Wednesday 31 May 2017

Can't Wait Wednesday #188 - Paris Adrift

Can't Wait Wednesday is a new weekly meme hosted here to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine
 
This week's choice is -


Paris Adrift - E. J. Swift
Publisher - Solaris
Release date - February 2018
Find - Goodreads

It is the near future and humanity is on the brink of destruction. The only way it can be saved is if the course of history is forcibly altered. In the twenty-first century, misfit student Hallie Lane packs up her troubled life in England and takes the first train to Paris, where she falls in with the eclectic expat community as a bartender at the notorious Millie’s.

Here she finds a new family and an attraction to the enigmatic Leon. But Millie’s is not all that it seems: inside, there's a time portal in the keg room with an inescapable hold on her. As if that's not strange enough, she receives garbled warnings from a bizarre creature and keeps meeting a mysterious woman claiming to be a time agent.

Soon, she is navigating through the city’s turbulent past and future – from the wild years after the French Revolution, through the horrors of the Nazi occupation, and to a grim near future of her own making. But with only Leon to guide her in this fractured world, it soon becomes apparent that she is an unwitting pawn in a much bigger plan and the key to humanity's future lies in her hands.


I stumbled across this one the other day on the Tor website where they announced its publication. Needless to say, my eye was drawn straight to the fabulous cover art by Joey Hi-Fi. I have no idea if this is the final cover but I absolutely adore it and the synopsis of the book just makes me want to read it even more.

Wednesday 24 May 2017

Can't Wait Wednesday #187 - The Hollow Girl


Can't Wait Wednesday is a new weekly meme hosted here to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine
 
This week's choice is -


The Hollow Girl - Hillary Monahan
ISBN - 9781524701864
Publisher - Delacorte Press
Release date - October 10th, 2017

Five boys attacked her.
Now they must repay her with their blood and flesh.


Bethan is the apprentice to a green healer named Drina in a clan of Welsh Romanies. Her life is happy and ordered and modest, as required by Roma custom, except for one thing: Silas, the son of the chieftain, has been secretly harassing her.

One night, Silas and his friends brutally assault Bethan and a half-Roma friend, Martyn. As empty and hopeless as she feels from the attack, she asks Drina to bring Martyn back from death’s door. “There is always a price for this kind of magic,” Drina warns. The way to save him is gruesome. Bethan must collect grisly pieces to fuel the spell: an ear, some hair, an eye, a nose, and fingers.

She gives the boys who assaulted her a chance to come forward and apologize. And when they don’t, she knows exactly where to collect her ingredients to save Martyn
.



It's coming up to that time of year when the books that sound good for Halloween reading start appearing. I was a big fan of Mary, Monahan's retelling of the Bloody Mary story, and I liked The Awesome, released under the name Eva Darrows, so am really looking forward to reading The Hollow Girl.



Monday 15 May 2017

#ShelfLove 2017 - May Check-In


Welcome to May! I'm not entirely sure where the time has gone but figured an update was better late than never! I'm completely lost by what I've read or what I should be reading thanks to a fair bit of traveling over the last month or so...

My #ShelfLove total has increased by 14 this month, taking me up to 51 books in total. This still means though, that I'm going to struggle to reach my target of 180 by the end of the year. What's not helping is the fact that I'm requesting lots of library books to try and stop myself buying books and of course they have to be read within a certain period of time, which can be quite restricting... In June and July, I think I'm going to try to not request any, especially as July is ComicCon time!!!


Aims
  • Read at least 15 of my own books a month - they have to have been on my shelves up to and including December 2016
  • For every 15 books read I'm allowed to buy 3 brand new books
  • For every 20 books donated to either charity or the library, I can buy 2 new books
Progress

 
Read - 26

Own - 18
Kindle -1
Library - 7
 
TBR Challenge - 14
Review -
 
 #ShelfLove Target - 51/180

Wishlist - 2644
TBR (Still not accurate) - 1531

Goodreads Challenge Update

Thursday 11 May 2017

May New Release Giveaway!


Welcome to the May 2017 New Release Giveaway Hop, hosted by It Starts At Midnight! The hop runs from today through to midnight on May 31st, 2017. Up for grabs is any new release this month up to the value of $22 from the Book Depository as long as they deliver to your country - find the list of countries here

All you have to do is choose any new release published in May and fill out the rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the linky for lots of other chances to win, thanks for entering and good luck!

Wednesday 10 May 2017

Waiting On Wednesday #186 - The Memory Trees


Can't Wait Wednesday is a new weekly meme hosted here to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine
 
This week's choice is -


The Memory Trees - Kali Wallace 
ISBN - 9780062366238
Publisher - Katherine Tegen Books
Release date - October 10th, 2017

The Memory Trees is a dark magical realism novel about a mysterious family legacy, a centuries-old feud, and a tragic loss that resurfaces when sixteen-year-old Sorrow returns to her mother’s family orchard for the summer.

Sorrow Lovegood’s life has been shaped by the stories of the women who came before her: brave, resilient women who settled long ago on a mercurial apple orchard in Vermont. The land has been passed down through generations, and Sorrow and her family take pride in its strange history. Their offbeat habits may be ridiculed by other townspeople - especially their neighbors, the Abrams family - but for the first eight years of her life, the orchard is Sorrow’s whole world.

Then one winter night everything changes. Sorrow’s sister Patience is tragically killed. Their mother suffers a mental breakdown. Sorrow is sent to live with her dad in Miami, away from the only home she’s ever known.

Now sixteen, Sorrow’s memories of her life in Vermont are maddeningly hazy; even the details of her sister’s death are unclear. She returns to the orchard for the summer, determined to learn more about her troubled childhood and the family she left eight years ago. Why has her mother kept her distance over the years? What actually happened the night Patience died? Is the orchard trying to tell her something, or is she just imagining things?


Magical realism and trees? Two of the things guaranteed to make me interested in a book, along with that rather lovely cover... Bit of a cheat on this one as I now have an ARC which I'm hoping to get to soon!



Wednesday 3 May 2017

Can't Wait Wednesday #185 - The Waking Land


Can't Wait Wednesday is a new weekly meme hosted here to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine
 
This week's choice is -


The Waking Land - Callie Bates
ISBN - 9781473638723
Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton
Release date - June 27th, 2017

It's been fourteen years since King Antoine took Elanna hostage. Fourteen years since her father's rebellion failed. Fourteen years spent being raised by the man who condemned her people to misery. A man she's come to love as a father.

Now 20, Elanna is about to be taken prisoner once again... but this time by her father's mysterious right-hand man.

Her father wants to reignite his rebellion, this time using Elanna as figurehead. He will tell his followers she is the legendary Wildegarde reborn, a sorceress who could make the very earth tremble.

But what no one knows is that magic really does flow through Elanna's veins. Now she must decide which side she's on, and whether she'll use her powers for mercy... or revenge.


A bold and gorgeous fantasy featuring a brilliant heroine on the cusp of womanhood, The Waking Land is the first of a trilogy that will delight fans of The Red Queen, Six of Crows, and Court of Thorns and Roses.


I was initially drawn to this because of the striking US cover and then I saw this oh so pretty UK cover. Then I read the author's description of her inspiration - neolithic monuments, land stewardship, royal hostages, and poisonous fungi. Sold! I'm ignoring the bit that says 'for fans of...' because that way lies disappointment!

 

Monday 1 May 2017

#BoutOfBooks 19 SignUp


Yes, it's that time again so this is me signing up for what I think is my 13th Bout of Books. I kind of glossed over the last two and the one before that gave up about halfway through but I'm feeling good about reading after a great Dewey #readathon at the weekend! Go here to join the bookish fun for yourself!


As for what I'm reading? I shall carry on with the pile I made for the #readathon but add a couple of review titles that I'm desperate to read!


Let me know if you're joining in too, I'd love to hear about what you might read!


 
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