Wednesday Catch-Up 31st August 2016

Every Wednesday we are linking up with WWW Wednesday. WWW Wednesday is hosted at Taking on a World of Words and asks 3 questions: What are you currently reading?, What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you'll read next? We didn't take part in WWW Wednesday last week because of Bout of Books so this is a two week catch-up post!

Clare:

Currently Reading:

When I get home from shopping I am going to start reading Blue Lily, Lily Blue which is the third book in the Raven Boys series. I really liked the first two books in the series so I am excited to continue.

Recently Finished:

The first book I read this week was The Silvered Heart by Katherine Clements. It is the possibly true story of a highwaywoman. It takes place just after the Civil War and the descriptions of life under Cromwell were wonderful. The plot was exciting and the characters compelling. The main character, Kate, was not always likable but she felt real. I have a full review up for this here. I then read Way Down Dark which is a dystopian novel, I found it to be very action-packed and it was definitely a chilling world but I never felt a connection to the characters. I will also have a review of this up soon. Next up I read Eden Gardens which was chilling in a whole different way - as a reminder of the realities of British colonialism. I didn't love the main character and the romance felt weak to me but I really enjoyed the historical details. Again, a review is coming soon! Every Exquisite Thing was a bit of a disappointment to me. The main character annoyed me a lot and I wasn't invested in the plot. And then finally I read the first two books in The Raven Boys series which I am loving so far.

Planning to Read Next:

Next I plan to finish off the Raven Boys series with The Raven King which I am sure will be great. Then I want to read This Savage Song which I have been hearing some good things about so I got it from the library. And then I want to read another review book The Rumour which looks like a good summer read and I am definitely running out of Summer to read it in!

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

Cover Characteristic: Cheerleaders

Cover Characteristic is a weekly feature hosted at Sugar and Snark.

Exit, Pursued by a Bear is a definite favourite of mine. It's one of my favourite covers on my shelf and the first one I thought of here. Honestly I really like all of these covers though.

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

Sunday Post 28th August 2016

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 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. As always you can click on any of the pictures to be taken to the Goodreads page for that book if you're interested in finding out more about it.

Last Week on the Blog:

• Cover Characteristic: Pyramids
• Top Ten Books That Have Been On Your Shelf From Before We Started Blogging
• Top 5 Books We Want to Read By the End of the Year
• Clare Reviews: The Silvered Heart by Katherine Clements
• Favourite Underrated Books

Books We Got This Week:

Ann:

I am excited to read Fatal Voyage, Break No Bones and Bones of The Lost because I have watched the TV series of the books and absolutely loved it so I am excited to see what the books are like. I am also excited to read Uncommon Criminal because I have read one of the authors other books and really enjoyed it. Finally I brought Birthmark while shopping with my friend and it sounds like a very good book although I haven't heard much about it.

Clare:

I went on a trip into town this week and checked out the Clearance section in WHSmith. The first book I bought Songs About a Girl by Chris Russell was a combination cover buy and it-came-with-a-free-gift buy. It came with a lipstick - which I am sure is relevant to the plot somehow. I also love contemporaries about fame so hopefully will enjoy this. I then picked up Just One Damned Thing After Another which I have had my eye on for a while. It's a lot shorter than I expected it to be but I am hoping it will be great. And finally I bought The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer which I had actually decided not to read but when I saw it for £1 I decided it was worth the risk. I've heard mixed things but I am hopeful. I got Devil's Cove on Netgalley and I am very excited to start reading it. It sounds like a fun and intriguing read. I then got a finished copy of Burn by Suzanne Wright as I am participating in the Blog Tour next Thursday!

Reading Update:

Ann:

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi: 5 stars, I really enjoyed this book and loved the characters and the plot. According to Clare it is weird for me to have like Warner in this first book but I did.

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi: 5 stars, I also really liked this book and I still prefer Warner than Adam because Adam was just so annoying.

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi: 5 stars, This book was an exellent ending to the series and I really enjoyed it.

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers: 5 stars, I really enjoyed this book and loved the main character although I did find it very easy to see where the plot was going.

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally: 5 stars, I have been really in the mood for contempory books and the moment and so I managed to read this book very quickly and I really enjoyed it.

Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally: 4 stars, I wasn't sure about reading this book because when I read the blurb it said she dated her coach/teacher and I really don't enjoy student, teacher romances but I read it anyway and although it wasn't amazing I still enjoyed it.

Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally: 5 stars, 

Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally: 5 stars, I didn't like the love interest very much in this book but I really enjoyed this book and the plot.

Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout: 5 stars, I only picked this book up because I was in the mood for this kind of book but I actually really enjoyed it and it is one of my favourite books that I have read this year.

Clare:

Way Down Dark by JP Smythe: 2.5 stars, This was brutal and chilling but I never felt a connection with the characters and so despite the action packed storyline this book ended up dragging for me. I have written a full review which will be up soon.

Eden Gardens by Louise Brown: 3.5 stars, A great setting and wonderful historical details but a slightly annoying main character and an underwhelming romance and plot. I will have a full review up for this soon.

Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick: 2 stars, I really did not enjoy this. I liked some of the themes but I actively hated the main character which ruined the whole thing for me. I have a full review coming for this.
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater: 4 stars, This was such a great start to the series. I flew through it and am half in love with all the characters. 

Next Week on the Blog:

• Cover Characteristic: Cheerleaders
• Top Ten Books I Think Should Be Required Reading
• Top 5 Books I Will Never Read
• Wednesday Catch-Up
• Blog Tour: Burn by Suzanne Wright
• Friday Reads
• Clare Reviews: Eligible by Curtis Sittenfield

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

Bout of Books Reading Update Days 4 and 5

Thursday:

Ann:

858 pages

Today I read Stealing Parker, Things I Can't Forget and Racing Savannah all by Miranda Kenneally because that is that my books that I feel like reading at the moment so I enjoyed all of them although I was frustrated by some parts. I then also managed to read 32 pages of Lord of The Flies by William Golding which I am not really enjoying at all.

Clare:

454 pages

Today I read The Raven Boys which was the first book in the Raven Boys quartet. It was instantly very readable and the characters are engaging and interesting so I managed to read a lot in a relatively short time. I look forward to reading more of the series tomorrow.

Friday:

Ann:
295 pages

I didn't think I was going to be able to read anything yesterday but I pushed myself and just managed to finish Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout which I really enjoyed.

Clare:

10 pages

I read almost nothing today. I read the prologue of The Dream Thieves but then was out all day and exhausted by the time I got home. I have some catching up to do now!

Total Read So Far This Week:

Ann: 9 books (3237 pages)

Clare: 4 books (1370 pages)

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

Favourite Under-Rated Books

Hailey at HailsHeartsNYC did a video on her favourite under-rated books and I loved the idea. Like her, I am taking books I loved that have less than 10'000 ratings on Goodreads. These are in no particular order.

 New Girl by Paige Harbison

Or, really, any Paige Harbison book. This wasn't the first of hers I read but is, probably, my favourite. It's a retelling of Rebecca and it was so wonderfully done.

The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James

I am actually surprised Simone St. James's books are so under-rated. Her books always amaze and enthrall me.

 Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson

I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did. It's the first in a series that doesn't look like it's getting completed anytime soon but it reads well as a standalone so you don't have to worry about cliff-hangers. The Valkyrie concept was very well done and I loved the characters.

 Red by Alison Cherry 

As a redhead this was always going to be a loved book for me. The idea of a town in which redheads are the norm intrigued me. And the execution was great. I have yet to read anything else by Alison Cherry but I am very excited to.

 The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice

This was a recommendation from a penpal years and years ago and I have loved it ever since. It's such a great look at post-war Britain and the characters were all so unique and real.

 Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

The first Alexandra Bracken book I ever read and one that not many others seem to have - but you totally should. Even if you weren't a fan of The Darkest Minds I definitely recommend giving this one a try.

 I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

I had heard mixed reviews about this one but was excited when my brother got it for me for my birthday last year. And it didn't let me down. I get why some people might not like it but for me it was a great read.

 The Vatican Princess by C. W. Gortner

The most recent of the books on this list and the one with the least ratings on goodreads. This was amazing. I already love anything about Lucrezia Borgia but this just took it to a whole new, brilliant level.

The Revenge Playbook by Rachael Allen

I was expecting light and fluffy contemporary and instead got feminism and revenge and some of the best written female characters - and friendships that I have come across.

 Made You Up by Francesca Zappia

Still one of my favourite books covering the issue of mental health and the only one I have yet read that deals with schizophrenia this was one of my favourite reads from last year and one I think more people should read.

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