Sunday Wrap Up 6th September

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 Showcase Sunday is hosted by Books, Biscuits and Tea 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:

• August Wrap Up & September TBR
• Top Ten Characters You Just Didn't Click With
• Tuesday Intros and Teaser Tuesdays
• Top Five Fictional Cities
• WWW Wednesday and What Are You Reading?
• Clare: Inside & Out Tag
• Friday Reads and Friday 56 With Book Beginnings
• Cover Characteristics: Chess Pieces

Books We Got This Week:

Clare:

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas: You have no idea how excited I was when this arrived. I opened it in the car since it arrived just as we were leaving for the beach and then hugged it for god knows how long.

Only a Kiss by Mary Balogh: The sixth in the Survivors series I think and I am pretty sure there will be one more.

Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell: Oh Fairy tale retellings. I can never seem to get enough. This finally arrived after weeks of Amazon delays! And it's so pretty!

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson: I love the artwork in this and I have been wanting to read a graphic novel for way too long.

The Uninvited by Cat Stevens: History, a creepy cover. I am not 100% sure what this book is about but I want to go in blind and I've heard great things.

The Other Side of Midnight by Simone St. James: I am fairly certain that I should be reading this nearer to Halloween, there's murder and seances! But I am too excited to exercise restraint.
Fire by Kristin Cashore: This is one of my favourite fantasy books of all time, along with Graceling, but I didn't own it. And now I have this cover which I personally prefer to the original.

Ann:

Timebound by Rysa Walker: I am currently reading this book and I am loving it.

Reading Update:

Ann: I haven't had a chance to finish a book this week due to going back to school but I am still reading Timebound by Rysa Walker.

Clare:

My reading this week was slightly impacted by the fact I am quitting caffeine. I tried the cold turkey method with disastrous results. It was not fun and I am now trying the slow cutting back method instead. Which is going slightly better. But I'm still tired and grumpy and headachey which meant I didn't re-read the Throne of Glass books as I had intended to and instead read more Regency! I did get back on track towards the middle of the week. 

Then Came You and Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas: 3.5 stars. These were some of her earlier books and it definitely shows. Her later books are more mature and well paced. I enjoyed these but I wasn't caught up in them the way I was with her Wallflowers or Hathaways series'.

Only a Kiss by Mary Balogh: 4 stars. I found this funnier than I had thought I would, but the mystery element lacked some oomph and although I liked the romance I didn't find myself enthralled by it as I have with the previous books in the series. A good installment though and I am looking forward to the next one. (Hoping there is a next one).

The Brigadier's Runaway Bride by Erica Ridley: 3 stars. I received this for review from Netgalley, (I have a full review on goodreads here if you're interested). But for me it was too short and not very well paced, although I liked her writing style enough that I might borrow some of her other books from the library - perhaps it was just this book I struggled with.

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas: 4.5 stars. Wow. I had forgotten what a roller-coaster these books are. One minute I'm feeling triumphant then despairing then shocked then heartbroken. It's exhausting. In a really good way!

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas: 5 stars. I am not sure I could be remotely balanced or rational in any review of this book. I loved it. I loved the characters and the ending and every page along the way. I will admit this book felt fairly complete to me so I'm nervous about the next books and I am hoping they're not just there because - that they have a purpose. But I am excited for them nevertheless.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas: 4.5 stars. I enjoyed this book and the romance and I am curious to see where she will take this series. But that riddle was so easy and it genuinely annoys me that it took Feyre half the book to solve it. I mean really!
Mechanica: 3.5 stars. An interesting take on the Cinderella story, but I agree with other reviewers who said that it did drag at times. I liked the ending but I thought it felt a little unfinished and also, for a book saying it contained fey there was very little fey. Almost none in fact. And since that was one of the most interesting elements I was disappointed.
Graceling by Kristin Cashore: 4.5 stars. It's been a long time since I first read this, but I got the urge to re-read it and I enjoyed it just as much, if not more than, I did the first time. 
Fire by Kristin Cashore: 5 stars. I know most people prefer Graceling to Fire, but I honestly just really love Fire herself, and the way her relationship with her father is described always fascinated me.

Classics Update:

Ann: I am currently on page 69 of Little Women and it has been brilliant so far.

Clare: I am currently 126 pages in to The Wings of the Dove and really enjoying it. I tried to read The Golden Bowl a couple of months ago and didn't get anywhere but I am loving the wit of this book. I still have a horrible feeling about the ending though!

Next Week on the Blog:

• Creatures of the Night Tag
• Top Ten Finished Series I Have Yet to Finish
• Top Five Favourite Things About Blogging
• Cover Characteristics: Keys
• Review: Timebound by Rysa Walker

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

Cover Characteristics: Chess Pieces

This is a weekly meme hosted by Sugar and Snark; each week they come up with a cover characteristic, this weeks was Chess Pieces and here are our choices!

Friday Reads and Friday 56 with Book Beginnings 4th September

Ann:

I am currently reading Timebound which came in the post the other day so I decided to read it early. So far it is amazing and I am very glad I got it. I am also reading my classic Little Women which I am loving so far. Also I have nearly finished Anne of the Island which is fabulous.


Clare:

I am about half way through Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas which I am really, really enjoying. It was very long which is daunting but I love Celaena so much I don't think I could lose interest no matter how long it is. I am next going to be reading A Court of Thorns and Roses because I have been meaning to read it ever since it came out and I am still in a fantasy mood. And then if I have time this weekend (which I may not since Sunday is looking to be a busy day) I will be reading Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell. I am also still reading The Wings of the Dove by Henry James, I am currently on page 67 and although I am not the biggest fan of his writing style, I am definitely rooting for Kate (although this being a Henry James novel the chances of her getting a happy ending are slim), I aim to read to at least page 126 by Sunday.

Friday 56 and Book Beginnings:

Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice. The idea is to grab a book, turn to page 56 (or 56% in an e-reader and find any sentence (no spoilers) and then post it. Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

Ann:

"But Beth, though yearning for the grand piano, could not pluck up courage to go to the 'Mansion of Bliss', as Meg called it. She went once with Jo, but the old gentleman, not being aware of her infirmity, stared at her so hard from under his heavy eyebrows, and said "Hey!" so loud that he frightened her so much her "feet chattered on the floor" she told her mother; and she ran away, declaring she would never go there anymore, not even for the dear piano." - Page 56, Little Women

 

When you are confident it is hard to imagine the level of anxiety and fear that can overwhelm the more timid. But courage is overcoming fear. Those who go boldly and fearlessly can never be described as courageous. Courage with feet chattering moves forward.

Book Beginning:

"The heel of my white kidskin boot ripped a six-inch gash in the hem of my skirt as I whipped around the corner." 

I really like this book beginning because it makes the main character sound awesome. 

Clare:

"He sank into the desk chair, staring blankly at the maps and plans he'd been cultivating. Everything - everything was for Dorian, for his friend. For himself, he had nothing left to lose. He was nothing more than a nameless oath-breaker, a liar, a traitor." -Page 56, Queen of Shadows

I used to like Chaol, now I'm really not sure how I feel about him other than that he is annoying me a lot at the moment.

Book Beginning:

"The forest had become a labyrinth of snow and ice."

 

I really like this description, which may have something to do with the fact that I actually love the word labyrinth! Plus this sounds so menacing and dangerous and I am hoping that means the book starts in with some action!

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

Clare: Inside & Out Book Tag

The Inside & Out tag was created by MathomBooks. Ann did this one last week and when I was reading through her answers I thought it might be fun to do my own.

Inside flap / Back of the book summaries: Too much info? Or not enough (Discuss)

Definitely not enough. I like to be intrigued by a blurb, if it gives too much away I almost feel like there is no point reading it!

New book: What form do you want it in? Be honest: audio book, e-book, paperback, or hardcover?

If it's a book I think I am going to keep then I tend to go for hardcover - especially if the cover is gorgeous. But for some things like romance, I prefer a paperback. And I always get fact books or auto-biographies etc as an audio book because it makes it easier for me to pay attention. So I read them all but for new books - hardcover.

Scribble while you read? Do you like to write in your books, taking notes, making comments, or do you keep your books clean clean clean? (Tell us why)

So most of me prefers never ever writing in books. But I will admit I have a couple of poetry books from college that have writing in them. And my copy of Measure for Measure has almost as much of my writing in as Shakespeares! This is one thing I prefer with e-books because I can make notes on them without feeling guilty.

In your best voice, read for us your favourite first sentence from a book.

Well you're just going to have to imagine my best voice. I am not sure what my absolute favourite first sentence would be but I've always had a fondness for A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Which is way too long for me to type out but it's the one that starts "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times", and then goes on for about a page. Which is a fairly cliched answer I feel. I wish I had something short and effective instead. 

Does it matter to you whether the author is male or female when you’re deciding on a book? What if you’re unsure of the author’s gender?

I would love to say that I don't care, but looking at my shelves I do seem to own more books by female authors. Although I don't think that's a deciding factor, maybe female authors are just more prominent in the genres I read? And I don't think being unsure of the author's gender really matters either.

Ever read ahead? Or have you ever read the last page way before you got there?

I am actually terrible for this. When I was younger I did this with every book I read. Every one. I have sort of grown out of this but if there is a love triangle or it's a particularly suspenseful book I do tend to read ahead because I don't handle anxiety well. 

Organized bookshelves, or outrageous bookshelves?

Very, very organised. My new books pile up for a while and then I will set aside a day or a weekend to rearrange my shelves to fit them in. And because I have (counts) 8 bookshelves, all with two layers of books on them this tends to take a while. I'm a horribly organised person and besides, if I didn't stay organised I'd never be able to find any books in the madness!

Under oath: have you ever bought a book based on the cover (alone)?

Oh yeah! Cover lust is one of my main prompts for buying a book. I am very superficial. Just last week I got two books by Ishbelle Bee based entirely off their (really quite gorgeous) covers. 

Take it outside to read, or stay in?

In. In. In. I don't like going outside. If it's winter I can't read outside because it's usually raining. And in the summer, there are flying insects everywhere. Can't be dealing with that! Nope. Definitely staying in.

You can find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare) and on Twitter (Ann and Clare)

WWW Wednesday and What Are You Reading Wednesday 2nd September

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?

What Are You Reading Wednesdays are hosted on It's a Reading Thing and asks;

1. What's the name of your current read?

2. Go to page 34, or 34% in your e-book and share one complete sentence.

3. Would you like to live in the world that exists within your book? Why or why not?

Ann:

Currently Reading:

" It was to late to retreat, for the brown-eyed girl had evidently concluded that they were coming to speak to her." page 34 of Anne of the Island

 "They always looked back before turning the corner, for their mother was always at  the window to nod and smile, and wave her hand to them." page 34 of Little Women

As I have said before I would love to be able to live on P E Island because it sounds so beautiful and peaceful. Also they is very little danger there so very different to Clare's books.

I have only just started reading Little Women so I don't think I could decide whether I want to live there or not at the moment. However from what I have heard about it I am leaning towards yes I would.

Recently Finished:

I have not been reading very much lately so I have only recently finished reading Anne of Avonlea. I am hoping my recently finished for next week will be better.

Planning to Read Next:

I am planning on reading Anne's House of Dreams next and then once I have finished it I will be reading The Knife of Never Letting Go which I tried to read a few days ago but couldn't get into the story so I am going to try again. Then I plan on reading The Talisman Ring finally and then hopefully once Clare has finished it I will be able to read Mechanica. 

Clare:

Currently Reading:

""I don't quite see," she answered, "where in particular it strikes you that my danger lies. I'm not conscious, I assure you, of the least disposition to 'throw' myself anywhere. I feel that for the present I've been quite sufficiently thrown."- Page 34, The Wings of the Dove by Henry James

"Her boots squished something too soft for comfort, and she repressed a shudder as the woman stopped before the entrance to another long tunnel, the first half illuminated by moonlight streaming in through the scattered grates. Unnatural darkness drifted out from the far end. A predatory stillness crept over Aelin as she peered into the gloom. Silence. Utter silence." - Page 34, Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

The Wings of the Dove is set in England in (I believe) the 1800's. And whilst I would give almost anything to wear one of those hats with a veil (seriously, I want one) and gloves and use all those etiquette lessons I taught myself when I was a child, for unknown reasons, I am not certain the lack of rights would have agreed with me. Although so far Kate has expressed some vaguely feminist views (which is making me like her more and more). 

I really don't want to live in the world of Throne of Glass. I mean, again, I like the style but I am not sure I approve of all the uncomfortable living. I think I like my modern world and my cell phone too much to sacrifice them. Plus, much as I love Celaena, I don't think I could make it as an assassin for a second. She is way tougher than me.

Recently Finished:

I recently finished Only a Kiss by Mary Balogh, I think there is one more book after this to be released although I am not entirely sure. This was a good addition to the series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I then moved on to The Brigadier's Runaway Bride which I received for review from Netgalley, and I will have a review up on my goodreads page for anyone that may be interested - you can find a link to my goodreads at the bottom of the page. And then of course I read Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas so that I could move on to Queen of Shadows. 

Planning to Read Next:

Next I am planning to read A Court of Thorns and Roses whilst I am still in the Maas bubble. I meant to read this straight away when it was released and then I got put off by the hype, which always seems to happen. And then I will be continuing the fairy tale theme with Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell since my copy has (finally) arrived. I've heard some good and some not so good things about this so I am not sure what to expect but it's a relatively short book so I should finish it quite quickly.

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