WWW WEDNESDAYS is a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World Of Words and is all about answering the three questions below.
- WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?
My shelf of pending Netgalley ARCs has grown way too much in the last few weeks, so I’ve decided to read a couple of them in a row to bring the number below ten again. I’m currently reading Sarah A. Denzil‘s newest title The Liar’s Sister and I hope to finish it later today. I’m also in the need for a change of genre and decided to pick up the romance title Secrets Of The Mist by Kate Ryder… I really like the sound of this one.
WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?
1. The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson (3,5/5 stars) REVIEW 24/09
I really like the idea behind the Shades Of London series. It’s YA paranormal fantasy and horror with a twist, the snarky humor giving you a break from the darker scenes. I do believe this sequel is not as strong as the first book though… This feeling has to do both with the plot itself, the characters and the romance involved. The plot, while interesting enough, did miss that spark of the first book. It might have been the simple fact that it’s hard to live up to the previous Jack The Ripper inspired plot, but I found certain parts of the plot quite slow and sometimes not all that credible. I also had issues with certain actions and the behavior of certain characters…
2. The Hiding Place by C.J. Tudor (3,5/5 stars) REVIEW 24/09
It might have been that I set my expectations too high, but I ended up having mixed thoughts about this book. The first thing that stands out is that I underestimated just how dark this story was going to be… I personally didn’t mind, but I do believe The Hiding Place would be classified more accurately with a (paranormal) horror label rather than just a ‘regular’ thriller. Especially the paranormal aspect took me by surprise, as I have to be in the mood for those kind of stories and don’t always react to them positively. It really shows the author uses the work of Stephen King as her inspiration though; The Hiding Place definitely has that King feel with the horror elements, the bugs and the paranormal.
3. The Passengers by John Marrs (5/5 stars) REVIEW 26/09
I’ve read his work in the past and I already knew I was going to like it, but The Passengers simply blew me away. What a read! The writing, the plot, the near-future setting, the twists, the characters… I loved it all, found myself to be glued to my seat and couldn’t stop reading until I discovered how it would all end. Both plot and character development are well executed and there are so many secrets and twists involved that you will never guess what is going on or who is behind it all… I liked how this story was divided into three different parts, and the ending was satisfying. The Passengers is an absolutely brilliant book and hands down one of my favorites of 2019.
4. The Unbound by Victoria Schwab (4/5 stars) REVIEW 26/09
I loved The Archived and have been looking forward to dive into the world again. And while I have to say I didn’t enjoy The Unbound as much as the first book, I can’t deny it was still a solid book. The worldbuilding is still strong, the urban fantasy feeling with a paranormal touch right there and center, and I really like the idea of the Narrows, the Archived and the Keepers and Crew using doors to move around and do their job. My main issue is with the new direction of this story and the focus shifting towards the ‘real’ world, including a lot of private school scenes, cliches and even a love triangle.
5. The Essence Of Evil by Rob Sinclair (4/5 stars) BLOG TOUR REVIEW 07/09
Look out for my review during my stop of the blog tour!
- WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?
Next up are more ARCs… The Lies We Tell by Debra Webb and Here To Stay by Mark Edwards are NG ARCs I recently received and I’m looking forward to. And I can’t wait to read Blood Song by Johana Gustawsson for my upcoming stop of the blog tour! The first two books were absolutely brilliant and I have a feeling I’ll find another new favorite here. My newest TBR jar pick is still The Museum Of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman.
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So many ARCs! I read The Museum of Extraordinary Things and it was not my favourite. I am curious to see what you think 🙂
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I’ve been neglecting my ARCs last month and it shows haha. I’m definitely curious about The Museum Of Extraordinary Things now.
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Interesting that you had mixed feelings about The Hiding Place that’s how I felt about The Chalk Man.
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I didn’t rate The Chalk Man five stars like most either… Although I did enjoy it more than The Hiding Place. It’s by no means a bad read, but it definitely should be marketed under (paranormal) horror, not thriller.
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I am really intrigued by The Passengers – sounds good! Here is mine: https://www.autismfamilypower.com/www-wednesday-september-4th-2019/
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It was without doubt a fantastic read!
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I received a copy of The Lies We Tell, but I’m on the fence about reading it. I’ll wait to see what you think!
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I wasn’t sure about reading it either… But in the end I just couldn’t resist haha. I’m starting it tomorrow and fingers crossed it’s a good one.
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So looking forward to Blood Song!
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Me too! I can’t wait to start it this weekend. ❤
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All these books with “lie” in the title. I always gravitate towards those when I want a thriller. I hope these ones are good. I’ll keep an eye out for your reviews.
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Haha all those secrets and lies do make for an interesting mystery read. 😉
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These all sound so interesting! The Archived has been on my tbr for a while so I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it. Happy reading! 🙂
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I’m definitely glad I finally read the two The Archived books! I prefer the first, but both are worth reading. 🙂
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I completely agree with not liking surprise paranormal elements in a story. I do like paranormal stuff sometimes, but I need to know that’s what the book is about first.
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Same here… I hardly ever react well to surprise paranormal elements in a thriller.
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I never did pick up The Unbound, even though I liked the first book. I might have to give it a try again soon, but yikes to private schools and love triangles.I look forward to seeing what you think of The Museum of Extraordinary Things. It sounds interesting. Happy reading!
Here’s my WWW post.
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The private school plot and love triangle did put a minor damper on things and I do prefer the first book, but The Unbound was still an entertaining read. I’m curious about The Museum Of Extraordinary Things! Happy reading.
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I hope you enjoy your upcoming reads! 😀
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Looking forward to them! 🙂
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I haven’t heard of Secrets of the Mist, so I had to look it up! I LOVE gothic style books that center around a cottage or house where the main character discovers secrets about the past owners! Did you finish? What did you think?
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I did finish and I really enjoyed it! It’s more contemporary than historical fiction, but the timeslip element is really intriguing… It kind of gives off a paranormal vibe with the main character having vivid dreams and seeing glimpses of the past.
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