WWW Wednesday 6th January 2016

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This meme is hosted by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. A similar meme, This Week in Books is hosted by Lipsyy Lost and Found.

Why not join in? Just answer the following three questions in a post and then put a link to that post in the Comments over at Taking on a World of Words.

The questions are:

  1. What are you currently reading?
  2. What did you recently finish reading?
  3. What do you think you’ll read next?

As always, clicking on the cover image will take you to the book’s Goodreads page.

1. What I’m reading at the moment

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory book coverBy the time this post goes up I hope to have finished this. I read my first book by Gregory – The Other Queen – back in October (here’s my review) and I was disappointed. So I hope this one will be better 🙂

The blurb: Two sisters competing for the greatest prize: the love of a king.

A rich and compelling novel of love, sex, ambition, and intrigue, The Other Boleyn Girl introduces a woman of extraordinary determination and desire who lived at the heart of the most exciting and glamorous court in Europe and survived by following her heart.

When Mary Boleyn comes to court as an innocent girl of fourteen, she catches the eye of Henry VIII. Dazzled, Mary falls in love with both her golden prince and her growing role as unofficial queen. However, she soon realizes just how much she is a pawn in her family’s ambitious plots as the king’s interest begins to wane and she is forced to step aside for her best friend and rival: her sister, Anne. Then Mary knows that she must defy her family and her king and take her fate into her own hands.

2. The last book I read

Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller

Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller book coverHere’s my full review. This was very good until the last few pages where a very abrupt reveal and ending took the shine off my experience. Thanks again to Penguin and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in return for an honest review.

The blurb: 1976: Peggy Hillcoat is eight. She spends her summer camping with her father, playing her beloved record of The Railway Children and listening to her mother’s grand piano, but her pretty life is about to change.

Her survivalist father, who has been stockpiling provisions for the end which is surely coming soon, takes her from London to a cabin in a remote European forest. There he tells Peggy the rest of the world has disappeared. And so her life is reduced to a piano which makes music but no sound, a forest where all that grows is a means of survival. And a tiny wooden hut that is Everything.

Peggy is not seen again for another nine years.

1985: Peggy has returned to the family home. But what happened to her in the forest? And why has she come back now?

3. What I’ll read next

The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman

The Masked City by Genevieve Cognman Invisible Library 2 coverI read the first book in this series, The Invisible Library, back at the start of 2015 before I started blogging. I enjoyed it and I was pleased when I heard there was a sequel in the works. And I was even more pleased get a copy from the publishers via NetGalley 🙂

The blurb: Librarian-spy Irene is working undercover in an alternative London when her assistant Kai goes missing. She discovers he’s been kidnapped by the fae faction and the repercussions could be fatal. Not just for Kai, but for whole worlds.

Kai’s dragon heritage means he has powerful allies, but also powerful enemies in the form of the fae. With this act of aggression, the fae are determined to trigger a war between their people – and the forces of order and chaos themselves.

Irene’s mission to save Kai and avert Armageddon will take her to a dark, alternate Venice where it’s always Carnival. Here Irene will be forced to blackmail, fast talk, and fight. Or face death.

AND

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo book coverHOORAY!!!! I am so excited to finally get round to this. I read a whole trilogy first to enhance my experience of this book, so it owes me! 😉

The blurb: Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone…

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Kaz’s crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

Have you read/are reading any of these? What are you reading? Let me know! 🙂

Simple sponge school cake with white water icing and multi-coloured sprinkles

Last week’s culinary effort was a round-up of the five most popular of my 2015 baking posts. Featuring recipes and nice pics of:

  • Simple sponge cake with white icing and multi-coloured sprinkles
  • Chocolate fudge cake with chocolate buttercream icing
  • After Eight mint chocolate brownies
  • Diane’s delights: white chocolate sweet sweet no-bake tray bake
  • Maltesers rocky road

 Claire Huston / Art and Soul

 

55 thoughts on “WWW Wednesday 6th January 2016”

    • I can’t wait either as I’ve only seen 4 and 5 star reviews (mostly 5-star). Also, I feel like I’ve been talking about reading this book forever and just want to read it!
      That cake is still my most popular post, which always surprises me. It is delicious, but always assumed that something chocolately would be people’s preference!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • I know, right? Perhaps the author felt, having delivered the big “surprise”, she didn’t want to keep going with nothing else to say? And otherwise it’s very good. A surprisingly quiet book given all the heavy stuff that happens in it. And it’s so different too (originality always a bonus!).
      I’m just catching up on WWW posts now. Thanks for visiting and I’ll head over to your post in a minute…

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • I’m intrigued by it and am definitely going to try and read it soon. It’s a real let down when a book’s end doesn’t live up to the rest of it – I’ve read a few books in recent months where the story just tails off. I don’t mind open endings but they have to fit with the rest of the book.

        Liked by 1 person

  6. I haven’t read any of these but Six of Crows is high up on my list as well 🙂
    This looks like a fun tag to do, I may have to join in from next week ^^ My only concern is that I’ll be reading the same book for a couple of weeks and my post won’t change 😛

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl very much. I’ve only seen a few bits and pieces of the film when I’ve stumbled across it on television, but with that cast I’m sure it’s excellent.
      The cake is surprisingly my most popular post and is delicious!
      I’m just catching up with WWW posts and will vising yours now.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • I’m so glad you’re reading Patrick Ness. The Rest of Us Just Live Here is ok, but Chaos Walking is amazing. And A Monster Calls is still my favourite.
      I’m just catching up with WWW posts – I’ll visit yours now.
      And it’s funny you say that about that cake. It’s still, by a long way, my most popular post. This always surprises me because I’d assumed a chocolate-filled post would be more popular. 🙂

      Like

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  15. I just need to push through Ruin and Rising and then I can move on to Six of Crows (after getting through some other books, of course). I’ll probably still read Our Endless Numbered Days, but I do appreciate your warning about the ending. I’ve read other authors who just don’t seem to know how to end a book (Neal Stephenson’s The Diamond Age comes to mind), so I’ll just keep that in the back of my mind, I think.
    Thanks for visiting my WWW, and happy reading!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Six of Crows is the only reason I read the Grisha! So it had better be good 🙂
      I would encourage people to read Our Endless Numbered Days anyway because the descriptions are great and it’s very different.
      Thanks for visiting and happy reading!

      Like

      Reply

  17. I am really intrigued by Our Endless Number of Days! I will have to check that one out…thanks for putting it on my radar! As for Masked City…you had me at Librarian Spy! I will have to also add this to the TBR.
    Also I am both happy for you and jealous of your ability to be reading Six of Crows right now!!! I wanted it so bad but I put it off and now I have to wait to get it, argh…if only money grew on trees 😀
    Happy Reading!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Can’t wait to get to Six of Crows!
      The Invisible Library has some flaws but overall is fun. So far the sequel is a bit better in terms of structure and not trying to pack too much in. Plus, as I’m already familiar with the world and the main characters it’s a lot less confusing 🙂
      Thanks for visiting my WWW and happy reading!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • I think the sprinkles might explain why it’s such a popular post! 🙂
      I was disappointed because otherwise it’s a strong book. The writing is excellent and I’d look forward to reading whatever Claire Fuller writes next.
      Thanks for visiting and happy reading!

      Like

      Reply

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