously outgoing one but she had a lot of trauma to work through as well. Which means that, as a reader, you are constantly doubting her sanity and how much of what she says actually happened. Tru on the other hand was initially more sheltered but was so, so strong and independent and I absolutely adored her. She had an inherent goodness to her that never waned no matter what happened and I really admire that.

Their relationship was one of the strongest parts of the story. Sister relationships will always intrigue me because I have such an amazing sister. And I loved how utterly devoted to each other Od and Tru were whilst also arguing and disagreeing a lot. It felt very realistic and natural and so I was rooting for both of them more than ever. I not only wanted them to come through individually but also to have a strengthened relationship. Which definitely happened - with a lot of obstacles on the way!

The monster hunting/psychological element of the book was my absolute favourite though. Never before have I read a book that so skilfully played with my sanity. I jumped back and forth between "its all real" and "its all make believe" so many times and I had no idea how it would end up. I do think the ending was the best possible ending, I was very happy with how everything was resolved and wrapped up. And the epilogue was very special and precious.

I know this is a book I'll be re-reading often - especially now I've got myself a finished copy as well! It may even be my favourite Cat Winters book so far. And it makes me incredibly excited for whatever she may write next. It may not fit every Cat Winters fan because it is very different from her other novels in a lot of ways - but it is still her wonderful writing and evocative storytelling, gorgeous scene setting and of course amazing characters.

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare), Facebook and Instagram to keep up with what we are reading.

Clare's September Wrap Up & October TBR

September Wrap Up:

12. House of Ash by Hope Cook: Just a real disappointment. This wasn't as creepy as it hoped it was and the characters bored me enough that I didn't really care whether they made it through the book at all. The ending was just a bit too clean for me as well.

11. S.T.A.G.S. by M.A. Bennett: This seemed like a really interesting concept but it was ruined when the ending was spoiled right at the beginning. If you begin your book telling me who lives and who dies I'm really not going to be at all in suspense. And this story needed suspense.

10. Water in May by Ismee Amiel Williams: I really liked all of the characters and the plot was super compelling. I was put off by some hints of homophobia that I really did not want.

9. The Hearts We Sold by Emily Lloyd-Jones: Really unique idea, I loved the demons - not so much the humans. I did race through this because it was very compelling but looking back on it there were some flaws. That said it was really enjoyable.

8/7. Burning and Breaking by Danielle Rollins: Burning was my least favourite of the two. It definitely comes across weaker - it isn't as compelling. But Breaking was very interesting - I loved the idea of, as the tagline says "What makes a girl a monster" and thought it was executed really well. So many of the characters were unlikable but in a really good way.

6. The Treatment by C.L. Taylor: This is almost dystopia except its set in the very-near-basically-now future. It was very tense and I love books where you never know who to trust. I was most intrigued by the sibling relationship (as always) and thought it was well done. I would definitely read more from Taylor!

5. The Diviners by Libba Bray: This was a re-read and one of my favourite books of all time. (I've placed it lower down to be fair on new reads). This is creepy, and beautiful and the characters are incredible and I am just so excited for the third book WHICH COMES OUT TODAY!!

4. Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel: What I actually love about this book is how classic YA it feels - yet still new. If you ever get nostalgic thinking of the Lux series or even the Twilight series but want amazing writing - then this is probably for you. This book reignited my love for YA which has been kind of waning lately!

3. Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu: Read this as part of an upcoming collab with Vera @ Regal Critiques and absolutely loved it. I'm not usually drawn to books about faith but Vera loves this book so much that I had to give it a try - and it was so good!! Interesting and tense and I was so, so attached to the characters.

2. Odd & True by Cat Winters: Cat Winters has literally never failed me. My review for this should actually go up tomorrow so keep an eye out for that - this was incredible. The sister dynamics were wonderful, the mystery had me on the edge of my seat and I thought the ending was incredible!

1. Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody: THIS BOOK! I wanted to re-read it the second I finished it. I want multiple copies of it. I just. Love. This. Book. The characters were amazing, the story was incredible and the setting made me actually want to dive into the book in a way I haven't wanted to since Harry Potter!!

Reviews Posted This Month:

• Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody
  

October TBR:

October shall forever be known as the month releases finally killed me. My bank balance will come for me on a revenge spree or my TBR pile will topple and crush me whilst I sleep. I'm actually feeling super daunted by how many books are releasing in October. And this isn't even all the ones I'm excited for!

I've also been inspired by Vera (whose wonderful wrap up post is here) to add some links to some of my favourite blog posts from other bloggers this month!

• Barb at Booker T's Farm reviewed Black Bird of the Gallows and I agree that I will never look at bees the same way again after reading it!!!
• If you're interested in gaming (which I am) you should definitely check out Puffin Zero's post on Destiny 2 which made me super anxious to play it!
• As a red-head I was excited to read Lauren @ Always Me's Top Ten Books That Feature Characters With Red Hair and she made some excellent picks!!
• Vera @ Regal Critiques discussed the Top Ten #OwnVoices Books she has read so far this year and you should definitely check out all the books on the list!!
• Ashley @ What She's Read showed which 5 Book Inspired Classes she would teach and I would 100% attend all these lessons!!

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare), Facebook and Instagram to keep up with what we are reading.