WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading! All you have to do is answer three questions and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.
The three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
What I’m reading now:
Keeping what goes on in her bedroom a secret has been easy – so far. Her mother isn’t home nearly enough to know about Mercedes’ extracurricular activities, and her uber-religious best friend, Angela, won’t even say the word “sex” until she gets married. But Mercedes doesn’t bank on Angela’s boyfriend finding out about her services and wanting a turn – or on Zach, who likes her for who she is instead of what she can do in bed.
When Mercedes’ perfect system falls apart, she has to find a way to salvage her own reputation -and figure out where her heart really belongs in the process. Funny, smart, and true-to-life, Laurie Elizabeth Flynn’s Firsts is a one-of-a-kind young adult novel about growing up.

A Proper Family Christmas by Chrissie Manby
I started reading this just after Christmas but then got side-tracked with books I got for Christmas. I’ve just picked it back up and am really enjoying it. I read and reviewed the first book in this series (A Proper Family Holiday review) when I first started my blog and while I’m not sure that this is quite as good as that one, it’s still a very enjoyable read. I’m halfway through it and Christmas hasn’t even been mentioned yet so I’m guessing that it will end at the holiday season, meaning this book could be read at any time of year so don’t let the title put you off picking it up before December 2016!
Synopsis:
Take one Queen Bee: Annabel Buchanan, with a perfect house in the country, a rich husband and a beautiful daughter, Izzy . . .
. . . and one large, loud family: the Bensons.
What happens when their worlds collide?
When Izzy suddenly falls dangerously ill, adoptee Annabel has to track down her biological family to see if they can help her daughter. But can she see past the Bensons’ brash exteriors to the warm, loving people they are at heart?
With December just around the corner, is it too much to hope that the Bensons and the Buchanans can have a proper family Christmas?
**Edited post** I wrote my WWW on Tuesday evening and scheduled it for this morning, as is the norm for me. I included a book that I bought yesterday and I’d only read three chapters when I put it in my post. I’ve since read a few more chapters and it’s not a book I feel I can read anymore of. I should have known it would be what it was but I got swept up in the hype and wanted to read it. It’s really not a book for me and I don’t feel comfortable having it on my blog so I’m removing it from my WWW post and obviously I won’t be reviewing it.
What I recently finished reading:
(I’ve reviewed two of these books so far, please click on the highlighted links to read my reviews. I will be reviewing the other two books soon so keep an eye out for those!)
The Darkest Secret by Alex Marwood
Every Time A Bell Rings by Carmel Harrington
Asking For It by Louise O’Neill
Mrs Scrooge by Carol Ann Duffy
What I plan on reading next:
Beside Myself by Ann Morgan (Due out 14th January in the UK)
Synopsis:
Helen and Ellie are identical twins ? like two peas in a pod, everyone says.
The girls know this isnt true, though: Helen is the leader and Ellie the follower.
Until they decide to swap places: just for fun, and just for one day.
But Ellie refuses to swap back…
And so begins a nightmare from which Helen cannot wake up. Her toys, her clothes, her friends, her glowing record at school, the favour of her mother and the future she had dreamed of are all gone to a sister who blossoms in the approval that used to belong to Helen. And as the years pass, she loses not only her memory of that day but also herself ? until eventually only Smudge is left.
Twenty-five years later, Smudge receives a call from out of the blue. It threatens to pull her back into her sisters dangerous orbit, but if this is her only chance to face the past, how can she resist?
Beside Myself is a compulsive and darkly brilliant psychological drama about family and identity ? what makes us who we are and how very fragile it can be.
This Raging Light by Estelle Laure (Due out 14th January in the UK)
Synopsis:
How is it that you suddenly notice a person? How is it that one day Digby was my best friend’s admittedly cute twin brother, and then the next he stole air, gave jitters, twisted my insides up?
Lucille has bigger problems than falling for her best friend’s unavailable brother. Her mom has gone, leaving her to look after her sister, Wren. With bills mounting up and appearances to keep, Lucille is raging against her life but holding it together – just.
A stunning debut to devour in one sitting, Laure captures completely the agony and ecstasy of first love.
The Astonishing Return of Norah Wells by Virginia MacGregor (Due out 14th January in the UK)
Synopsis:
One ordinary morning, Norah walked out of her house on Willoughby Street and never looked back. Six years later, she returns to the home she walked away from only to find another woman in her place. Fay held Norah’s family together after she disappeared, she shares a bed with Norah’s husband and Norah’s youngest daughter calls Fay ‘Mummy’.
Now that Norah has returned, everyone has questions. Where has she been? Why did she leave? And why is she back? As each member of the family tries to find the answers they each need, they must also face up to the most pressing question of all – what happens to The Mother Who Stayed when The Mother Who Left comes back?
From the author of What Milo Saw, comes this powerful, emotional and perceptive novel about what it takes to hold a family together and what you’re willing to sacrifice for the ones you love.
Year of Yes by Shonda Rimes (Out now in the UK)
I couldn’t resist buying this when it came out as I LOVE Shonda’s TV shows, plus it sounds like an inspiring read for the start of a brand new year!
In this poignant, hilarious and deeply intimate call to arms, Hollywood’s most powerful woman, the mega-talented creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal and executive producer of How to Get Away with Murder, reveals how saying YES changed her life – and how it can change yours too.
With three hit shows on television and three children at home, Shonda Rhimes had lots of good reasons to say no when invitations arrived. Hollywood party? No. Speaking engagement? No. Media appearances? No.
And to an introvert like Shonda, who describes herself as ‘hugging the walls’ at social events and experiencing panic attacks before press interviews, there was a particular benefit to saying no: nothing new to fear.
Then came Thanksgiving 2013, when Shonda’s sister Delorse muttered six little words at her: You never say yes to anything.
Profound, impassioned and laugh-out-loud funny, in Year of Yes Shonda Rhimes reveals how saying YES changed – and saved – her life. And inspires readers everywhere to change their own lives with one little word: Yes.
The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**k by Sarah Knight
I’ve been seeing this book everywhere for a couple of weeks now and just couldn’t resist buying it any longer. It just seems like it will be a very amusing and perfect read for the start of a new year!
Synopsis:
The surprising art of caring less and getting more
Are you stressed out, overbooked and underwhelmed by life? Fed up with pleasing everyone else before you please yourself? Then it’s time to stop giving a f**k.
This irreverent and practical book explains how to rid yourself of unwanted obligations, shame, and guilt – and give your f**ks instead to people and things that make you happy.
From family dramas to having a bikini body, the simple ‘NotSorry Method’ for mental decluttering will help you unleash the power of not giving a f**k and will free you to spend your time, energy and money on the things that really matter.
What are you reading at the moment? Have you finished any good books recently? Any books you’re looking forward to reading soon? Please feel free to join in with this meme and share your link below, or if you don’t have a blog please share in the comments below.
Hi Happy Wednesday! Please go check out my post to WWW Wednesday
Not sure how I feel about This Is Where It Ends; sounds like all the shootings you hear of in the US. I appreciate authors have to get their inspiration from somewhere but this feels exploitative….ahh that was a bit deep. Hopefully I’m wrong! Love the sound of Beside Myself though 🙂
Here’s my WWW – http://bookboodle.co.uk/2016/01/06/www-wednesday-january-6th
I’ve removed the book from my post now as I read a couple more chapters this morning and your comment is exactly right. It is just exploitative and it’s sensational and I couldn’t read beyond the very beginning. I wish I hadn’t picked it up, I think I got caught up in the hype of it and thought it was going to be something other than what it was. We live and learn though, eh? Beside Myself does sounds good and I can’t wait to read it, it’s next on my list. 🙂
Oh Hayley, I hope I didn’t offend you as that wasn’t my intention xx I read a book a few years ago and it was just like the Jamie Bulger kidnapping so never finished it. I suppose some books just affect you in different ways don’t they… 🙂
Oh gosh, no you didn’t offend me at all – I’m so sorry if it sounded like I was offended. I’d read a bit more of the book this morning and it just felt like my emotions were deliberately being played with in the way the book was set up and I didn’t like that. The topic is such a sensitive issue and it doesn’t need added manipulation to ramp it up. So I’d already decided that it wasn’t a book for me when I read your comment, and I agreed with everything you said.
Oh that’s ok then 🙂
Beside Myself is everywhere atm, and sounds intriguing. I rather like the sound of The Astonishing Return Of Norah Wells (lots of #awkward s there!) And The Life Changing Magic Of Not Giving A Fuck sounds just what I need, after my younger sister ruined our Christmas again – I’m only home 3 days a year but she HAS to cause a massive argument! And is it wrong of me to think a 41-year-old should do her own cooking, washing, and ironing, etc and let my parents (74 and 69) enjoy their pensioner years? Time to NGAF, methinks! Thanks for pointing me in the direction of this one!
I started reading The Life Changing Magic book this morning and it’s brilliant – it’s very sweary and very funny but also it’s got great advice. I’m sorry about the situation with your sister, it’s hard when you have a sibling who behaves like an overgrown child.I reckon you’d get a lot out of this book, especially at the moment.
I’ll look out for those 2 reviews coming soon 🙂
I like the sound of The Astonishing Return of Norah Wells and will look forward to hearing what you make of it.
Beside Myself is really intriguing, but it sounds like the sort of thing that would stress me out! haha!
Thanks for visiting my WWW earlier (https://clairehuston.wordpress.com/2016/01/06/www-wednesday-6th-january-2016/) and happy reading!
I hope to start The Astonishing Return of Norah Wells in the next couple of days, it looks like a really good read. I’ll definitely be reviewing it when I’ve read it. I’m a bit worried that Beside Myself will scare me – I’m a total wimp! It’s getting good reviews though and I’m very intrigued by it. Happy reading to you too! 🙂
Can’t wait to see what you think of Firsts!
I haven’t had chance to read any more of it as yet but I’ll definitely be reviewing it when I’ve finished it.
I wanna read Firsts too! And This raging light is already on my TBR. Happy reading!
Firsts sounds really intriguing. I’m glad you’re enjoying it. I haven’t heard of another book with that premise. Happy reading and thanks for participating in WWW Wednesday!
its such a pleasure to meet people who love to read…the kinda recommends you have given r great – have not read any of them…nice to come across genres you wont pick up yourself…A definitive save / like n picking up the books with your synopsis …
Thanks so much, that’s lovely of you to say. I’m always very happy to know people have discovered books on my blog that they otherwise wouldn’t have heard of. I hope you enjoy any that you decide to read. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Looking forward to seeing what you think of Firsts, I recently added it to my tbr as it seemed different to what I’ve read lately. Here’s my WWW.
I’ve not had a chance to read anymore of it as yet but it’s definitely an intriguing premise for a book. I hope you enjoy it when you get to read it.
Great list – I’m also intrigued by Firsts – and Beside Myself also sounds really interesting.
Really like the sound of Firsts and Beside Myself but think I’m most drawn to the Life Changing Magic. It seems like a book I need right now 🙂
I’ve only had a chance to read a little bit of it so far but it’s brilliant. It’s very sweary but does have great life advice, I’d definitely recommend it. 🙂
I need to get a copy of The Darkest Secret ASAP! It sounds like such a great read. I’ve seen Firsts around quite a lot and I’m not sure it’s for me… Although I like that it’s a subject that hasn’t been written about much. This Raging Light is on my wishlist!
The Darkest Secret was brilliant – I’ve got a bit of a book hangover since finishing it because it was so good. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I can’t wait to start This Raging Light, I’m sure it’s going to be fab.
Good to see you’ve started the new year so well – that is quite a selection of books you have.
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