WWW Wednesdays #144 – July 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 actually almost done with Court Of Lions by Jane Johnson, which is probably a good thing since the publish date is tomorrow and I should have finished my review by then. Oops? It’s a historical fiction read partly set in the 15th century and partly in the present and takes place in Granada. I really like the historical chapters and the many descriptions of the Spanish city, but the contemporary storyline isn’t convincing me for various reasons. I’ve also finally picked up book 5 in the Jamie Quinn series: Jeopardy In July by Barbara Venkataraman. It’s a cozy mystery and has all the promise of being a fast and entertaining read!

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

1. Quirky Essays For Quirky People by Barbara Venkataraman (4/5 stars) REVIEW 
Last year the author pointed out her collection of essays was available for free on Amazon I decided to add it to my collection, especially since I enjoyed her writing style in her cozy mystery series. The title and cover spoke to me and it sounded like a fun read, and Quirky Essays For Quirky People was just that. This bundle is packed with short humorous essays about quirky situations that will make you smile. They are very easy to read and perfect for whenever you feel like a light read

2. Final Girls by Riley Sager (3/5 stars) REVIEW
I had high hopes for Final Girls, but I guess I should have known to stay away from hyped books. This story wasn’t bad and I was impressed when I found out it was a debut, but that doesn’t mean I was blown away with it either. There were parts I loved (the Pine Cottage flashbacks, how dark, intense and twisted the horror parts were, the surprises), but in general I had my doubts about the credibility and I couldn’t connect to the characters. I’ve seen others who loved Final Girls though, so this could be just another case of me being allergic to hyped books resulting in an ‘unpopular opinion’ review…

3. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (2,5/5 stars) REVIEW
I feel actually quite bad I wasn’t able to enjoy Little Women better. I had really high hopes for this classic, but I found myself struggling to continue instead. This is definitely me and not the story, because I could see Little Women was well written as well as its appeal to many readers. I guess I just wasn’t one of them in the end. I don’t think I will ever read the second part, but I’m glad I at least now know what everybody is talking about when they mention this classic.

4. Devastation Road by Jason Hewitt (2/5 stars) REVIEW
I really wanted to enjoy Devastation Road, especially since it is a combination of two topics that fascinate me: WWII and amnesia. Unfortunately I found it extremely hard to connect to the writing style, characters AND plot… And honestly I think I would probably have opted for a DNF if this weren’t an ARC. I seem to be in the minority though since most reviews have been really positive, so give this one a chance if this sounds like your cup of tea!

5. The Stolen Girls by Patricia Gibney (4,5/5 stars) REVIEW 06/07
There is no doubt that The Stolen Girls is just as strong as the first book and one hell of a ride. The books of this series are a bit longer than average, but besides the fact that the stories are very well written they have the added bonus of having a complex, rich and intriguing plot and different storylines without slowing down the pace. Some of the themes might be potentially shocking/intense, so a little warning if you aren’t up for that, but I personally had a great time reading The Stolen Girls. I just loved the complexity of the different storylines, how everything connected in the end and the Kosovo flashbacks in general!

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I’m picking up Aristotle And Dante Discover The Secrets Of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz as soon as I finish my current reads; no more excuses! Right afterwards I’ll be reading Reported Missing by Sarah Wray since the publish date is coming up soon… And the same goes for The Breakdown by B.A. Paris. And after months of collecting dust (because it took me THAT long to read Little Women), my TBR jar is back in action! My newest TBR jar pick is Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard, which I’m hoping to read before the end of this month. The cover sure is stunning!

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BOOK REVIEW: Little Women – by Louisa May Alcott

Title: Little Women
(Little Women #1)
Author: Louisa May Alcott
Genre: Classics, YA, Contemporary
First published: September 30th 1868
Finished reading: June 30th 2017
Pages: 284

“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.”

Looks like it’s ‘unpopular opinion’ time again! I really wanted to love this classic, but I found myself not enjoying it nearly as much as I thought I would instead. After a little investigation (and help from fellow book bloggers), I now understand that Little Women actually has two different parts, the second part written one year after the original story and also published separately under the name Good Wives. The kindle version I have does include both parts, but after long deliberation I have decided not to continue with it. Why? Even though I really wanted to enjoy this classic, I had a hard time reading it and it took me ages just to finish the first part. I’m not saying Little Women is a bad read, just that it either wasn’t the right time or simply just not for me. And since I have read quite a few negative reviews about Good Wives in the first place, I’m just not up for another struggle. I can’t deny it’s a very well written story and I can see why so many people actually love it. I might actually have enjoyed Little Women a lot better if I would have read it 15-20 years ago… But right now the story unfortunately didn’t appeal to me. I was surprised I found myself unable to truly connect to the characters and it took me weeks and finally reading one chapter at the time just to make it to the end of Part One. This is most definitely me and not this classic, but still… Not a very pleasant reading experience. So I’m sorry to all of those who call this classic their favorite! Trust me, I’ve REALLY tried to love Little Women.

Little Women is the story of four sisters trying to continue with their lives after their father has gone to war. Jo, Meg, Bath and Amy March are young ladies growing up and their different personalities clash at times, but they all want to do their best helping their mother to keep things running smoothly at home. It’s a coming of age story filled with daily situations, friendship, struggles and life lessons.

Like I said before, I feel actually quite bad I wasn’t able to enjoy Little Women better. I had really high hopes for this classic, but I found myself struggling to continue instead. This is definitely me and not the story, because I could see Little Women was well written as well as its appeal to many readers. I guess I just wasn’t one of them in the end. I don’t think I will ever read the second part, but I’m glad I at least now know what everybody is talking about when they mention this classic.

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WWW Wednesdays #142 – June 21st

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 still reading The Merchant’s Pearl by Amie O’Brien, a historical fiction ARC set in the Ottoman empire of the late 19th century. I can’t wait to dive into Each Little Lie by Tom Bale afterwards though. I have been reading less mystery/thrillers than usual this month and I’m really missing them! And after loving his other book last year, I can’t wait to read his newest story. I haven’t made progress with Little Women though, mostly because I finished part one last week and I haven’t decided yet whether to just review that part separately or read part two as well and review it as a whole. I’m not enjoying it as much as I thought I would and it’s taking longer than expected, so I’m not sure what to do…

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

1. The Book Of Whispers by Kimberley Starr (2/5 stars) REVIEW 
I like stories with a medieval setting and I was definitely looking forward to The Book Of Whispers, but in the end it just wasn’t for me and not just because of the demon overload. The writing style, the demon descriptions, the characters, the romance… There was a lot that unfortunately didn’t work for me and the historical setting couldn’t make up for this. The idea behind The Book Of Whispers is very original though and it must have been a lot of work to mix both elements. There is no doubt this story had a lot of potential…

2. Can’t Buy Forever by Susan Laffoon (1,5/5 stars) REVIEW
I was actually looking forward to Can’t Buy Forever as the blurb sounded quite interesting, but unfortunately I ended up having a completely different experience instead. I won’t repeat all the details I’ve mentioned above since I’ve already talked about each point extensively, but it does become clear it was far too easy to find things that didn’t work for me in the story. Was it just me or is the book to blame as well? I won’t be the judge to read the sentence, but at least I’ve put in my two cents.

3. Four Days by Jamie Campbell (3/5 stars) REVIEW
Four Days is without doubt less of a romance story and more of a road trip and sports-focused contemporary read. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the local scenery and the writing style was quite enjoyable to read. I liked the Dutch words popping up every once in a while and how sports played such an important role throughout the story. I wasn’t sure about the characters though and the steamy scenes were a huge turn off for me. But like I said before, if you don’t mind those you will probably enjoy this story a lot!

4. The Weight Of Lies by Emily Carpenter (4,5/5 stars) REVIEW 22/06
I requested a copy of this story after seeing various glowing reviews and I will definitely be adding another one to the mix tomorrow. After a few mediocre reads, I finally found something again that was able to grab my full attention! I loved the Kitten chapters in between the ‘normal’ ones and the story itself is intriguing. I found myself eagerly turning the pages to try and find out what her mother was hiding and what secrets the island hides… Very good psychological thriller indeed! More in my review tomorrow. 😉

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I have more pending ARCs to get to, but luckily the pile seems a little smaller now… So I’m keeping my fingers crossed nothing interesting will come up for a while so I can get to my own books instead. 😉 I need to read The Lost Book Of The Grail by Charlie Lovett, an ARC that was approved a day before it was archived so naturally I didn’t get to it on time. xD I might read What To Say Next by Julie Buxbaum first thought because it has been calling my name ever since I was granted a copy! I also need another dose of mystery/thriller and want to pick up one of my own titles instead of an ARC just this once: Now You See Me by S.J. Bolton. Slip by David Estes is still high on my list as well.

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WWW Wednesdays #141 – June 14th

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 The Book Of Whispers by Kimberley Starr, which I admit was mostly a cover-title obsession. I didn’t realize before that it had such a low Goodreads rating OR the fact that demons play such a big role in the story, and I don’t think this one is for me… Besides the demon overload, I’m not really connecting to the writing style or characters either. I’m about to start Can’t Buy Forever by Susan Laffoon as well; an ARC that I’ve had pending for way too long now.

I’ve also made quite some progress with the classic Little Women by Louisa May Alcott since last week…. And I have a question for Little Women fans out there. I got a kindle version on Amazon and I’m confused: is Little Women actually originally divided in two parts or is part two a sequel? It’s just that the ending of part one sounded so much like a real ending and part two skipped years… (Part two starts with a wedding)

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

1. And I Darken by Kiersten White (4/5 stars) REVIEW 
It took me a long time to finally pick up my copy of And I Darken, but I’m definitely glad I’ve done so. I’ve fallen in love with Kiersten White‘s writing style and her ability to create an extensive worldbuilding filled with excellent descriptions and an intriguing plot. And while it wasn’t the 5 star read I thought it would be after reading the first few chapters, there is no doubt a very much enjoyed reading Lada, Radu and Mehmed’s story and I can’t wait to find out what the future has in store.

2. Guilty by Laura Elliot (3/5 stars) REVIEW
Guilty has without doubt a lot of potential and the plot itself is both complex and intriguing. The pace was a bit slow though and I had a hard time connecting to the main characters. They are not exactly likeable and this made connecting to the story a lot more difficult. The development of the characters over time is interesting, although I’m not sure up to what point some actions are actually credible. In short I ended up having mixed thoughts, but I can definitely understand why the right person would love this psychological thriller. And a last random note: the plinks just sound lovely!

3. Now I Rise by Kiersten White REVIEW 15/06
Ok I’m still recovering from this one so I need some time to get my thoughts together! No rating until then, but let’s just say it was GOOD.

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I really need to make a dent into my pile of ARCs so all four of these are just that… The first is The Weight Of Lies by Emily Carpenter, which I just HAD to pick up after all those glowing reviews. I also still need to read The Merchant’s Pearl by Amie O’Brien… And both Each Little Lie by Tom Bale and Slip by David Estes are high on my list as well.

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WWW Wednesdays #140 – June 7th

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 FINALLY reading And I Darken by Kiersten White, a series I’ve been looking forward to for ages and somehow never actually picked up until now. I have an ARC of the sequel waiting as well, so if I like the first book I will probably binge-read both before continuing with the next Bookouture thriller. Guilty by Laura Elliot sounds like a great read though from what I could see from the first pages, so we’ll see what happens… I’ve also made progress with the classic Little Women by Louisa May Alcott since last week; I’m liking it so far, although I don’t LOVE it like most people seem to do. It kind of makes me feel bad.

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

1. Sherlock Holmes And The Nine-Dragon Sigil by Tim Symonds (4/5 stars) REVIEW 
I can always enjoy a good Sherlock Holmes retelling when well executed and that is without doubt the case with Sherlock Holmes And The Nine-Dragon Sigil. Both the setting and the descriptions are very well done and made me feel as if I were in the room along with the main characters. The outcoming might not have been all that surprising, but the plot twists are still well executed and feel very much like ‘Holmes’. All in all without doubt a very satisfying read.

2. Molly Bell And The Wishing Well by Bridget Geraghty (3,5/5 stars) REVIEW
Molly Bell And The Wishing Well is without doubt a quick read with a writing style that flows and will appear to the age group. I had some doubts about certain actions of the main characters and its credibility, but in general I really liked how this story portrayed how to deal with loss, grief and moving on after a traumatic event. The wishing well is used as part of this journey and the descriptions of the daily life on the farm will appeal to the younger readers as well.

3. The Gypsy Moth Summer by Julia Fierro (2,5/5 stars)  REVIEW
I really wanted to enjoy this story and I still think the plot itself is both rich, provoking and fascinating, but unfortunately The Gypsy Moth Summer ended up being one of those titles that just isn’t for me. Literary fiction can go either way with me in general, so that might just have been the problem here; if you enjoy the genre I would suggest still giving this story a go. That said, I couldn’t ignore the chaotic feel of the storytelling, my lack of connection to the characters, certain elements that bothered me or the fact I couldn’t warm up to the writing style.

4. The Mayfly by James Hazel (4/5 stars) REVIEW TODAY!!
There is no doubt that The Mayfly is a fascinating story that will definitely appeal to psychological thriller fans. The flashbacks and connections to the Second World War added a whole different level to what was already an intriguing plot and definitely made me appreciate this story even more. I had a few minor doubts, but those are just that: minor. The writing style and pace turned The Mayfly into a superfast read and I will be looking forward to see more of Charlie Priest in the future!

5. Love, & You by Gretchen Gomez (5/5 stars) REVIEW 08/06
It’s been days since I devoured Love, & You in record time, and I still haven’t recovered from the emotion overload. Because to say it crudely: damn, that girl can write powerful poetry! Wonderful, emotional, raw, beautiful, powerful, strong, exceptional… Trust me, I can keep the adjectives going for a long time if you let me. This poetry bundle is all about her experience with a toxic relationship and her slow recovery from it. The poems are highly personal and it really feels you get to know her a lot better through her poems.

6. Two Sisters by Kerry Wilkinson (4/5 stars) REVIEW 10/06
I always have a weak spot for a good psychological thriller and this one without doubt delivered. It’s not just another well written suspense story with an engaging writing style, but it also has a whole different level added. One of the main characters has an eating disorder and it was really interesting to see how she deals with this on a daily basis while also being exposed to very stressful situations. Lots and lots of plot twists in this one and you will definitely not see the ending coming! I’m not sure the characters are actually likeable, but I enjoyed Two Sisters anyway.

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

As I said, depending on how I will enjoy And I Darken I will start reading the sequel Now I Rise straight away… Especially since the publish date is coming closer. I also want to read the ARCs The Merchant’s Pearl by Amie O’Brien and Can’t Buy Forever by Susan Laffoon; both sound like interesting reads. And I WILL pick up my very first Sharon Bolton book this month as well… I’ve decided to go with the first book of her Lacey Flint series: Now You See Me.

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WWW Wednesdays #139 – May 31st

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 done with the Reading Alley ARC Sherlock Holmes And The Nine-Dragon Sigil by Tim Symonds, a Sherlock Holmes retelling set in China which is proving to be an interesting read and just the romance-free story I needed right now. I’ve also started with the ARC The Gypsy Moth Summer by Julia Fierro, but the beginning felt a bit chaotic and I wasn’t in the mood for it… Hopefully I will like it better after having had a short break from it, especially since it’s due soon. I’ve also made progress with the classic Little Women by Louisa May Alcott; I actually think I would have finished it already by now but I had to read a few pending ARCs first.

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

1. The Last Valentine by Felix Alexander (3,5/5 stars) REVIEW 
The Last Valentine isn’t just another historical romance novel. The 1930s setting in Puerto Rico is without doubt well executed and helped set the right atmosphere, but it is the whole mystery around the Labyrinth of Love Letters and other secrets and conspiracies that will keep you intrigued until the very end. The dose of (sappy) romance cliches was a bit too high for me, but I did appreciate the many quotable references to romance in general. Romance fans will most likely love this story!

2. Feel Me Fall by James Morris (4/5 stars) REVIEW
Feel Me Fall is without doubt a superfast and entertaining read. I really liked the mix of Amazon survival/adventure chapters with contemporary high school flashbacks and those set in the hospital after Emily is rescued. It’s just the right balance and makes this story that much more interesting to read. I could have done without the cliches and love triangles, but overall this is definitely a great read. The writing style is very engaging!

3. Heartborn by Terry Maggert (2,5/5 stars)  REVIEW
I can’t deny there is a lot of potential in this story, and it’s a shame the fantasy world has been described only so briefly. An extra 100 pages or so would have helped develop their world better and that would probably help enjoying this story a lot better. I also had problems with the credibility of it all, mostly due to Livvy’s reactions to so many (for her) shocking details. The final part of the story also felt a bit rushed and the ending abrupt. All in all a lot of potential, but in the end it just didn’t work for me.

4. The Serial Killer’s Daughter by Lesley Welsh (3,5/5 stars) REVIEW UP TODAY!!
Although the title The Serial Killer’s Daughter is actually sort of a spoiler of what is to come, there is no doubt that this story is a well written character-driven psychological thriller with a sublime character development. The pace is a bit slow and there might not be as much action as you would suspect there to be in a serial killer thriller, but the story is full of twists and the characters more than make up for it. You will be able to meet one for the most twisted and creepy serial killers I’ve encountered with to this date and get to know him (almost too) intimately; definitely the stuff nightmares are made from.

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I was actually going to pick up Love, & You, a poetry bundle written by fellow book blogger (ChicNerdReads) Gretchen Gomez, last weekend but I had to read some ARCs first and didn’t want to rush it. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about it and I can’t wait to finally read it myself! I want to read And I Darken by Kiersten White soon since I have the ARC sequel coming up… And the historical fiction ARC The Merchant’s Pearl by Amie O’Brien is also on my list, as well as the ARC The Breakdown by B.A. Paris which I have been neglecting for way too long.

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WWW Wednesdays #138 – May 24th

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 still reading the Reading Alley ARC The Last Valentine by Felix Alexander, which is turning out to be another interesting read. I don’t have much left, so I will most likely finish it today… And as soon as I do, I will continue with another ARC: Feel Me Fall by James Morris. I’ve read a few of his stories in the past and enjoyed them, so I’m definitely looking forward to this one! The blurb sounds just too good. I’ve also finally picked up my copy of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott again, and this time I’m going to stop procrastinating and just finish this classic. Maybe the cold weather will set the right atmosphere?

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

1. Be My Killer by Richard Parker (4/5 stars) REVIEW 
As soon as I read the blurb I just knew I had to read this story. I have a weak spot for serial killer thrillers and the one described in Be My Killer sounded like a true ‘beauty’. And I was right, because the murders were both gruesome, twisted and disturbing in general. Suspense and plot twists are stacked up to dangerous heights until you find yourself unable to stop reading until you reach the last page… I didn’t like every character and had some minor problems with the credibility, but that didn’t stop me from reaching the last page in record time. And what a ride!

2. One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus (4,5/5 stars) REVIEW
One Of Us Is Lying ended up being even better than I thought it would be. Sure, the characters started out as cliches, but they were really easy to connect to and ended up growing into something so much more… The writing style is highly enjoyable and only adds to the fast pace of this story. The plot twists are excellent as well and all in all I had a great time reading it. More than recommended!

3. Secrets Of The Dead by Carol Wyer (4,5/5 stars)  REVIEW
Those who follow my blog probably know I’m a big fan of the mystery/thriller genre, and this sequel is without doubt another winner. From the enjoyable writing style, fast pace and misleading plot twists to the fact that Secrets Of The Dead has a serial killer; this book just ticked all the right boxes for me. I love it when a psychological thriller is actually able to surprise me! Because I was definitely in the dark about the ‘who’ until the moment it was all revealed.

4. Words In Deep Blue by Cath Crowley (4/5 stars)
I’ve actually just realized this is book number 600! since I started this blog! I still can’t wrap my head around that number… And such a wonderful story to reach that mark with as well. Words In Deep Blue has the most gorgeous cover and is a YA contemporary romance story that partly takes place in a book shop. I love the idea behind the Letter Library and all those letters being included in between chapters were a really nice touch. I literally flew through the pages and finished it in less than a day and really enjoyed it, although the love triangle did become a bit annoying.

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

The first title I’m going to pick up as soon as I finish my current ARCs is Love, & You, a poetry bundle written by fellow book blogger (ChicNerdReads) Gretchen Gomez. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about it and I can’t wait to finally read it myself! I also need to read both The Gypsy Moth Summer by Julia Fierro and The Breakdown by B.A. Paris as their publish dates are coming closer. I’m looking forward to both! And the fantasy ARC Heartborn by Terry Maggert is also still on my list.

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