WWW Wednesdays #283 – September 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 in a bit of a beginning reading and blogging slump right now, so I’m hoping a little change of genre will bring a stop to that before it becomes worse… I’m keeping my fingers crossed The 24-Hour Cafe by Libby Page will do its job. I’ve also started Knock Knock by Chris Merritt as I have an ARC of the sequel due soon.

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

1. The Memories We Bury by H.A. Leuschel (4/5 stars) BLOG TOUR REVIEW
I was positively impressed by Helene Leuschel‘s short story collection Manipulated Lives as well as her stand-alone novella My Sweet Friend a few years back, so of course I couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to join the blog tour for her first ‘full novel’ psychological thriller. She has a way of describing the psychological aspects and effects of manipulation that is both realistic and extremely thorough, and after reading the blurb of The Memories We Bury I could just feel it in my bones I was in for another absolute treat. And that is exactly what this story turned out to be!

2. Road Out Of Winter by Alison Stine (3,5/5 stars) BLOG TOUR REVIEW 07/09
Look out for my thoughts during my stop of the blog tour!!

3. Deadly Waters by Dot Hutchison (2/5 stars) REVIEW 05/09
Oh boy… I didn’t expect to have this reaction to Dot Hutchison‘s newest story at all. I mean, I loved her The Collector books, and I fully expected to have a similar reaction to Deadly Waters. I confess I requested it months ago without even reading the blurb (something I do when I’ve loved multiple books by an author), and started reading this story without reading the already available reviews… I kind of wish I would have now, because they would have been a warning. Basically, this book is an over the top, exaggerated man hating world where all men are abusing, rapist bastards and the girls in college are in constant danger. This anger and hate literally streams out off the pages and REALLY made this a very unappetizing read, and combined with the undeveloped character cliches, the exaggerated plot with excessive violence and attacks and lack of credibility in general, I really wish I would have just DNFed it instead.

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I have a pile of ARCs and blog tours due soon, so I hope the slump will go away soon…The Wife by Shalini Boland is up first, and then it’s two upcoming September blog tour titles: The Seven Doors by Agnes Ravatn and The Orphan Of Cemetery Hill by Hester Fox. And I don’t think I will be able to get to my latest TBR jar pick Dead Girls Don’t Lie by Jennifer Shaw Wolf during September either… Unless a miracle happens. xD

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WWW Wednesdays #282 – August 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 currently reading an upcoming blog tour read: The Memories We Bury by H.A. Leuschel. I’ve enjoyed her writing in the past and I’ve been looking forward to this one! I’m also starting a little something different: the dystopian Roads Out Of Winter by Alison Stine for another upcoming September blog tour.

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

1. The Day We Meet Again by Miranda Dickinson (4,5/5 stars) REVIEW 10/09
I know that contemporary romance isn’t my typical genre, but after I read Meggy’s review earlier this year I simply had no other option but to add it to my wishlist straight away. And guess what? It turned out to be yet another fantastic recommendation! I absolutely adored my time with Sam and Phoebe and I probably would have finished The Day We Meet Again in one sitting if it wouldn’t have been for all the redecorating going on just as I was starting this gem. Oh yes, I’m definitely adding Miranda Dickinson to my list of authors who can actually make me fall in love with the contemporary romance genre!

2. When I Was You by Amber Garza (4,5/5 stars) BLOG TOUR REVIEW 31/08
Look out for my thoughts during my stop of the blog tour!!

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I’m reading Deadly Waters by Dot Hutchison next as it’s due next Tuesday. I’ve been looking forward to this one as I love her The Collector series! I’m probably reading Knock Knock by Chris Merritt after that as the ARC of the sequel is due soon… And The Wife by Shalini Boland is due soon too so another title I need to get to ASAP. My newest TBR jar pick Dead Girls Don’t Lie by Jennifer Shaw Wolf will have to wait until at least mid September as I really don’t have time for it right now (and I also have a bunch of other reads I want to read first 😉 ).

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You can also find me at Goodreads. Twitter. Instagram. Facebook. Bloglovin’.

WWW Wednesdays #281 – August 19th

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?

Soooo…. What is new since my last WWW two weeks ago? Well, nothing much, as I’ve basically been spending the last two weeks painting and redecorating 24/7… Leaving me without any time or energy to read, let alone blog (in case you were wondering why I haven’t been responding to comments or bloghopping lately). xD I’m still reading The Day We Meet Again by Miranda Dickinson, and I’m so sad I can’t spend more time with Sam and Phoebe as I’m loving the story so far! The end of the DIY is in sight, so I hope to finally finish this beauty some time soon though. I also need to start When I Was You by Amber Garza as my blog tour stop is getting really close. Yikes!

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

1. The Last To Know by Jo Furniss (4/5 stars) BLOG TOUR REVIEW 21/08
Look out for my thoughts during my stop of the blog tour!!

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I need to get cracking with my upcoming ARCs and blog tours as I’m in danger of falling behind… First up are The Memories We Bury by H.A. Leuschel and Roads Out Of Winter by Alison Stine which both have blog tour stops in the first week of September. I’ve pretty much given up hope to complete the 20 Books Of Summer challenge as I still need to read three non ARCs to do that and I have too many ARCs due soon. Whoops? xD I’ll be picking up Deadly Waters by Dot Hutchison soon instead as it’s due on September 1st. My newest TBR jar pick Dead Girls Don’t Lie by Jennifer Shaw Wolf will have to wait until at least mid September as I really don’t have time for it right now (and I also have a bunch of other reads I want to read first 😉 ).

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You can also find me at Goodreads. Twitter. Instagram. Facebook. Bloglovin’.

WWW Wednesdays #280 – August 5th

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 reading upcoming blog tour read The Last To Know by Jo Furniss, which I’ve heard fantastic things about. I’ll also be starting The Day We Meet Again by Miranda Dickinson as I’m in the mood for a change of genre… I’m not sure how long it will take to finish these though, as the painting has started in earnest and I haven’t had much spare time to read as a result. xD

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

1. The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel (2/5 stars) REVIEW 11/08
So… I’m still not sure what happened here, but I guess it is unpopular opinion time again? I loved Station Eleven back when I read it in 2018, and I fully expected to have a repeat experience in The Glass Hotel. It was one of my most anticipated releases this year, and I still can’t wrap my head around my negative reaction to the writing and story itself. It might just be that I’m not in the right mindset for this story right now, but the fact is… I REALLY didn’t enjoy my time with The Glass Hotel.

2. I Am The Night by Ethan Cross (1/5 stars) REVIEW 10/08
I have a weak spot for serial killer thrillers, so as soon as I read the blurb of I Am The Night I knew I HAD to read it. I’ve been looking forward to read it ever since, and I fully expected to have a brilliant time with this first book of a series that is being republished… Sadly, things weren’t ment to be. I’m going to keep things short in my review as I honestly don’t have much to say about this book, but I’ll be explaining briefly why this book ended up being such a disappointment for me.

3. Dark Pines by Will Dean (4/5 stars) REVIEW 11/08
I always love a good Nordic noir story and I’ve been meaning to start this series for a while now… And my first experience with Tuva was without doubt a positive one! I can’t wait to read the next two books very soon.

4. Bad Parts by Brandon McNulty (AUDIO) (3,5/5 stars) REVIEW 14/08
I picked this Netgalley audio ARC on a whim as I wanted another audiobook to listen to while working on our home improvement project… I don’t usually read supernatural thrillers, but this story did the trick for me and made for hours of entertainment while painting.

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I really need to read When I Was You by Amber Garza as my blog tour stop is coming up… I also need to get to early September blog tour read Roads Out Of Winter by Alison Stine for the same reason. Afterwards it’s another 20 Books Of Summer title with Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer, which I’ve been wanting to read for a long time now. My newest TBR jar pick Dead Girls Don’t Lie by Jennifer Shaw Wolf will probably have to wait until at least mid August, as I really don’t have time for it right now (and I also have a bunch of other reads I want to read first 😉 ).

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You can also find me at Goodreads. Twitter. Instagram. Facebook. Bloglovin’.

WWW Wednesdays #279 – July 29th

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’ve finally picked up most-anticipated release The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel, which I’ve been wanting to read ever since I first heard about it. I’ll also be starting I Am The Night by Ethan Cross, one of my final August ARCs and a serial killer thriller that is being republished. I hope to finish both before the end of the month!

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

1. Lies Lies Lies by Adele Parks (4/5 stars) BLOG TOUR REVIEW 03/08
Look out for my full review during my stop of the blog tour!!

2. The Bookish Life Of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman (4,5/5 stars) REVIEW 08/08
I have been craving a good contemporary, and I admit that I have been eyeing The Bookish Life Of Nina Hill for a while now. I love bookish elements in my stories, and this book sounded like a perfect fit… And I definitely ended up having a brilliant time with this story. As I already expected, Nina was easy to like and relate to, and I loved getting to know her better. The writing itself is super engaging and I literally flew through this story.

3. Playing Nice by JP Delaney (4/5 stars) REVIEW
I’ve been meaning to try JP Delaney‘s writing for a long time now, and even bought a physical copy of The Girl Before last year so I would finally do so… But somehow his titles have always slipped through the cracks so far. I was delighted when my request for his newest title Playing Nice was approved, because it ment that I now had the guarantee I would finally do so as I’m a sucker for sticking to deadlines… And I most definitely enjoyed my first experience with his writing. Well written, suspenseful, intense, shocking… Playing Nice is a more than solid psychological thriller.

4. The Switch by Beth O’Leary (AUDIO& REREAD) (4/5 stars) REVIEW 09/08
I had actually read The Switch already in June, but as I really enjoyed my time with both Eileens the first time around and I kept hearing how wonderful the audiobook was, I just couldn’t resist trying this format too. I must say that I think I liked my experience with this story even more the second time around! The audiobook version is indeed marvelous and fits the story very well.

5. The Night Swim by Megan Goldin (4,5/5 stars) BLOG TOUR REVIEW 18/08
Look out for my full review during my stop of the blog tour!!

6. Sight Unseen by Sandra Ireland (4/5 stars) BLOG TOUR REVIEW 12/08
Look out for my full review during my stop of the blog tour!!

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I really need to get those final five 20 Books Of Summer titles in as I won’t be having that much time to read in August… We have almost reached the painting/cleaning stage of our home improvement project (next Monday if all goes well), and I will hardly be having spare time to read during probably at least the first two-three weeks of August with the move after and all. First up is Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer, which I’ve been wanting to read for a long time now. Then it’s back to the final two August ARCs and blog tours: When I Was You by Amber Garza and The Last To Know by Jo Furniss. My newest TBR jar pick Dead Girls Don’t Lie by Jennifer Shaw Wolf will probably have to wait until at least mid August, as I really don’t have time for it right now (and I also have a bunch of other reads I want to read first 😉 ).

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You can also find me at Goodreads. Twitter. Instagram. Facebook. Bloglovin’.

WWW Wednesdays #278 – July 22nd

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 still trying to get those August ARCs read before we reach the painting/cleaning stage of our home improvement project (probably in two weeks if all goes well)… Currently I’m making my way through Lies Lies Lies by Adele Parks for the upcoming blog tour in August. I’m also planning to start Playing Nice by JP Delaney straight after as it’s due soon.

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

1. The Shadows by Alex North (AUDIO) (4/5 stars) REVIEW 28/07
While I have to say that I’m an audiobook newbie, I think I picked the right book to give them another chance. This dark and atmospheric story managed to grab me from the start, and that sense of foreboding and danger kept me interested the whole time.What a delightfully creepy and engaging read! Fans of well written thrillers with that psychological horror vibe will be in for a treat.

2. Lobizona by Romina Garber (4,5/5 stars) REVIEW 07/08
Look out for my full review during my stop of the blog tour!!

3. The Silence by Luca Veste (4/5 stars) REVIEW
This was my first time reading one of Luca Veste‘s books, and it definitely won’t be my last as The Silence made me an instant fan of his writing. Engaging, suspenseful and intense: this story had me in its claws and I wasn’t released until I reached that final page. This was without doubt a highly successful serial killer thriller and I will be looking forward to read more of his work in the future.

4. His & Hers by Alice Feeney (AUDIO) (4,5/5 stars) REVIEW 30/07
I’ve been meaning to try one of Alice Feeney‘s books for a while now, and I thought that listening to the audiobook with the new Netgalley Shelf App feature would be the perfect way to kill two birds with one stone. The fact that the blurb of His & Hers intrigued me immediately and I’ve seen positive reviews popping up everywhere only made this decision easier to make… And I’m definitely glad I did choose the audiobook option, because I ended up having a fantastic time with this story and I think the audio only enhanced the experience for me. What a read!

5. Fruit Of The Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras (2/5 stars) REVIEW 08/08
Okay… I’m still not sure what happened here, as I thought this story would be a perfect fit and the blurb sounded fantastic. I have a special interest in stories set in Latin America, and even more so if they are related to the (war on) drugs world… I still think the premise itself is fantastic, but somehow I felt such aversion towards the writing style that I seriously struggled to finish this story.

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I’ll probably take a little break from thrillers and ARCs next with The Bookish Life Of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman. I’ve been looking forward to this one! Afterwards, it’s back to my August ARCs with two blog tour reads: The Night Swim by Megan Goldin and  Sight Unseen by Sandra Ireland. My newest TBR jar pick Dead Girls Don’t Lie by Jennifer Shaw Wolf will probably have to wait until at least mid August, as I really don’t have time for it right now (and I also have a bunch of other reads I want to read first 😉 ).

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You can also find me at Goodreads. Twitter. Instagram. Facebook. Bloglovin’.

WWW Wednesdays #277 – July 15th

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 couldn’t resist giving audiobooks another chance and I’m trying out the new Netgalley audiobook ARC feature… Of course the fact that The Shadows by Alex North was a most anticipated release and I didn’t have a copy yet did play a part too. 😉 So far I’m enjoying my time with it! I also really need to get those August NG ARCs read before we reach the painting/cleaning stage of our home improvement project (probably in two or three weeks if all goes well), so I’ve started another ARC Readathon to get them done. Currently I’m making my way through Lobizona by Romina Garber (also a blog tour read), and I’m loving the many Argentinian culture references so far! I’ll also be starting Playing Nice by JP Delaney as soon as I finish my audiobook.

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

1. Broken Hearts, Fences And Other Things To Mend by Katie Finn (3/5 stars) REVIEW 19/07
I was in the mood for a cute contemporary, and really thought Broken Hearts, Fences And Other Things To Mend was going to be a perfect fit… But I guess things weren’t ment to be. Things started out well as Katie Finn has a very readable and engaging writing style that makes it easy to fly through the pages. I initially really enjoyed this story, and was looking forward to see what would happen that summer in the Hamptoms… BUT. Things started to get really frustrating, as it was so clear what was really going on and I really just can’t believe Gemma didn’t realize what was happening right under her nose.

2. Deadly Vengeance by OMJ Ryan (3,5/5 stars) REVIEW 16/07
Look out for my full review during my stop of the blog tour!!

3. Save Her Soul by Lisa Regan (4/5 stars) REVIEW 02/08
I know that I’ve said this before, but there is no denying that the Detective Josie Quinn series is one of my favorite detective thriller series and I’m always looking forward to a new installment. Save Her Soul is already book number nine of the series, and without doubt another excellent ride. This series just doesn’t stop delivering!

4. Echoes Of Guilt by Rob Sinclair (4/5 stars) REVIEW 23/07
I enjoyed the previous two books of this series, and I’ve been looking forward to meet up with DI Dani Stephens again. Echoes Of Guilt is without doubt another solid detective thriller, and I loved the Romanian angle and the significance of the Strigoi folklore element. I did feel that the whole serial killer twin Ben storyline and his involvement was a bit forced this time around, but that might just have been me… The case itself was fascinating.

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I’m still not done with my August ARCs after my current reads, and next are two blog tour titles: Sight Unseen by Sandra Ireland and Lies Lies Lies by Adele Parks. I might take a little break and finally read Fruit Of The Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras in between though, as I’ve been dying to read it. My newest TBR jar pick Dead Girls Don’t Lie by Jennifer Shaw Wolf will probably have to wait until at least mid August, as I really don’t have time for it right now (and I also have a bunch of other reads I want to read first 😉 ).

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You can also find me at Goodreads. Twitter. Instagram. Facebook. Bloglovin’.

WWW Wednesdays #276 – July 8th

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 was in the mood for a cute contemporary so I decided to finally pick up my TBR jar pick Broken Hearts, Fences And Other Things To Mend by Katie Finn. I’ll also be starting the third Detective Jane Phillips book Deadly Vengeance by OMJ Ryan for the upcoming blog tour…

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

1. The Big Chill by Doug Johnstone (4/5 stars) REVIEW 27/07
Look out for my full review during my stop of the blog tour!!

2. Opium And Absinthe by Lydia Kang (3/5 stars) REVIEW 12/07
I admit that it was cover love at first sight when I saw Opium And Absinthe, but I was completely sold as soon as I read the blurb. I’ve enjoyed Lydia Kang‘s books, including The Impossible Girl, in the past, and another historical setting with a medical twist sounded simply fantastic. I liked the historical setting, the Dracula element and the investigation into Lucy’s death as well as the medical details… But the slow pace, the repetitive and sometimes dull plot and constant focus on the substance abuse instead of a proper focus on character and plot development ended up being mostly a letdown for me.

3. Dear Martin by Nic Stone (5/5 stars) REVIEW 19/07
I already knew Dear Martin was probably have an impact on me after all those raving reviews, but I was blown away by just how much it hit the mark and left me reeling. This is such an important, powerful and absolutely heartbreaking debut and helps educate us just how real the American race problematics are even to this date. In the light of recent events, Dear Martin is even more of an eye opener and I cannot thank the author enough for getting Justyce’s story out in the world.

4. Entre Senderos De Lavanda by Mariela Gimenez (4,5/5 stars) REVIEW 25/07
I read this book as part of the Masa Critica Argentina program through Babelio, and I had an excellent time with this story! It’s a contemporary romance read set in France with a wonderful cast of characters. I really enjoyed the building up of the different relationships despite the appearance of the love triangle, and I think this has to do with the fact that a lot of the focus is on familiar relationships as well as self discovery too. I wasn’t going to post a full review on my blog at first, but as I prefer writing my reviews in English first anyway before I translate them to Spanish, I decided to put it on my blog too in case someone is interested in a Spanish read.

5. The Cry Of The Lake by Charlie Tyler (2/5 stars) REVIEW 21/07
I admit that it was cover love at first sight for me, but I liked the sound of the blurb too… Sadly, I wasn’t too convinced by the story itself. The three different POVs didn’t complement each other but distracted instead, the plot itself felt too chaotic and unrealistic and I couldn’t warm to the writing either. The lack of information was confusing instead of adding the intended dose of suspense, and the characters themselves didn’t feel realistic and were hard to like. All in all not the experience I was hoping for.

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I need to make my way through my August ARCs ASAP as we have started a huge home improvement/DIY project and once the painting/cleaning phase of the project arrives I probably won’t be having any free time/energy left to read. xD First up are two thrillers: Save Her Soul by Lisa Regan and Echoes Of Guilt by Rob Sinclair. I’ll probably take a break from ARCs in between with Fruit Of The Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras as I’ve been dying to read it… And I have a new TBR jar pick! Dead Girls Don’t Lie by Jennifer Shaw Wolf. I can’t say I’ve had this one on my radar lately, and I’m not sure how long it will take to actually read it as I have a pile of other books I want to read first, but we’ll see how things go I guess.

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Friday Finds #98 – August 5th

FRIDAY FINDS is originally featured at Babs Book Bistro and showcases the most interesting books I’ve encountered during the last week and have added to my neverending TBR list on Goodreads. Below a selection of my newest additions; click on the book descriptions to go to its Goodreads page!

My finds: