Sunday Post 9th July 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. 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 or click the title to go to the review.

Last Week on the Blog:

• Monday Highlights #13
• Wednesday Catch-Up
• Ann's June Wrap Up and July TBR
• Clare Reviews: Summer at Hope Meadows by Lucy Daniels

Books We Got This Week:

Ann:

For Review:

Two Hundred Very Short Stories by Helen Keeling-Margston: I read the first few stories and am now extremely excited to read it! There is currently a giveaway for this on Goodreads if you live in the UK and are interested!

The Things We Learn When We're Dead by Charlie Laidlow: This is another book that I am very excited to read, I really love the cover and am intrigued by the blurb. I will probably be reading this very soon!

Clare:

For Review:

The New World by Scott K. Andrews: This is the third book in the Timebomb series which I am very excited to read! I've been getting more into Sci-Fi lately and this sounds like an incredible series.

Lost and Found Sisters by Jill Shalvis: I mean - it's Jill Shalvis so I'm already certain it's going to be incredible. Plus - sisters! I love sister relationships in books!

Zoella Book Club 2017:

Girlhood by Cat Clarke: I've only read one other of Clarke's books but really enjoyed it so I am excited to dive into this one!

The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr: The blurb of this gave me a very "50 First Dates" vibe when I first read it! Since then I've seen a few mixed reviews but I'm still very intrigued.

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt: I haven't heard a huge amount about this book actually but I love the cover and it does sound interesting.

The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord: This sounds... potentially quite heartbreaking. Which makes me nervous because I am a total wimp and cry at everything. But it does sound good so I'll just have to push through the tears.

History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera: My first Adam Silvera book! I've heard so much about his books and it's kind of surprising it's taken me this long to get one of them! Hoping to read this very soon.

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu: The book in this selection that I am most excited for. This sounds like a total girl-power book and it looks incredible!

Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer: ANOTHER tear-jerker by the sounds of it. I'm just going to be crying constantly through these books probably. But hopefully it will be worth it.

Purchased:

Maestra by L.S. Hilton: SO many controversial and mixed reviews for this one. It sounds like a very Marmite book but it interests me and I've heard so much about it that I can't resist it!

A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet: I've been wanting to read this since it was released so when I saw it in the Works three-for-£5 offer I kinda had to. 

Lost For Words by Stephanie Butland: Books about books are a general weakness for me. And the cover looks so charming and cosy.

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee: I've already read this and absolutely adored it! 

Women and Children First/The Affair/No Place For a Lady/The Secret Wife by Gill Paul: Women and Children First and The Secret Wife are ones I've been wanting to read for a while. I hadn't heard of the other two but since they had all four in The Works I decided to take the risk.

Deep Blue/Rogue Wave/Dark Tide/Sea Spell by Jennifer Donnelly: I love mermaids (generally more the murderous type from pirates of the caribbean than the little mermaid variety if I'm honest) but have yet to read a great mermaid book. But I already know and love Donnelly's writing so I have high hopes for these!

Reading Update:

Ann:

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia: 4 stars, I really enjoyed this book, although it took me a while to read cause I was in a bit of a reading slump but overall I really liked the characters and the plot.

Clare:

Seven Days in Summer by Marcia Willett: 2 stars, There was just nothing super interesting about this book unfortunately. I never got attached to any of the characters and the plot bored me.

Fire in You by Jennifer L. Armentrout: 2 stars, Just a really unhealthy relationship honestly. The characters were interesting but I could never get past how uncomfortable their interactions or his behaviour made me. 

Deadly Silence by Rebecca Zanetti: 2 stars, ANOTHER unhealthy relationship. This one was more obvious but also annoyed me more because the plot actually was really good and interesting. But when the hero threatens to hit the heroine I just cannot get behind that romance. 
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee: This is over 500 pages and I read it in one night. One Night. Because it's incredible and fast paced and the characters are amazing and their relationships are to die for. I can't wait for the next one!

The Ultimatum by Karen Robards: 4 stars, Just so in love with Bianca right now. She was badass and compelling and unique. I did have some problems with the pacing because I felt like the first section moved really fast and then the rest of the book slowed down dramatically but it was a good start to the series and I definitely want to continue!
What Goes Around by Julie Corbin: 3.5 stars, Deeply twisted which I enjoyed (what does that say about me I wonder?) but the "big twist" wasn't as big as it thought it was. 

Next Week on the Blog:

• Monday Highlights #14
• Clare Reviews: The Ultimatum by Karen Robards
• Wednesday Catch-Up
• Clare Reviews: What Goes Around by Julie Corbin
• Friday Reads

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

Clare Reviews: Summer at Hope Meadows by Lucy Daniels

Title: Summer at Hope Meadows
Author: Lucy Daniels
Series: Hope Meadows
Source: Received from publisher for an honest review
Format: Paperback
Pages: 400
Rating: 4/5
Blurb: Newly-qualified vet Mandy Hope is leaving Leeds - and her fiancé Simon - to return to the Yorkshire village she grew up in. There, she will help out in her parents' surgery whilst they're short-staffed. Mandy's life has always revolved around her work with rescued animals, and Welford offers an opportunity to work with creatures of all sizes, from hedgehogs and puppies to farm stock and even wild deer.
But rural Yorkshire is very different to the hustle and bustle of a big city. Mandy must work hard to be accepted by the close-knit village community, and convince them of her abilities as a vet - especially Jimmy Marsh, the gruff owner of the local Outward Bound business, with whom she just can't seem to get along.
When some long-neglected animals are discovered in a critical state on a nearby farm, Mandy is determined to prove herself as a confident and fearless vet. When it comes to protecting animals in need, she's prepared to do whatever it takes... 



When I first started this book I had no idea this was a follow on to the Animal Ark series. I was expecting a sweet summer romance novel and instead I got that plus all the satisfaction of seeing my favourite childhood characters all grown up.

Sequels to children's series can go horribly wrong and I am so glad that this didn't happen with Summer at Hope Meadows. It was a complete delight to see Mandy and James again and to follow their stories. Mandy grew up in a very realistic way - I could see the progression in her character but she also felt familiar to me which was a relief and felt a bit like catching up with your childhood best friend. James was a character I loved catching up with as well and I still love him just as much as I did when I was a child.

Plot wise this would be very easy to follow if you haven't read the Animal Ark series. Whilst there are plenty of references to the original series and so many times when I just fan-girled over meeting an old favourite character or seeing a reference to one of my favourite books - the story doesn't rely on your having known these characters before. It's hard for me to separate the excitement I feel over having this Animal Ark series from how it works as a whole new series but it doesn't feel difficult for new readers to get into.

There was plenty of real life drama in this, but the focus on animals remained which was so lovely to read about. I did enjoy seeing Mandy's life decisions and watching her interact with people because it was so different from Animal Ark but at the same time felt like returning home. There were both happy and sad moments and I was totally emotionally invested in the story and in the characters.

If you are/were an Animal Ark fan then you definitely need to read this book. There is something so satisfying about it and it definitely adds to the magic of the series and my memories of it rather than diminishing it. And if you're new to the characters then I still say give it a go - if you like summer contemporaries and small villages in the country then this is definitely a book for you!

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

Ann's June Wrap Up and July TBR

June Wrap Up:

I had exams for most of this month and so I didn't have time to read as much as I would have liked. However I did manage to read 4 books which I am pleased with as I really enjoyed all of them. Seeing as I only managed to read 4 books I am going to list them all down below.

4) The Distance Between Us by Kasie West: This was my least favourite of this authors books that I read this month but I still thought that it was brilliant and I will probably end up rereading it at some point.

3) The Fill In Boyfriend by Kasie West: I read the blurb for this and I wasn't sure whether I was going to enjoy it but overall I really enjoyed it and I also like the characters a lot.

2) By Your Side by Kasie West: Clare recommended that I read this and I wasn't sure what to expect but overall it was incredible, I loved the character.

1) Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare: I was so excited to read this and see what was going to happen within the universe and with all of the characters and I loved it! It was as amazing as I was hoping that it would be!

Challenge Progress:

• Goodreads Reading Challenge: 50/85 - 59%. I actually think that I changed my challenge at the beginning of this month, I can't remember what it was but I think that I underestimated myself and so I raised it. It is only 85 books as the target as I wasn't reading much during the exam period.

July TBR:

Once again I am not going to set myself a TBR this month as I know that if I set a TBR I wouldn't stick to it at all, I will be doing 24in48 again this year and also going to YALC so I am not sure what books I am going to be reading or taking with me yet. I will probably end up reading some of the books I get at YALC as soon as I get them if I am honest.

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

Wednesday Catch-Up 5th July 2017

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? You can click any of the images to go to the Goodreads page for that book!

Currently Reading:

I am just about to start The Ultimatum and I'm really excited for it. I need it to be amazing and I've heard good things so I'm hopeful.

Recently Finished:

Summer at Hope Meadows was the highlight of an otherwise bad reading week for me. It was lovely seeing the Animal Ark characters again and I enjoyed the plot. My review for this will be up Saturday. Almost a Bride and Seven Days in Summer just weren't for me unfortunately but I was genuinely annoyed by Fire in You and Deadly Silence. Especially Deadly Silence because the plot was so interesting and then a horribly unhealthy romance ruined it for me.

Planning to Read Next:

I'm making good progress through the books I planned to review this month, only five more to go. These are the next three on my list. What Goes Around looks intriguing and incredible. I previously started Displaced and really liked it but was in the wrong mood so I am looking forward to returning to it and The Himalayan Summer sounds incredible and I liked Brown's debut novel Eden Gardens last year.

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

Monday Highlights #13

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 2nd July 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. 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 or click the title to go to the review.

Last Week on the Blog:

• Monday Highlights #12
• Top Ten Books of 2017 (So Far)
• Wednesday Catch-Up
• Blog Tour: Why I Loathe Sterling Lane by Ingrid Paulson
• Friday Reads
• Clare's June Wrap Up & July TBR

Books We Got This Week:

No Dominion by Louise Welsh: I received a finished copy of this from the publisher for review and I'm really intrigued by it. I believe it is actually the third book in a series so I will have to catch up!

Things a Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nicholls: Received via Netgalley. LGBT Suffragette book? Uh, yes please. This sounds incredible. I am obsessed with the whole suffrage period (mainly in the UK cause thats what I learned about).

Now I Rise by Kiersten White: The sequel to And I Darken (which I haven't read yet). I bought this with a giftcard because I just know I'll want to read it straight after the first book.

The River at Night by Erica Ferencik: I know next to nothing about this book but the blurb promised me it was reminiscent of The Descent and I love that movie so obviously I want to read this!

The Informant/The Mourner/The Killer by Susan Wilkins: Ah cover changes how you frustrate me. This series looks incredible and I definitely want to read it as soon as possible.

Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge by Paul Krueger: I read a positive review of this and after reading the blurb I just had to have this. It sounds so unique and funny and action-packed and I'm really looking forward to it.

Reading Update:

A Drop of Night by Stefan Bachmann: 4 stars, Super intense and engaging. I do wish we had more answers, because even after finishing I'm still a little unsure about the whys and hows but it was an exciting read and I really enjoyed it. 
Why I Loathe Sterling Lane by Ingrid Paulson: 4 stars, Very cute and engaging. The main characters were flawed but realistic and relatable and I enjoyed the plot. I have a full review up with more of my thoughts.
Summer at Hope Meadows by Lucy Daniels: 4 stars, A where-are-they-now sequel to Animal Ark (one of my favourite child-hood series') and so satisfying to read. My review for this will be up next week.

Next Week on the Blog:

• Monday Highlights #13
• Clare Reviews: Summer at Hope Meadows by Lucy Daniels
• Wednesday Catch-Up
• Ann's June Wrap Up and July TBR
• Friday Reads

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

Clare's June Wrap Up and July TBR

June Wrap Up:

I read 26 books in June and really enjoyed pretty much all of them. Like last month I don't feel up to doing a full summary of all of them and my thoughts (I will link any reviews down below) so I'm just focusing on my 12 favourites.

12. Broken Branches by M. Jonathan Lee: This was honestly just such an original and intriguing book. It was so, so atmospheric and engaging and I was wholly absorbed the entire way through which was lovely.

11. Why I Loathe Sterling Lane by Ingrid Paulson: Super cute hate-t0-love romance with flawed but relatable main characters. I got super involved with the characters and their problems and was desperate for them to resolve everything. I didn't always love the way they acted but I did love how they stayed true to themselves whilst also developing.

10. The Sandcastle Empire by Kayla Olson: The first half of this book was superb. It reminded me a little of Beauty Queens meets Indiana Jones with plenty of traps and island exploration and survival skills and I just loved it. For me the second half of the book did fall a little flat because romance overtook everything a little but it was still a good book overall!

9. Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia: This was funny and relatable and heart breaking. It was such a roller-coaster of emotions and I loved every second of it. There are also drawings in the book from the main characters graphic novel which added a lot to the story and made it more unique and more engaging.

8. Summer at Hope Meadows by Lucy Daniels: About half of my reading experience for this was just me fangirling. This is a sequel of sorts to the Animal Ark series picking up in the character's adulthood. I loved the Animal Ark series as a child so this was super rewarding to see my old favourite characters grown up and to get all the references to the old books. I just loved it. (You can totally read this if you never read Animal Ark as well - it doesn't expect you to know everything there was just so much I remembered and got excited about).

7. A Drop of Night by Stefan Bachmann: A thing I learned about myself this month is how much I love traps and survival? In this book the main characters get trapped underground in a sort of death maze and it was so exciting and fun and oddly believable. Just really enjoyed this. 

6. The Other F-Word by Natasha Friend: I picked this up on a whim and ended up loving it. It's such a great exploration of family and the relationship dynamics of the siblings and their personalities were so well done I genuinely feel like these are people I met in real life.

5. Holiday in the Hamptons by Sarah Morgan: ALWAYS love Sarah Morgan's books. Just the best at contemporary romance I swear. This was romantic and emotional and laugh-out-loud funny and SO GOOD.

4. Things I Should Have Known by Claire LaZebnik: I read Epic Fail by LaZebnik a really, really long time ago and it's my favourite Pride and Prejudice retelling. This sounded very different so I wasn't totally sure what to expect but it was incredible. I am also a carer for a younger sibling and so much of this book just rang true to me.

3. Shadow Run by Adrianne Strickland & Michael Miller: A rag-tag space crew, an escape, court politics, awesome powers. This is just the kind of Sci-Fi I adore. If you love things like Illuminae or Starflight then definitely give this a go. 

2. Dreamfall by Amy Plum: I have insomnia so was super intrigued by the premise of this. A group of teenagers who have insomnia and are trying a new treatment get trapped in a dream world that is basically an amalgamation of their nightmares. It was incredible. There is a cliff-hanger but I'm not even mad because I was just so impressed with this. (I do want the sequel ASAP though please?)

1. This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers: More survival. This time of the zombie apocalypse variety. This was such an interesting one because rather than focusing on the zombies themselves it was way more into the group dynamics and the stresses of survival and mistrust and how easily humanity can tear itself apart without the need for zombies.

Reviews This Month:

• One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
• Holiday in the Hamptons by Sarah Morgan
• Broken Branches by M. Jonathon Lee
• Why I Loathe Sterling Lane by Ingrid Paulson

Challenge Progress:

• Goodreads Reading Challenge: 139/250 - 56%. I upped my reading challenge to 250 (from 200) because I was a little ahead. I debated just leaving it and reaching my target early and going over but I'm way too into a challenge to do that!!
• When Are You Reading Challenge: Nothing. Again. I am just the worst. I only have a few categories left so I'm confident I can reach them by the end of the year though.

July TBR: 

These are the books that I am hoping to review in July. I'm not sure what else I will be reading (or if I'll be reading anything else since July will be busy) because there are so many books on my TBR and so many books coming out in July that it's way too hard to choose. I may have to go back to a TBR jar. But these 10 are pretty fixed. 

Link up to Monday Highlights!

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