WWW Wednesdays (12 Aug 20)! What are you reading this week?

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!

Current Reads

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

I started reading this one last night and I’m very much enjoying it. It follows two girls: Camino in the Dominican Republic and Yahaira in New York. On the same day they both get news that their father has died in a plane crash and whilst trying to come to terms with this tragedy they learn their father is the same man. They now have to work out how to deal with discovering they have a sister living in another part of the world. I’m only a little way into this one but the writing is beautiful and I’m engrossed.

Under A Starry Sky by Laura Kemp

This is my current audio book and I’m really enjoying it. It follows Wanda who has always wanted to travel but life keeps having other plans for her. She was due to leave her family in Wales when she was young but then her father died. Now it’s years later and she’s packing up to leave when her mum has an accident and her sister announces she’s pregnant. Wanda seems destined to have to stay and run the family’s rundown campsite for the summer and to face up to some ghosts from the past. I’m loving this audiobook so far and can’t wait to listen to more!

The Holdout by Graham Moore

This is now the last book that I have on my NetGalley shelf that I got before 2020 so I wanted to get to it this week. I’m now kicking myself for not picking it up sooner because I’m loving it so far. It follows Maya who is a successful lawyer but ten years ago she did jury duty and helped sway the jury to a not guilty verdict. Now the jury is meeting up again for a TV show as one member thinks he’s uncovered evidence that will change everything! I avoided knowing anymore than this about the book and I’m glad I did because I thought I knew what this was going to be and it’s turned out more is going on than I predicted! I love when a novel surprises me!

Keep Her Quiet by Emma Curtis

I’m reading this book on Pigeonhole but I’m way behind and all of the parts are now available. It’s taking me a while as I’m struggling to read on my phone screen at the moment. I am liking the novel so far though. You do have to suspend disbelief but it’s one I’m happy to do that with. It moves from past to present and focuses on a teenager who was kidnapped from the hospital soon after her birth sixteen years ago. I hope to be able to read more of this soon, I might buy it on kindle so that it’s easier on my eyes to read.

Recent Reads

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

I read and quite enjoyed The Escape Room by this author and was keen to try another novel by her. The Night Swim started off so well – it’s gripping and fast-paced and there is a mystery there so I thought I was going to love it. However, the pace slows down and I did find it a bit predictable, I was hoping for a shock at the end but it all unfolded as I had suspected it would. This is more a mystery novel than a thriller but having said that it did keep me engrossed and I did enjoy it so I would recommend it.

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

This was such a great novel and I really enjoyed it. It follows Emira, a 20-something black woman who works as a babysitter for a white family. One night she is looking after Briar and a security guard starts asking questions believing Emira has kidnapped the child. What follows is alternating chapters of Emira, and Alix (Briar’s mother) as we see their lives. Emira needs to find a job with health insurance, but Alix is focused on Emira’s life and wanting to know more about her. She seems fascinated by Emira and the fact that she’s black. There is so much to this novel and I loved it. I recommend it.

Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellman

This is the book I’ve mainly been reading for much of the last couple of weeks and I’ve loved every minute of it. It took me a few pages to get to grips with the way it’s written and then after that I just didn’t want to put it down. I love the random way the protagonist thinks and at times it felt like my own thoughts were being reflected back at me from the pages. The end when it comes is sheer perfection! This is an incredible novel and one I won’t ever forget. I highly, highly recommend it!

What I Might Read Next

I’m still mood reading for the most part but also trying to read my way through my NetGalley shelf. The first three books on my list for this week are NetGalley books and ones that I’m keen to get to very soon. The fourth is a library book and is one that I’ve been wanting to read for a while so I plan on starting that one next.

Here is the Beehive by Sarah Crossan

The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard

Dead To Her by Sarah Pinborough

White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo

WWW Wednesdays (5 Aug 20)! What are you reading this week?

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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!

Current Reads

Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellman

So, I finally started reading this mammoth book! I have a hardback edition but I’ve also got the ebook from the library as it’s too much for me to hold the hardback for long. I’m actually really enjoying this book, it’s such an interesting read. The lack of full-stops is something I got used to really easily and it’s never bothered me to stop reading at any point on a page, I don’t need chapters, so this is really enjoyable. I find it works best if I read in chunks rather than a few pages here and there, and I do need to take the odd break from it but I love coming back to it. I’m currently on page 306 of 1030!

Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid

I’m really enjoying this book. It follows Emira, a young black woman who babysits for a white couple. One night they ask her to take their child to the store and while there she is accused of kidnapping the child. It also follows Alix, the mother of the child, and she is a busy and successful woman who is very media savvy and aware of optics. It’s eye-opening to read Emira’s point of view and to see just how many micro-aggressions she has to deal with every single day. There is such a contrast with Alix’s life and how she suddenly finds herself wanting to get to know Emira better. I can’t wait to read more of this one.

Recent Reads

The New Girl by Harriet Walker

This novel follows two women: Margot who is a fashion editor at a high end magazine, she’s also pregnant and will be going on maternity leave soon; and Maggie, the woman who is brought in to replace her. Margot finds out that her best friend Winnie has suffered a stillbirth on the day she hires Maggie and it sends he into a spiral. She doesn’t handle any of it very well. I found this novel very slow over the first half but then something happens mid-way through and we get a different perspective and from then on I was gripped. This is more a domestic drama than a thriller so I was a bit disappointed that I thought I was getting something different. I did enjoy the second half though.

The Lost Love Song by Minnie Darke

This novel is stunning! It follows the journey of a song and the impact it has on people. First we meet Arie and Diana who are very much in love. Diana finds it hard to communicate her emotions in words so she starts composes a song for Arie. Soon after something happens to Diana and a man picks up her composition and takes it home. The song reaches as far as Australia, Canada and Edinburgh and it has such an effect of all of those who hear it. I love how the song threads all the way through the novel, it’s such a beautiful book. I’ll be reviewing this one on 10th August for the blog tour so look out for my thoughts then. In the meantime I highly recommend it!

All My Lies Are True by Dorothy Koomson

This is the sequel to The Ice Cream Girls and I really enjoyed it. It follows lots of characters but the core story is about the daughter of one of the Ice Cream Girls and the younger brother of the other. This goes back and forth in time through multiple perspectives as we explore how the next generation views what the previous was accused, and in one case, convicted of. It is a little confusing to follow on audio book at times as it jumps around in time and through characters so frequently so it’s one to listen to in big chunks. I really enjoyed this one and recommend it.

The Summer of Madness by Alexander Raphael

This is such a lovely short story and I really enjoyed it. It follows Kurt as he embarks on a plan to win his ex-girlfriend back. She has dumped him because he was selfish and so now he’s decided to stand at the station every day reading his way through her favourite novel Wuthering Heights in the hope she’ll see him there. It’s a sweet story and perfect for reading during your lunch break. I’ll be reviewing this one soon but I recommend it in the meantime!

What I Might Read Next

I don’t know what I might read next but the books that are catching my attention right now are these four. The first three are books I got from NetGalley and the fourth is a library book on the BorrowBox app that is next on my anti-racism reading list.

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi

Eight Detectives by Alex Pavesi

White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo

What have you been reading this week? I’d love to hear. And if you take part in WWW Wednesdays or This Week in Books please feel free to leave your link below and I’ll make sure to visit and comment on your post. 🙂

WWW Wednesdays (29 Jul 20)! What are you reading?

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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!

Current Reads

Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid

I just started reading this last night so have only read the first couple of chapters so far but I can’t wait to read more. It follows Emira, a young black woman who babysits for a white couple. One night they ask her to take their child to the store and while there she is accused of kidnapping the child. It also follows Alix, the mother of the child, and she is a busy and successful woman who is very media savvy and aware of optics. I’m really keen to read more about these two women and to see where this novel is going.

The New Girl by Harriet Walker

This novel follows two women: Margot who is a fashion editor at a high end magazine, she’s also pregnant and will be going on maternity leave soon; and Maggie, the woman who is brought in to replace her. Margot finds out that her best friend Winnie has suffered a stillbirth on the day she hires Maggie and it sends he into a spiral. She doesn’t handle any of it very well. I’m only a few chapters into this one but I’m intrigued to see where it’s going. We know from the prologue that a woman dies but we don’t know who! It seems both Margot and Maggie are driven and it feels like there is already jealousy and competitiveness between them. I’m looking forward to reading more.

All My Lies Are True by Dorothy Koomson

This is one of my most anticipated reads of the year as I loved The Ice Cream Girls. I’m really enjoying this one. It follows lots of characters but the core story is about the daughter of one of the Ice Cream Girls and the younger brother of the other. This goes back and forth in time through multiple perspectives as we explore how the next generation views what the previous was accused, and in one case, convicted of. It is a little confusing to follow on audio book at times as it jumps around in time and through characters so frequently so it’s one to listen to in big chunks. I’m really enjoying this one though and am keen to see how it’s all going to end!

Recent Reads

The Life We Almost Had by Amelia Henley

This is a stunning novel and one I won’t forget. This one follows Anna and Adam, a couple who fall in love on holiday and decide to stay together afterwards. We know from the very start that something has gone wrong but we don’t know what. I adored reading about the holiday romance, it was so lovely and believable. Even when they begin to have problems once back to reality the love was still there. I reviewed this one yesterday so you can find my full review here if you’d like to know more.

Small Island by Andrea Levy

I read this book many years ago at University but I’ve been wanting to listen to the audio book as Andrea Levy narrates it and I finally got to it over the last week. I really enjoyed the audio, it’s brilliantly done. The novel follows Hortense as she arrives in the UK from Jamaica to join her new husband. We also meet Queenie, Gilbert’s landlady. The novel really puts you into the mindset of what it was to come to this country as a black person in the 40s, and how the English viewed even war heroes like Gilbert as second-class citizens. I very much enjoyed this novel and I recommend it.

The Mothers by Sarah J. Naughton

This novel follows a police detective Iona as she starts investigating the disappearance of a married man. I’m only a couple of chapters into this one but we’ve met the group of mothers, one of whom is married to the missing man. There seems to be a class divide in the mothers’ group, and they almost seem like frenemies at first but there is way more to these women than we see at first. I really enjoyed this book. I had to suspend disbelief at times but I didn’t mind as I was so engrossed in the book I just wanted to know what was going to happen! I’ve already reviewed this one here.

Where We Belong by Anstey Harris

This is one of my 20 Books of Summer and I’m so pleased to have read it. It follows Cate and her son Leo as having found themselves homeless they have to go to her late husband’s family home, the Hatters Museum, for the summer. There they meet the formidable Araminta and have to find their feet in this new world they’ve found themselves in. There are secrets and lies that begin to come to the fore and Cate finds that she’s not the only person hiding things. I loved the characters in this novel, and seeing how they all found their way with each other. It’s such an engrossing and beautiful novel, I recommend it!

How To Disappear by Gillian McAllister

This is about a family who are split apart when two of them have to go into witness protection. Lauren and her daughter Zara are trying to figure out their new lives and who they have to be now. Lauren’s husband Aidan is trying to figure out how he can help them be safe. This novel is so tense, every time anyone does anything that might potentially put them at risk I find myself holding my breath. I really enjoyed this one and have already reviewed it here.

What I Might Read Next

I’m still mood reading whilst also trying to focus on the books on my NetGalley shelf so these books are the ones that I think I’ll be reading next. The first three are NetGalley books. I’ve been wanting to read Ducks, Newburyport for ages and have had a copy since my birthday earlier this year. I feel like I’m ready to face picking up such a long read so we’ll see how I get on!

The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed

The Gin O’Clock Club by Rosie Blake

True Story by Kate Reed Petty

Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellman

What have you been reading this week? I’d love to hear. And if you take part in WWW Wednesdays or This Week in Books please feel free to leave your link below and I’ll make sure to visit and comment on your post. 🙂

Stacking the Shelves with a new Book Haul (9 May 20)!

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Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and Reading Reality, which is all about sharing the books that you’ve acquired in the past week!

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Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

I’ve been wanting to read this book ever since I first heard about it so I decided to treat myself this week. I don’t think this will be waiting on my TBR for too long!

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Know My Name by Chanel Miller

 

This is a book that I have read so many positive reviews of so I’ve been wanting to read it. I had a credit on my Amazon account this week and so decided to buy it. I really want to read it right away so I may have started it by the time this is posted.

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One by One by Ruth Ware

I really enjoy Ruth Ware’s books so when I saw she had a new novel coming out I immediately requested it on NetGalley. I was thrilled to be approved to read it this week and can’t wait to get to it.

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Invisible Woman by Caroline Criado Perez

This is another book that I’ve been curious about for ages. I actually requested it on NetGalley a long time ago and so it was a nice surprise to be approved to read it a few days ago. I’m really keen to pick this up.

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It’s All in Your Head by Nikki Smith

I bought this book in the Kindle sale as it just sounded like a fast-paced and gripping thriller. I’ve since read some great reviews so think I’ll be reading this one soon too!

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I’d Rather be Reading by Anne Bogel

I read about this book on Jill’s Book Cafe and it sounded like such a lovely book that I decided to buy it. It was only 80p on Kindle and I’m really looking forward to reading it.

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Preparations for the Next Life by Atticus Lish

I’ve been going through my very long book wish list this week and deleting books that no longer interest me. At the same time I’ve been spotting books that I’d forgotten about but when I read the blurbs I was still so keen to get the book. This is one of them and I’m really hoping to read this one soon.

Have you acquired any new books this week? I’d love to know what you got. Or have you read any of my new books and recommend I get to any of them sooner rather than later? If you’ve shared a book haul post this week then please feel free to share you link below and I’ll make sure to visit your post! 🙂