Bookmarked... #27

The return of the (mostly) weekly post letting you all know what I'm reading and have lined up for the week! It's my own version of Sheila at Book Journey's It's Monday What Are You Reading (now hosted by Kathryn at Book Date) and I have her permission to rename it for my own nefarious reasons...

We're now 2 weeks into 2017 and so far, so good! I've read some great books so far this year but I'm waiting for my first dud to turn up. The Bird Tribunal, written by Agnes Ravatn and translated by Rosie Hedger, was beautiful and I loved the writing so I shall be on the lookout for more, both by Agnes Ravatn and Orenda Books. I devoured The Invisible Library and loved it, enough to wish I had a paperback copy rather than Kindle but good book buying habits are in progress so not right now... Here's what else I've started, finished, and am still reading.

Finished

The Bird Tribunal - Agnes Ravatn
Loved this creepy Swedish psychological suspense novel, beautifully translated!

The Invisible Library - Genevieve Cogman
It's a book about books and a library, what's not to love? Review coming up shortly!

Started

The Girl Who Lied - Sue Fortin
I've actually finished this now. A suspense novel set in Ireland involving two former best friends from school and a secret.

Pantomime - Laura Lam
Oh, I wish I had this pretty cover copy of Pantomime. I still have the original cover when it was released through Strange Chemistry and it's been on my shelves since the day it was released.

The Witch's Kiss - Elizabeth & Katharine Corr
A reread for the blog tour for the second book, I rather like this YA book about a girl who finds out she's a witch.

Still Reading

The Fireman - Joe Hill
Taking my time over this as I said I would, although it's not easy! I'm about 125 pages in and want to dive in but it's not exactly a book you can drop in your bag...

Bookmarked... #26

The return of the (mostly) weekly post letting you all know what I'm reading and have lined up for the week! It's my own version of Sheila at Book Journey's It's Monday What Are You Reading (now hosted by Kathryn at Book Date) and I have her permission to rename it for my own nefarious reasons...


Here we are, at the start of yet another year and hopefully one full of good books and plenty of reading! Here's what I've been reading over the last 7 days.

Finished

The Dry - Jane Harper
A great debut thriller, I'm on the blog tour for this and my review will be up tomorrow.

Sleeping Murder - Agatha Christie
One of my favorite books but I'm not a fan of the television adaptations, not even the one with Joan Hickson.

Currently Reading

The Fireman by Joe Hill
I've owned this since the day it came out but have put off reading it. No longer! I am going to take my time over this one.

Up Next

The Invisible Library - Genevieve Cogman
I've been meaning to start this series since book 1 was released. I'm going to at least make a start by reading book 1!

The Witch's Kiss - Katharine & Elizabeth Corr
I'm on the blog tour for the 2nd book in the series so this is a reread for me to refresh my memory.

Reading RoundUp #24

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

An amazing week in terms of books and signings but an awful one in terms of reading... This is what I've read over the last seven days -

That's right... Zero, zip, nada, nothing, null and any other word for zero! I had an excuse while I was away, hard to read with twins poking you every five seconds but since I've been back I haven't so much as looked at a book. My excuse? The sun has finally decided to shine in the UK so I've been poddling about in my dad's garden trying to keep the place looking decent, he is not a gardener by any stretch of the imagination and my mum always did everything out there. Hopefully she'd be pleased with what I've been doing...

To Definitely Read/Finish This Week

The Crimson Shard - Teresa Flavin

Hysteria - Megan Miranda

A Ranger's Tale - Mysti Parker

To Start This Week

A Kiss At Midnight - Eloisa James

Working Stiff - Rachel Caine

NOS-4R2 - Joe Hill

I've got half-written reviews of The Testing, Don't Look Back, Witchstruck and Dead Ever After so I'm hoping to get at least a couple of those up this week and get the giveaway for Dead Ever After Started!

What have you been reading recently?

The One Where I Turn Into A Fangirl

So, this is where I was on Wednesday! And yes, those are Christmas trees on the table... Along with my very uninterested sister and two fractious toddlers I joined the queue of fans waiting to meet Joe Hill who is Stephen King's son for those who don't know and/or aren't fans. I've been a fan since 2007 when I read 20th Century Ghosts - a collection of short stories, and Heart-Shaped Box. I've also read Horns, which you should read soon if you haven't as they've made it into a movie starring Daniel Radcliffe and Juno Temple, and the first three Locke & Key graphic novels illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez.

This event was for the release of NOS4R2 and Joe was doing a few events/signings around the UK, naturally I had to go as soon as I found out he was going to be in Reading! We were already in the bookstore as we had plans to buy books for the twins so lucky for me, I was third in the queue which was soon out the door. The lovely people who work there had this cookie made for Joe and he was kind enough to share it with everyone, he personally handed over chunks to F & E and automatically became their new best friend - although they're still not sure about the beard!

I got all my books signed, with an illustration in NOS4R2 and a little heart in Heart-Shaped Box but I wish I'd been able to get my graphic novels signed - unfortunately I couldn't carry any more but c'est la vie! Joe was absolutely lovely, really genuine, very sweet and one of the best author signings I've been to! I walked away with my author crush intact and I'd like to thank my sister for pointing out (in earshot of Joe) that I was a lovely shade of red and wasn't he cute!

If you follow Jon Weir on Twitter he took a picture of the queue which happens to feature the four of us quite prominently, I'm not linking the pic as it's awful but if you can find it that's your reward ;)

Roll on Friday June 14th for my next reading/talk/signing with the amazing Neil Gaiman!

Book Haul #27

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly event hosted on Tynga's Reviews and Letterbox Love is a UK edition hosted by Narratively Speaking. Here we can share what new books we've picked up this past week. There are also lots of other 'book haul' memes out there for you to choose from!

I go nowhere near a bookshop, have no internet access or don't take much cash out with me and I still manage to buy books! There really is no hope for me...

Bought

The Shining Girls - Lauren Beukes

Hero's Guide To Saving Your Kingdom - Christopher Healy

The City's Son - Tom Pollock

NOS-4R2 - Joe Hill

Envy - J R Ward

Rapture - J R Ward

Whispers Under Ground - Ben Aaronovitch

Mammoth Book Of Angels & Demons - ed. Paula Guran

Poison Heart - S B Hayes

For Review

Acid - Emma Pass

More on the Joe Hill book tomorrow, there's a whole post behind that one! I'm so glad I got Acid as it's been on my wishlist since I first heard about it and Poison Heart is the book I meant to buy last week but bought Don't Look Back instead...

What did you get this week?

Top Ten Tuesday #9

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely people at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is -

Top Ten Tuesday Freebie

This threw me into a panic! Did I choose a topic I'd previously missed? Did I make one up? After many minutes hours deliberating I came up with -

Top Ten Authors I'd Like To Have To Dinner!

The authors I've chosen all seem like they would be great to have as friends, particularly as bookish friends and it would be a great bunch of people to have to dinner! Each one is represented by a book they've written which everyone should read - in my opinion...

Neil Gaiman

Juliet Marillier

Freda Warrington

Charles de Lint

Joe Hill

Stephen King

Holly Black

Kate Forsyth

Susan Cooper

Sarah Pinborough

Waiting On Wednesday #19

Waiting On Wednesday, where we put the spotlight on upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating, is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

This week I have chosen NOS-4R2 by the amazing Joe Hill (also known as Joe King!) I've been a fan of his since I read Heart-Shaped Box many years ago and he once left a comment on my LibraryThing profile which I obviously have never deleted...

NOS-4R2 - Joe Hill
ISBN (UK) - 9780575130678 
Publisher - Gollancz
Exp. pub. date (UK) - May 30 2013
 
'Young Victoria McQueen has a gift for finding things: a lost bracelet, a treasured photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. All she has to do is ride her bike through the Shorter Way Bridge and she'll come out the other end wherever she needs to be . . . even if that's hundreds of miles away. Vic doesn't tell anyone about her unusual ability because she knows that no one would understand it. She doesn't understand it herself. And then she discovers she's not the only one with a special gift.

There are others . . . like Charlie Manx, who takes children for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the NOS4R2 vanity plate. Charlie drives his precious passengers away from all they've ever known: their families, their homes, even their own humanity. By the time they get where they're going - an astonishing secret place called Christmasland - they've changed, utterly. By the time they get out of the Wraith, they're truly Charlie's children; as unstoppable and insane as Manx himself.

Only one kid ever escaped Charlie Manx: a very lucky girl named Vic McQueen. But the end of that nightmare was just the beginning of another. Vic's first brush with Manx lit the fuse on a life-and-death battle of wills, her magic pitted against his . . . a battle that explodes a quarter century later. Because now Manx has taken Vic's own son. And Vic McQueen is going to get him back. Or die trying.' - Goodreads

I can't wait to read this one, it sounds deliciously creepy and only another 2 months to wait!

What are you waiting for this week?