WWW Wednesdays #148 – August 2nd

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 currently flying through Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard. The writing style makes it a very readable story even though the plot itself hasn’t blown me away yet… It’s not a bad read at all, just nothing I haven’t seen before in a YA contemporary. Suzanne’s character is quite interesting, although I could have done without the high school cliches and jealousy (even though it’s only in small doses thankfully). I also picked up The Ask And The Answer by Patrick Ness, but I haven’t gotten around rereading my review of book one to properly start it. Those who will have read The Knife Of Never Letting Go will probably understand why I wouldn’t want to relive certain scene, so I’ve decided not to do a full reread. I also managed to read another chapter in Dutch of Sister by Rosamund Lupton … One chapter is better than no progress at all right? 😉

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

1. Americosis Vol 4 by Haydn Wilks (3/5 stars) REVIEW 
No cover displayed since it’s basically a swearword… It might just have been I wasn’t in the right mood when I read Americosis Volume 4 and that’s why I rated it slightly lower than the previous three… But I did feel the excessive swearing and graphic scenes started to get out of control. It does read like a train and is basically an explosion of action and absurdness right in the middle of a dystopian America. The right person will probably love Americosis, but it is without doubt an acquired taste. The storyline set in the future was fascinating though!

2. The Lost Book Of The Grail by Charlie Lovett (2,5/5 stars) REVIEW
I really wanted to like The Lost Book Of The Grail and there were certain elements I did enjoy very much. The history of Barchester and its secrets is fascinating and I’m sure many will appreciate the bookish quotes and references. The pace is incredibly slow though and the plot feels both a bit chaotic and lacks action. I also had problems connecting to the characters and felt they lacked character development or at least originality. Such a shame!

3. The Girls In The Water by Victoria Jenkins (4/5 stars) REVIEW 03/08
I wanted to read this one as soon as I saw the cover and this story definitely didn’t disappoint. Both the writing style and pace made it really easy to read this serial killer thriller and the case itself was intriguing. Lots of plot twists and potential suspects to keep you guessing and I always like that! I wasn’t completely charmed by the characters, but that would be my only complaint. Looking forward to book two!

4. Love May Fail by Matthew Quick (3/5 stars) REVIEW 04/08
I picked this up looking for something different and I definitely got what I wanted. I’m still not sure what to make of this book, as there were things I did and didn’t like… The writing style and tone are very unconventional, blunt, brutally honest but also refreshing. There was a lot of swearing involved though… I’m not sure I actually liked the characters, but I could appreciate the well incorporated themes such as mental illness, depression, suicide, midlife crisis and hoarding. I think it’s the first story I’ve read with a hoarder as one of the characters!

5. The Lying Game by Ruth Ware (3,5/5 stars) REVIEW 06/08
I have been wanting to read one of her books for ages and was actually going to pick up one of her other titles first, but decided to tackle The Lying Game first due to mixed reviews. I started with caution, but soon found myself hooked due to the writing style. Even though this story isn’t as fast-paced as I would have liked, it was the writing style that still made me thoroughly enjoy this story and the mystery around what happened all those years ago and what the friends are hiding. I can’t say I liked the character (actually despise Isa for how she treats her baby daughter), but the story itself was intriguing. I can’t wait to read her other books now!

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I’m going to pick up Hide And Seek by Richard Parker as soon as I finish Beautiful Broken Things, most likely later today, since I’ve been in the mood for a thriller and I liked how intense his other book was. I also want to read Midnight At The Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew Sullivan… And A Different Blue by Amy Harmon is high on my list as well. I’ve been eying her other book The Bird And The Sword as well, but decided to read this one first since it’s a stand-alone. I also have a new TBR jar pick! Number 35 since I started using it: The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson. I’ve been wanting to read this title for ages so I saw it as a sign it was about time I did when I opened the paper. Looking forward to be reading it soon!

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ARC REVIEW: Americosis Vol. 4 – by Haydn Wilks

Title: Americosis Vol. 4
Author: Haydn Wilks
Genre: Short Fiction, Science Fiction, Dystopia
First published: December 2nd 2016
Finished reading: July 25th 2017
Pages: 56

“It’s all madness.”

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

First of all a little note: since the cover is basically a swearword, I’ve decided not to display it on my blog for personal reasons. It’s bad enough it already shows up on my Goodreads timeline as it is. xD

The quote above describes these Americosis volumes perfectly: absolute madness. I’ve read the first three volumes in the past, so I did know exactly what I signed up for… There is nothing ordinary about the world created in Americosis, the plot or the characters. And it has been one heck of a crazy and absurd ride so far! Volume four continues where the last part ended; there is almost no recap so it’s important to read/remember the previous volumes to make sense of it all. Although ‘making sense’ maybe isn’t the right phrase to look for, because I don’t think Americosis is ment to make sense in the first place. Volume four had a few very interesting elements I liked; predominantly the parts set in the future (4046). The idea of every person having a different vision of what happened since the moment in history they were snatched away is intriguing and would be a great topic for a standalone novella or novel. Just imagine the endless possibilities of famous personalities of the past getting together and share their version of the ‘future’! This new storyline added a whole new interesting level to the story and made me curious about the finale… But I do have to say there were some things that started to bother me. I don’t think Americosis Vol. 4 has changed much in tone, but somehow the EXCESSIVE and CONSTANT swearing started to get to me. I don’t mind a swearword or two as long as its use is constructive, but I felt it really crossed the line in this volume. I basically have a quote where a variation of the word ‘f*ck‘ is used no less than eleven!! times in one sentence; overkill much? Apart from the swearing, the story is also very graphic and violent in general and stuffed with adult and sex-related comments and scenes. In short there is no doubt this short story isn’t for everyone… Only a select few will be able to truly savour it and I can see why the target group would be predominantly adult (white) male. If you like crazy, graphic, messy, chaotic, dystopian, violent and all over the place stories, Americosis will probably be for you. There’s one thing for sure: you won’t be bored with this one!

WARNING: Possible spoilers! Please don’t read this summary if you haven’t read the first  three volumes yet. I’ll keep the summary super short but it’s impossible to keep it completely spoiler-free…

Things have slowly started to get out of control… The race against the clock for the Savior is real and he will have to fight hard to be able to reach his goal before it’s too late. Because America is being destroyed from the inside, and it’s winning. In the mean time, the Presidential race is going strong… And the two candidates will do whatever it takes to win.

It might just have been I wasn’t in the right mood when I read Volume 4 and that’s why I rated it slightly lower than the previous three… But I did feel the excessive swearing and graphic scenes started to get out of control. It does read like a train and is basically an explosion of action and absurdness right in the middle of a dystopian America. The right person will probably love Americosis, but it is without doubt an acquired taste. The storyline set in the future was fascinating though!

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WWW Wednesdays #147 – July 26th

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 actually reading a short story called Americosis Vol. 4 by Haydn Wilks as well (although I’ll probably have finished it by now), but as the cover is basically a swearword I’ve decided not to show it on my blog (it’s bad enough it’ll show up on my Goodreads timeline xD) These volumes have been crazy rides so far and I don’t think this one will be any different. I’m also quite far into The Lost Book Of The Grail by Charlie Lovett, which is proving to be a goldmine for bookish quotes and references. The pace is superslow though and it’s taking me longer than expected to read it… I’m only a few pages into The Girls In The Water by Victoria Jenkins, but I’ll read it next since I’ve heard good things about it. And I made it to page 66 or chapter 4 of Sister by Rosamund Lupton (which I’m actually reading in Dutch). I’m not a fan of the story so far, although I’m not sure if it’s the language barrier or the book itself.

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

1. Bookishly Ever After by Isabel Bandeira (DNF at 32%) REVIEW 
I’m going to be honest and say I don’t think I would have picked up this story if this wouldn’t have turned up on my Netgalley shelf. I’m not a big fan of (cheesy) contemporary romance in the first place and Bookishly Ever After makes it definitely VERY easy to overdose on the high school cliches and romance tropes incorporated into the story. I’ve tried really hard to see beyond the cliches, but found myself too frustrated to be able to continue and finish the story. And I tell you, it makes me very sad to call Bookishly Ever After my second DNF this year! Part of the problem is definitely me though and I can see why fans of the genre would be able to enjoy it a lot better. Oh well, I guess we can’t like them all, can we?

2. Now You See Me by Sharon Bolton (3,5/5 stars) REVIEW COMING SOON
First of all I have to say that this book has probably suffered from the fact that I’m currently sort of in a slump and I can’t seem to love any book right now. Because there is definitely a lot to love in this first book of the Lacey Flint series. This book had me at serial killer and Jack The Ripper and I love how this old case plays such a big role in the story. It surely shows just how well the author has investigated this part! It’s a well written thriller with a lot of twists that will keep you guessing… I do have to say I never really warmed up to Lacey and the whole bantering between Joesbury and her started to get annoying. Also, the whole mystery around Lacey’s character and the twists and misinformation in the final part of the story sort of had the opposite effect on me and I mostly felt confused and frustrated instead of on the edge of my seat. I’m definitely still going to read the sequel though!

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I actually started Girl In Snow by Danya Kukafka before, but after trying a few pages I just couldn’t get into the writing style. I decided to put it on hold to see if it just wasn’t the right time for it… And read some other titles first. Probably next up will be The Ask And The Answer by Patrick Ness as part of the promise to myself to start reading my own books. I also want to read The Lying Game by Ruth Ware, which is actually an ARC but a title I’m really excited about. My newest TBR jar pick is still Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard, which I’m hoping to read some time soon.

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WWW Wednesdays #119 – January 11th

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 currently almost finished with The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon. I’ve heard a lot of people complain about this book and to be honest I was a bit afraid to pick it up, but the story has pleasantly surprised me so far. I like the main characters and the fact that they belong to different ethnicities rather than the typical stereotype ‘white-American’ main character. I guess as an immigrant in Argentina, I can really relate to some of the problems they have to face. As soon as I’ve finished it, I’m reading The Thankful by Jamie Campbell, an ARC set during WWII I’ve been meaning to read for a while now. I’m also still reading Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, but I haven’t been in the mood for classics so I’m not sure when I will actually finish it.

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

* I first picked up The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner, a title that has been recommended to me over and over again and wasn’t able to pick up before the end of 2016. And boy do I wish I would have read it sooner! I can understand why so many people seem to love this story, because I’m now one of them. I was a little worried about the amount of religious talk included when I first started about it, but that soon went to the background. The story is exceptionally well written and basically an emotional rollercoaster. What an excellent way to start 2017!
* I then read a pending short story ARC I have been meaning to for too long, Americosis Vol. 3 by Haydn Wilks. I had forgotten just how weird and messed up this story is! In one word MADNESS, although you have to be in the mood to absorb such an amount of crazy action and weirdness.
* Afterwards, I picked up one of my most-anticipated-2017 releases, The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda, and it turned out to be just as good as I thought it would be. Well written, fast-paced, plot twists, suspense… Without doubt an excellent psychological thriller and my first 5 star read this year.
* I then decided to pick up Mosquitoland by David Arnold on a whim; another title I have been wanting to read for a long time now. I literally flew through the pages, and enjoyed every single minute of the ride. Another well written story with interesting characters and (road trip) plot… Looks like I have been lucky with my reading choices so far!
* Next up was another pending ARC, That Burning Summer by Lydia Syson. I enjoy reading historical fiction, especially if they are set during or around WWII, but I wasn’t too convinced by this one. It took me a long time to get a proper feel for the story, although I cannot put my finger exactly on the why. It might have been the tone, it might have been the pace, but it wasn’t as good as I thought it would be.
* The last book I picked up is You by Caroline Kepnes, a book that has been on my radar ever since I found out it had a serial killer element. I was so excited about this one, but to be honest I don’t understand why so many people seem to love this book. It might just be that this isn’t for me, but I had to make the tough decision to DNF it after only 5%. Between the annoying prose and constant swearing and sex talk/scenes, I just couldn’t take it anymore.

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I have to Netgalley ARCs pending I want to get to first: Those Who Lie by Diane Jeffrey and Missing by Monty Marsden. I’m also searching for my next fantasy read, which will probably end up being Splintered by A.G. Howard since I’m in the mood for an Alice In Wonderland retelling. My newest TBR jar pick is still The Five Stages Of Andrew Brawley by Shaun David Hutchinson.

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WWW Wednesdays #59 – October 7th

WWW WEDNESDAYS is hosted by Sam at Taking On A World Of Words and is all about answering the three questions below.

• WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

I’ve started reading The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern earlier this week and so far I’m really enjoying this read. Hopefully it stays this way! I’ve also decided to start reading my last pending ARC Firebolt by Adrienne Woods yesterday evening… It’s been a while since I’ve read stories with dragons and so far it looks promising.

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

Five finished titles this week… Looks like I’m getting back on track!
* Americosis Vol. 2 by Haydn Wilks was a novella full of chaos and madness I was able to finish the same day I posted my last WWW.
* I then finished The Kill Order by James Dashner, which means I can finally leave The Maze Runner series behind… I can’t say I was impressed by this prequel story either.
* Before starting with my creepy reads, I decided to read An Abundance Of Katherines by John Green first. It’s a quick and entertaining feel-good story, although nothing mindblowing. The teenage dialogues are very well done like always.
* My first creepy read of the month was Asylum by Madeleine Roux, a story with just the right scary factor and a bunch of creepy old asylum photos to look at.
* The last book I finished this week is I Am Not A Serial Killer by Dan Wells. I had high hopes for this series, but it turned out to be a bit of a disappointment… I just wasn’t expecting the whole supernatural-demon-serial killer angle.

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I have said it probably a million times before already, but this time I’m really going to read And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini next. This title has been on my TBR pile longer than any other book and it’s about time I read it… Plus, it will help me finish two challenges. I also want to read On The Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta and I should read The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey since I have been starting way too many new series without reading sequels. The last one, The Valentine Circle by Reinaldo DelValle, is my newest TBR jar pick and looks like an interesting read as well. (Although I might try to read a few titles on my October/Halloween TBR first…)

ARC REVIEW: Americosis Vol. 2 – by Haydn Wilks

Title: Americosis Vol. 2
Author: Haydn Wilks
Genre: Short Stories, Science Fiction, Thriller
First published: September 26th 2015
Finished reading: September 30th 2015
Pages: 57

“That’s why movies suck so bad these days; they’re making them for people who don’t even speak English. Less character development, more explosions and 3D dinosaurs and aliens and whatever.”

*** A copy of this novella was kindly provided to me in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

I’ve read Americosis Vol. 1 back in July and I think I enjoyed this second part even better than the first introduction. These novellas are not exactly your standard read and because of the adult themes and swearwords it might not be for everyone, but there is no doubt that Americosis is an intriguing story for those who are up for it. Things get so messed up at points that you just want to keep on reading to find out what on earth is actually going on… This second part gives you a slightly better idea what is happening in this dystopian world, but there are still many questions left unanswered. The pace is fast, Haydn Wilks‘ prose is easy to follow and all in all it’s a quick and entertaining read if you like this kind of dystopian madness. I personally will be looking forward to find out what happens in Vol. 3!

WARNING: Possible spoilers! Please don’t read this summary if you haven’t read Vol. 1 yet. I’ll keep the summary short but it’s almost impossible to keep it completely spoiler-free…

The strange sexually transmitted infection is still spreading and more and more people are infected. The Savior is still not closer to understanding what is happening with the America he came back to from the future and Hank is quite positive the Savior is a danger to society. The presidential candidate still believes he has to save the world and others are simply wandering around to try and find their next victim… Chaos and madness rule the world; who will survive?

Americosis Vol. 2 is the second part of a thriller/horror/sci-fi short story that is full of madness, mildly disturbing and definitely left me wanting for more. This novella is not your typical read and not everyone will appreciate this chaotic and crazy story, but I personally enjoyed reading it Without doubt an interesting novella for those who enjoy the whole thriller/horror/sci-fi genre and don’t mind a healthy dose of madness, adult themes and swearwords.

WWW Wednesdays #58 – September 30th

WWW WEDNESDAYS is hosted by Sam at Taking On A World Of Words and is all about answering the three questions below.

• WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

I’ve started both my current reads yesterday evening… The first is an ARC: Americosis Vol. 2 by Haydn Wilks. Since it’s a short story I will most likely finish it later today. The second is The Kill Order by James Dashner. I’m not exactly a big fan of the rest of the series (especially the last book was a mayor disappointment), but since people keep saying this one is actually better than the main series I decided to start it anyway. So far it’s quite a fast read.

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

I actually finished Queen Of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas before my failed trip, but I decided to count it anyway. I loved this fourth book of the Throne Of Glass series and I will be waiting impatiently for the next book… Although I’m grateful the ending wasn’t the mayor cliffhanger I was expecting. The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski turned out to be a disappointment though. It had a really slow pace and I had the feeling the story could have been told with less pages. Most of the plot was quite cliche or at least predictable and I’m not sure I like the characters or prose for that matter. More of my complaints in the full review…

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I have Firebolt by Adrienne Woods, an ARC, lined up as one of my next reads. I might read And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini or Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver first though, depending on what genre I’m in the mood for when I finish my current reads. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is my newest TBR jar pick; a title I have been wanting to read for ages now and can’t wait to start soon!

ARC REVIEW: Americosis Vol. 1 – by Haydn Wilks

Title: Americosis Vol. 1
Author: Haydn Wilks
Genre: Short Stories, Science Fiction, Thriller
First published: July 9th 2015
Finished reading: July 20th 2015
Pages: 60

“The world’s more globalized than ever before, but it’s also never been more precarious.”

*** A copy of this novella was kindly provided to me in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

I have been trying to read more thriller/horror stories lately, so when I was approached to read Americosis I almost immediately said yes. This novella is actually the introduction of a series that it did exactly as the blurb promised: it left me wanting for more. Americosis is so messed up and weird at points that you just want to keep on reading to find out what happens next. It has some adult themes and swearwords that might not be for everyone, but I personally wasn’t bothered by it. The novella has a fast pace with a prose that reads even faster. It’s crazy, it’s madness, but it is without doubt an intriguing story. I will be looking out for the next installment of this new series by Haydn Wilks! If it’s just as interesting as the novella, we’re in for a ride.

Things are about to get a whole lot crazier in the world… A strange sexually-transmitted infection is slowly starting to take control over people’s bodies and more and more people in New York are infected. A huge naked man shows up in New Mexico and claims he has traveled through time to save America as we know it… But he doesn’t really know yet what from. One of the presidential candiates claims he is conversing with angels and needs to change the world. Huge monsters start attacking innocent children on a farm. Is this madness? The apocalypse?

Americosis is a thriller/horror/sci-fi short story that was both disturbing and left me wanting for more…It’s an almost dystopian world where bizarre sexually-transmitted infection takes control over people’s bodies and huge monsters attack children. This novella is not your typical read and is packed with a considerable dose of madness. It makes you want to keep reading while you wonder what will happen next… Without doubt an interesting novella for those who enjoy the whole thriller/horror/sci-fi genre.

WWW Wednesdays #49 – July 22nd

Originally featured at Should Be Reading and now hosted by Sam at Taking On A World Of Words, WWW WEDNESDAYS is still about answering the following three questions:

• What are you currently reading?

I’ve finally made progress on The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, and I’m definitely enjoying this read so far. Hopefully I will be able to finish it before the end of this month! I’m also finally reading Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley for The Book Club of the Opinionated Hufflepuffs…I’m not sure what to think of it so far though; I’m not convinced by the prose.

• What did you recently finish reading?

I literally started and finished 314 by A.R. Wise on the same day. I was looking for another thriller/horror read after finishing Game by Barry Lyga on Sunday… I LOVED that book and needed another dose of scary. 314 is a fast read and surprisingly good; I wasn’t expecting too much after seeing it has quite a low Goodreads rating. Some parts are pretty messed up though! I’ve also finished reading Americosis by Haydn Wilks, a thriller/horror/sci-fi short story that was both disturbing and left me wanting for more…

• What do you think you’ll read next?

What to read next? I seriously don’t know… Masquerade by Kylie Fornasier is still high on my list as well as the TBR jar pick The Kings Of Cool by Don Winslow I got at the beginning of this month. But I will probably end up reading something completely different. Maybe Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher or even The Scorch Trials by James Dashner?

ARC REVIEW: The Death Of Danny Daggers – by Haydn Wilks

Title: The Death Of Danny Daggers
Author: Haydn Wilks
Genre: Mystery, Crime
First published: May 1st 2015
Finished reading: June 11th 2015
Pages: 236

“Ji Eun sat and sifted through the nuggets of Rory’s narrative that she’d been able to understand, trying to piece them together into some coherent whole.”

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

I was really looking forward to this read, especially since I haven’t been reading enough good crime novels lately. The Death Of Danny Daggers sounded like an intriguing mystery with various storylines and a multi-cultural angle. I guess I did like the general idea of the story, but I was put off by the overwhelming amount of swearing used during most of the story. I don’t mind swearing as long as it adds to the story, but I don’t think this is the case in The Death Of Danny Daggers. The fact that I had difficulties understanding about half of the dialogues because of the Scottish/Welsh dialects didn’t really help either. I’m a philologist and I normally love dialects in stories, but in this case it was truly to hard to understand for those who are not familiar with the Scottish and Welsh dialects. This made it hard to read the novel and it took away a lot of my reading pleasure. That said, I did like the fact that as a reader you only slowly find out what happened to Danny during the last days of his life. The way Haydn Wilks is able to connect the different storylines and main characters is also interesting. But I don’t think I would recommend this one, unless you don’t mind excessive swearing and are familiar with the Scottish/Welsh dialects.

Danny Daggers is a student who loves to do stunts and it has made him quite popular on YouTube. What he doesn’t know is that he is about to be in mayor trouble… As he is about to take on more drugs, alcohol and excitement than he can take. We read about his last days and also learn more about the characters that will play a role in those. Ji Eun, a Korean student that is doing work experience and is currently working with a veteran journalist Rory Galagher… The Amstell brothers always looking for more trouble and one of them just escaped from prison… Tom and Joseph working at a call centre and not quite enjoying it… All those stories soon collide and things are about to get really messy.

I’m a sucker for a good mystery/crime read, so when I was asked to read and review The Death Of Danny Daggers I immediately said yes. Unfortunately, what sounded like a really promising story turned out to be something I just couldn’t enjoy. The excessive swearing and difficult to understand dialects took away a lot of my reading pleasure and it took me a lot longer than planned to finish this novel. I normally don’t mind violence, swearing, drugs etc, but I don’t think its use was justified in this case. I still like the general idea of the story, but I guess I would have preferred a ‘milder’ version of the dialogue.