WWW Wednesdays #238 – September 18th

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?

I’m binge reading the Reykjavik Noir Trilogy by Lilja Sigurdardottir in preparation for my stop of the blog tour for the third and final book… I’m currently reading book number one Snare. I’m also starting Finding Henry Applebee by Celia Reynolds and I’m looking forward to the change of genre and read a contemporary again.

WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

1. All Cats Are Introverts by Francesco Marciuliano (4,5/5 stars) REVIEW 15/10
I know I don’t read a lot of poetry, but give me cat photos, give me humor and give me a relatable topic and I’m sold. As a true introvert and a cat owner, it was extremely easy to relate to the poems included in this bundle. I literally laughed out loud multiple times, my own cat Delilah Bard frowning at me as apparently I was making too much noise to her liking. The dry, sometimes slightly sarcastic humor is right up my alley and some poems definitely have a mean pun. The cat photos in this bundle are of a high quality and it shows that they have been chosen carefully as they suit each poem extremely well.

2. The Birthday House by Jill Treseder (3/5 stars) REVIEW 08/10
Look out for my review during my stop of the blog tour next month!

3. Muse Of Nightmares by Laini Taylor (5/5 stars) REVIEW 11/10
After being blown away by the first book of this duology, I was afraid it was going to be almost impossible for the sequel to live up to expectations. But I shouldn’t have doubted the power of Laini Taylor‘s absolutely gorgeous prose! Like with Strange The Dreamer, I was absolutely mesmerized by the words she uses to describe both the high fantasy world, its characters and the plot itself. Things can be said about the fact that not all that much seems to be happening considering its 500+ pages, although I did feel there was more going on in the sequel. But personally I didn’t really care as long as I was going to be able to keep lapping up those gorgeous sentences.

4. Here To Stay by Mark Edwards (4,5/5 stars) REVIEW 29/09
I just HAD to get a copy after reading Meggy’s review and seeing others raving about it as well… And there is no doubt that this book delivered. I basically felt uncomfortable and threatened during the whole book, feeling what the main character feels while also just wanting to shake him and tell him to do something about his situation. I definitely didn’t see the ending coming either! I might need some time before I can get my thoughts together and write a review that does it justice. Mark Edwards has a new fan!

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I just remembered I still had to read this month’s Criminally Good book club read! Since I really want to read it in the first place, I’m picking up The Chestnut Man by Soren Sveistrup next. Afterwards it’s time for more ARCs… First up are The Huntress by Kate Quinn and I Will Make You Pay by Terese Driscoll. My latest TBR jar pick is still The Museum Of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman… I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get to it this month as I have a huge pile of books I need to read first. xD

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ARC REVIEW: The Lies We Tell – by Debra Webb @HarlequinBooks

Title: The Lies We Tell
(The Undertaker’s Daughter #2)
Author: Debra Webb
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
First published: September 17th 2019
Publisher: MIRA
Finished reading: September 8th 2019 
Pages: 384

“Rowan had learned from experience that the one thing you could count on was that life never failed to toss out the occasional surprise.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and MIRA in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

!! Happy publication day !!

I was invited to read this title a little while back.. Even though my reading schedule was packed and I hadn’t read the first book of the series, there was just something about The Lies We Tell that caught my eye. Ok, I’ll confess, it was the mention of a serial killer coming for the main character Rowan Dupont and her being ready to face him. How on earth could I resist that?! I’m glad I didn’t, because I had an excellent time reading this story.

First of all I have to stress that while I hadn’t read the first book of this series, it was quite easy to get the gist of what was going on and enjoy the sequel and its new events. I’m definitely curious about the first book now though! As the name of the series already suggests, the main character Rowan Dupont is the daughter of the local undertaker, and she has grown up helping her father with his job. Definitely not a normal childhood! And this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Rowan’s past, because her family has a LOT of skeletons in the closet. Secrets revealed in the first book are hinted at, but there will be a lot more shocking reveals before you reach the final page of The Lies We Tell. Things can be said about the credibility as it might be just a tad too twisted and suspenseful to be fully believable, but it definitely makes for an entertaining ride. Prepare yourself for a cliffhanger ending and having a lot of questions left unanswered though! Because this sequel will give you no closure and will definitely leave you wanting for the next book to see how things will continue.

I think part of the reason this story worked so well for me were the characters. Not only is Rowan a fascinating and strong character on her own, but I loved just how big of a role her dog Freud played throughout the story. Billy is likewise a great character and I loved both their dynamics and the character developement in general. The plot is well developed, quite twisty and has a healthy dose of suspense and action included. I had The Lies We Tell wrongly identified as romantic suspense (I’m not sure why), but there is nothing mild or tranquil about this story. Oh no, this is a full blown serial killer thriller where things will get dark, disturbing and violent and some scenes are definitely not for those with a weak stomach. The fact that the main character is an undertaker and her connection to everything that is happening gives the story an unique touch. Fans of darker and fast-paced crime thrillers will have a great time with this series!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Debra Webb is the award winning, USA Today bestselling author of more than 130 novels, including reader favorites the Faces of Evil, the Colby Agency, and the Shades of Death series. With more than four million books sold in numerous languages and countries, Debra’s love of storytelling goes back to her childhood on a farm in Alabama. 

SOCIAL LINKS

Author Website // Twitter: @DebraWebbAuthor // Instagram: @DebraEWebb // Facebook: @DebraWebbAuthor // Goodreads

BUY LINKS

Harlequin // Amazon // Barnes & Noble // Books-A-Million // Powell’s

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ARC REVIEW: To Drink Coffee With A Ghost – by Amanda Lovelace

Title: To Drink Coffee With A Ghost
(Things That H(a)unt #2)
Author: Amanda Lovelace
Genre: Poetry, Non Fiction, Memoir
First published: September 17th 2019
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Finished reading: August 13th 2019
Pages: 160

“i walk

the thin line

 between

nostalgia

& trauma,

never fully

knowing

the difference.

 

– maybe there is none.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

After reading and enjoying the Woman Are Some Kind Of Magic poetry bundles in the past, I tried the first book of this duology earlier this year and found myself really enjoying that collection as well. Reading the second collection of this duology was an easy choice, and it is without doubt an excellent addition. Amanda Lovelace‘s poems are easy to recognize, and while it’s true that the structure of the poems is quite simplistic and basically seems like hitting the space bar every few words, I personally don’t mind. Why? I feel this simple style gives the words and message behind the poems even more power and focuses on what is said instead of just how. Once again, Amanda Lovelace writes without fear and is fully open about her experience with abusive and toxic relationships in the past; To Drink Coffee With A Ghost having a special focus on the relationship with her now deceased mother. And once again, I have to stress that these poems are really easy to relate to for anyone who has experienced a toxic relationship in general (or is still experiencing it) and will provide both comfort and an empowering message to let you know that you are worthy and can beat that monster. She uses words to not only express feelings, but also heal herself and try to free herself from her past and demons… It’s not the style, but the words and the emotions behind those words that turn To Drink Coffee With A Ghost into such a success for me. And while it’s true that her poetry might not be for everyone, those who can connect to her words will be able to treasure it. Another successful bundle and a worthy conclusion to this duology!

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YVO’S SHORTIES #121 – Smoke In The Sun & The Cellar

Time for another round of Yvo’s Shorties! This time around to YA reads that I fully expected to enjoy thoroughly, but failed to blow me away in the end. The first is the duology conclusion Smoke In The Sun by Renee Ahdieh, which I was expecting to be another 5 star read after loving the first book last year, but it wasn’t ment to be. And while the premise of The Cellar by Natasha Preston is absolutely fascinating, I didn’t enjoy the actual story as much as I thought I would.

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Title: Smoke In The Sun
(Flame In The Mist #2)
Author: Renee Ahdieh
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance
First published: May 1st 2018
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books For Young Readers
Finished reading: August 20th 2019
Pages: 416

“Honor was a thing to hate. It drove people to act foolishly, as though they were heroes. As though they were invincible.”

I’m still surprised I reacted this way to this duology conclusion, because I absolutely loved Flame In The Mist last year and it was one of my 2018 favorites. It might have been that my expectations were set too high, it might have been that I should have reread the first book before starting Smoke In The Sun because I had forgotten about a lot of details… But the fact is, I never felt that same love for the sequel. Even with the help of the glossary in the back, I kind of struggled to keep all the different characters, POVs and plotlines apart, and that made me enjoy the story a lot less. The writing is solid, and I liked the Japanese elements incorporated into the story, as it gives the story the right atmosphere. I would have liked to see the magic more developed though, as it would have given the story that little something extra. Instead, Smoke In The Sun focuses a lot on the relationships between the different characters. To make things worse, we have a love triangle to deal with… And I wasn’t sure if I liked the character development of certain characters. I still think Mariko is a very strong and resourceful main character, and I still liked Okami, but for me Smoke In The Sun lacked some of that special ‘magic’ that turned the first book into a favorite for me. It’s not a bad read, but sadly it wasn’t what I hoped it would be either.

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Title: The Cellar
(The Cellar #1)
Author: Natasha Preston
Genre: YA, Mystery, Thriller
First published: March 1st 2014
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Finished reading: August 22nd 2019
Pages: 368

“This was a morning from a nightmare – one that I couldn’t wake up from.”

I’ve had The Cellar on my TBR for quite some time now… When my TBR jar decided it was time to read it and I reread the blurb, I was instantly excited to finally pick it up. The premise of this story is absolutely fascinating and I’ve been looking forward to read it ever since. But somehow, I didn’t enjoy the actual story as much as I thought I would. The elements are there: a twisted serial killer, a kidnapping, a prolonged hostage situation… But somehow it was all overshadowed by just how whiny and annoying the main character Summer was. I get that she is in an impossible situation and to say that she is having a hard time is an understatement, but I really couldn’t stand her character and the chapter set before the kidnapping only reconfirmed those feelings. There was too much romance and teen angst involved for me to take the plot seriously, and the final twists were not at all credible either. Another thing about the plot: the whole ‘trapped inside a room by a twisted individual’ scenario has clearly been done before, and sadly executed better in other stories I’ve had the chance to read so far (including Room, The Butterfly Garden, The Bunker Diary). It’s by no means a bad read and the serial killer we are introduced to is without doubt seriously twisted, but somehow The Cellar didn’t manage to convince me completely despite the promising premise. I don’t think I will be reading the sequel any time soon…

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Stacking The Shelves #95 – September 14th

Stacking The Shelves is hosted at Tynga’s Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

My Netgalley shelf is quickly spinning out of control… Even though I’ve been trying to catch up by reading mostly ARCs in the first two weeks of August. After reading Meggy’s review, I just couldn’t resist getting a copy of Here To Stay… And I never would have guessed my request of The Huntress would actually be approved, but I’m super excited to have this one to read now! I love my WWII historical fiction and I keep hearing fantastic things about this title. The same goes for The Missing Sister, a March 2020 release… I didn’t think my request would actually be approved, but I’m stoked to have it on my kindle as the blurb sounds absolutely fantastic!

I then couldn’t resist adding the two cat related humor books to my shelves as well, both because I love cats and I read one of Francesco Marciuliano’s other titles last year… They were short and fun reads and I already finished both.

Afterwards, Harper Impulse And Killer Reads uploaded a couple of new Read Now titles I just couldn’t resist, and Bookouture added a new title by a favorite author I just HAD to add… Also, I saw a cute 2020 contemporary Read Now I just couldn’t say no to. And somehow I now have a mountain of Netgalley ARCs to read. xD

I think most of you know by now I’m a huge fan of Rachel Amphlett’s books, and Kay Hunter is hands down one of my favorite detective series. I literally squeeled when book number eight landed on my kindle, and now the cover has been revealed I can safely gush about this book. I can’t wait to read this one! ❤

I also couldn’t resist signing up for two blog tours… Especially as I’m joining #Orentober month in the first place and the more Orenda books to celebrate during October, the better, right? ❤

# NETGALLEY #

# SENT BY AUTHOR #

# BLOG TOURS #

Click on the summaries below to go to the Goodreads page…

ARC REVIEW: The Liar’s Sister – by Sarah A. Denzil

Title: The Liar’s Sister
Author: Sarah A. Denzil
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
First published: September 25th 2019
Publisher: Bookouture
Finished reading: September 4th 2019
Pages: 290

“Maybe none of it is real until we reach adulthood, and everything that happened before is just the breeze drifting through the curtains at night.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

I have been wanting to read Sarah A. Denzil‘s books for quite some time now… While it’s true that I tried The Broken Ones not long ago and wasn’t too impressed, with so many people loving her books and recommending them (Yes, I have Silent Child on my TBR still), I just couldn’t resist trying her newest title. Especially after reading the blurb… I’m glad I decided to do so, because I definitely understand the power of her books now.

The Liar’s Sister starts out as what seems like a regular psychological thriller with a focus on family, secrets, lies and both illness and grief. The story is told mostly through a dual POV, set both in present and ten years ago. The main stars of this story are the two sisters Rosie and Heather, and as the story alternates between their point of views we slowly learn more about the past and the present. Because this is not just about strained relationship between them or about grief and trying to deal with the death of their mother. Rosie coming back to Buckthorpe is a cataclysm for a whole lot of dirt and secrets about to come to light…

The plot starts out simple and slowly gets more tangled as we learn more about what happened ten years ago and how this affects the present. The story will have you guessing for a long time, wondering what Rosie is hiding and what really happened all those years ago. I do believe the final reveals are a bit farfetched, but there is no doubt that this story ends with a bang and definitely crossed the line to action/crime thriller before you reach the final page. The Liar’s Sister is a psychological thriller filled to the brim with secrets and lies and without doubt packs a mean punch. Both focused on family relationships, grief and something possibly sinister happening in past and present, this story will appeal to both fans of more domestic thrillers and those who enjoy a healthy dose of suspense and action.

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YVO’S SHORTIES #120 – Twisted & I Am Malala

Time for another round of Yvo’s Shorties! This time around a new 5 star favorite and another good read as well. I loved Thirteen when I read it a while back, and I think I might just love Twisted a tiny bit more. Steve Cavanagh is definitely one of my favorite new discoveries this year! And it took me years, but I finally managed to read I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai, and it was without doubt a very powerful memoir even though I failed to connect with it completely.

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Title: Twisted
Author: Steve Cavanagh
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
First published: January 24th 2019
Publisher: Orion
Finished reading: August 16th 2019 
Pages: 320

“This was what Paul lived for.

He just liked writing twists good enough to make the reader drop the goddamn book.

And there was one of the way.”

I’ve had a copy of Twisted on my shelves for a few months, and after being blown away by Thirteen a little while back I was even more excited to finally read it. I didn’t think it was possible, but I think I loved Twisted even a tiny bit more than my first meeting with Eddie Flynn. This book knocked me out with a hammer and left me staring at the last page, trying to process what I had just read… Oh yes, this will definitely be on my list of favorites of 2019. And I can also say that Steve Cavanagh is one of my favorite newly discovered authors this year.

I don’t know how I should even start discussing my feelings, because it’s hard to explain the plot and story in general without giving away spoilers that could potentially ruin the fun. But let’s just say that both writing, pace, plot, characters and twists are top notch and definitely take Twisted to the next level. What I love about this book is that nothing is as it seems. You are told something and believe it is true, only for the next chapter to bulldozer over your newly discovered ‘facts’ and feeding you yet another lie instead. Which you will proceed lapping up greedily, desperately trying to get the full picture of it all as you are on a quest to discover the elusive truth. Lie after lie and twist after twist will mislead you up until the point that you even start doubting your own name and your sanity… Oh yes, Twisted will mess with your mind and it’s definitely the right title for this story. Clever, original, complex, brilliantly executed and hands down one of my favorite reads of the year.

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Title: I Am Malala
Author: Malala Yousafzai
Genre: Non Fiction, Memoir
First published: November 1st 2012
Publisher: Hachette Book Group
Finished reading: August 17th 2019
Pages: 352

“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.”

I’ve been meaning to pick up this memoir for a long long time now. I’m sure most have heard about Malala’s story in some way or the other, and this memoir makes for a very inspiring, powerful and heartbreaking story. I think I might have picked it up at the wrong time, because I somehow against expectations I failed to connect to the story… Especially the first half was a struggle for me; I think it has something to do with the sheer amount of different names, places and politics being involved. While it gives an excellent background and is a goldmine for information about Pakistan, I struggled to keep my attention to the story. But like I said, that might just have been that it wasn’t the right book at the right time for me. When you get to the second half and learn more about Malala’s personal story, both the events of her being shot for her beliefs and the aftermath, it was a lot easier to keep your attention with the story. Malala is without doubt both inspiring and extraordinary… And it is easy to understand why she is considered a symbol of peaceful protest in the world. I might end up rereading this one when I’m in the right mood to see if I react differently to it.

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