Weekly Highlights: the 'November TBR' edition

Weekly Highlights is a feature borrowed from Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts, where I get to highlight my posts of the week, show you my new books and talk about bookish things!

Just another little update for you, mostly just to say I haven't dropped off the face of the Earth, I'm still here - stressing about word counts and referencing and reading my books on time. 

University is going pretty well - I'm deep into essay-writing now, I've got two on the horizon and am frantically planning and writing and hoping it all makes sense! Because of my workload, I have had to quit one of my part-time jobs though, which was ridiculously sad. I've worked in this public library for a little over two years and I am sorry to have to leave but I could tell my brain was going to melt if I had to continue juggling two jobs and a masters.

On The Blog

One lonely post in October: October TBR and Life Update

Currently Reading

Collected Ghost Stories by MR James - some are better than others but for the most part I'm enjoying them. Definitely the right time of year for it!

On My Bookshelf

I got two books for my birthday in mid-October, which were both from my fiancee and both I asked for. They were: It Only Happens in the Movies by Holly Bourne, which I have already read and bloody loved, and The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord, which I am super excited for because I adore her books.

I also got a few ebooks, which I have no idea when I'm going to read but they are there just in case! Both from Netgalley, I received: Genuine Fraud by E Lockhart, and Love, Hate and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed. I'm really excited about both of them, and thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for sending them my way - just got to fit them in around all my uni reading!

November TBR

The uni books I'm studying this month, and still need to read, are: Murder of the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler, Let The Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist. Then in December we will be studying Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith, Poppet by Mo Hayder and Broken Harbour by Tana French.

Weekly Highlights: the 'September TBR' edition

Weekly Highlights is a feature borrowed from Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts, where I get to highlight my posts of the week, show you my new books and talk about bookish things!

I am both happy and sad that it's September already - on one hand, I handle autumn weather much better than summer, but on the other, it means my term-time job is starting again. But I do have some exciting news: at the end of the month, I will be starting my masters! So lots more work and almost certainly less time online and on the blog, but I will not disappear, I promise. 

On The Blog

A few of my favourite posts of the month:
Review of A Change Is Gonna Come
Review of The Gender Games by Juno Dawson
Review of Tell It To The Moon by Siobhan Curham
Review of True Love at the Lonely Hearts Bookshop by Annie Darling
Review of The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James
Review of Nowhere Near You by Leah Thomas

Currently Reading

I am still plodding through The Woman in White, which is to get my brain back into classic literature mode for my MA. I've also just started the audio book of Order of the Phoenix. 

On My Bookshelf

Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
She will become a legend but first she is Diana, Princess of the Amazons. And her fight is just beginning...

Diana is desperate to prove herself to her warrior sisters. But when the opportunity comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law to save a mere mortal, Alia Keralis. With this single heroic act, Diana may have just doomed the world.

Alia is a Warbringer - a descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery. Diana and Alia will face an army of enemies, mortal and divine, determined to destroy or possess the Warbringer.

To save the world, they must stand side by side against the tide of war.

Nyxia by Scott Reintgen
Emmett Atwater isn't just leaving Detroit; he's leaving Earth. Why the Babel Corporation recruited him is a mystery, but the number of zeroes on their contract has him boarding their lightship and hoping to return to Earth with enough money to take care of his family. 

Forever. 

Before long, Emmett discovers that he is one of ten recruits, all of whom have troubled pasts and are a long way from home. Now each recruit must earn the right to travel down to the planet of Eden--a planet that Babel has kept hidden--where they will mine a substance called Nyxia that has quietly become the most valuable material in the universe. 

But Babel's ship is full of secrets. And Emmett will face the ultimate choice: win the fortune at any cost, or find a way to fight that won't forever compromise what it means to be human.

These two I received in August's Illumicrate, which was brilliant, as per usual! I hadn't heard of Nyxia but it sounds like a really cool space adventure, and of course Wonder Woman I am super excited for!

Invictus by Ryan Graudin
Time flies when you're plundering history.

Farway Gaius McCarthy was born outside of time. The son of a time-traveling Recorder from 2354 AD and a gladiator living in Rome in 95 AD, Far's birth defies the laws of nature. Exploring history himself is all he's ever wanted, and after failing his final time-traveling exam, Far takes a position commanding a ship with a crew of his friends as part of a black market operation to steal valuables from the past. 

But during a heist on the sinking Titanic, Far meets a mysterious girl who always seems to be one step ahead of him. Armed with knowledge that will bring Far's very existence into question, she will lead Far and his team on a race through time to discover a frightening truth: History is not as steady as it seems.

Things A Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nichols
Through rallies and marches, in polite drawing rooms and freezing prison cells and the poverty-stricken slums of the East End, three courageous young women join the fight for the vote.

Evelyn is seventeen, and though she is rich and clever, she may never be allowed to follow her older brother to university. Enraged that she is expected to marry her childhood sweetheart rather than be educated, she joins the Suffragettes, and vows to pay the ultimate price for women's freedom.

May is fifteen, and already sworn to the cause, though she and her fellow Suffragists refuse violence. When she meets Nell, a girl who's grown up in hardship, she sees a kindred spirit. Together and in love, the two girls start to dream of a world where all kinds of women have their place.

But the fight for freedom will challenge Evelyn, May and Nell more than they ever could believe. As war looms, just how much are they willing to sacrifice?

Both of these are from Netgalley, so thank you Anderson and Orion! I was vaguely aware of them but found out about them at Yalc so couldn't wait to snatch them up!

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh 
Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a terrible surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she may be falling in love with a murderer.

Shazi discovers that the villainous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. It's up to her to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

Vivian Carter is fed up. Fed up with her high school teachers who think the football team can do no wrong. Fed up with sexist dress codes, hallway harassment and gross comments from guys during class. But most of all, Viv Carter is fed up with always following the rules.

Viv's mum was a tough-as-nails, punk rock Riot Grrrl in the '90s, and now Viv takes a page from her mother's past and creates Moxie, a feminist zine that she distributes anonymously to her classmates. She's just blowing off steam, but other girls respond and spread the Moxie message. As Viv forges friendships with other young women across the divides of cliques and popularity rankings, she realises that what she has started is nothing short of a girl revolution.

And finally, these two were in kindle sale, 99p each, and I've heard great things about both of them, so no brainer! I'm more excited about Moxie, really, but hoping to read both as soon as possible. 

September TBR

Two review books: Invictus and Things A Bright Girl Can Do. Apart from that, my TBR is pretty open. Well, until I get my MA reading list, that is!

Weekly Highlights: the 'August TBR' edition

Weekly Highlights is a feature borrowed from Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts, where I get to highlight my posts of the week, show you my new books and talk about bookish things!

God, August already? That means summer's half way over! It's been a pretty amazing summer so far, with days out and of course comic con last weekend! Coming up for August is more of the same as I get ready for the new term at work. 

On The Blog

Review of When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon 

Review of The Crash by Lisa Drakeford

Review of City of Saints and Thieves by Natalie C Anderson

Review of Freshers by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison

Review of The Girls Guide to Summer by Sarah Mlynowski
Interview with Siobhan Curham
Review of The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas

Currently Reading

At time of writing, I'm reading Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race, which was recommended by Alyce. Although a difficult subject, especially the history section, I'm really enjoying it.

On My Bookshelf

Tell It to the Moon by Siobhan Curham

To make a dream come true, tell it to the moon! Tell It to the Moon continues the story of Moonlight Dreamers Amber, Maali, Sky and Rose, who are not like everyone else and don't want to be: becoming friends gives them the courage to be themselves. After failing to find her surrogate mother, Amber is left unsure of who she is and what she wants to do; Maali's spiritual faith is tested when her father becomes ill; Sky, previously home-schooled, struggles to adapt to the pressures of the school system; and after having found the courage to come out, Rose begins to pursue her dream of becoming a patissier. Once again the four girls band together to help one another overcome their individual challenges and fulfill their dreams in this fabulous and heart-warming celebration of friendship.

I've already read this, it came out this week and I couldn't wait! The sequel to The Moonlight Dreamers, we follow the four girls as they encounter more drama and need each other to lean on. Thank you Walker, my review will be up soon!

The Fandom by Anna Day

Cosplay ready, Violet and her friends are at Comic-Con.

They can’t wait to meet the fandom of mega movie, The Gallows Dance. What they’re not expecting is to be catapulted by freak accident into their favourite world – for real. Fuelled by love, guilt and fear, can the friends put the plot back on track and get out? The fate of the story is in their hands ...

A fast-paced, genre-flipping YA fantasy adventure from a brand new author, writing in homage to the best YA fiction.

Ahh, I am beyond excited for this! Cosplay, nerdy things and sudden magical lands - yes please! Thank you Chicken House!

There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

One-by-one, the students of Osborne High are dying in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasing and grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and the hunt intensifies for the killer, the dark secrets among them must finally be confronted.
 
International bestselling author Stephanie Perkins returns with a fresh take on the classic teen slasher story that’s fun, quick-witted, and completely impossible to put down.

Although so different from her other books, I'm really looking forward to this creepy thriller - thank you Macmillan and Netgalley!

I also got The House of Secrets by Sarra Manning and The One We Fell In Love With by Paige Toon, because they were on offer and sounded awesome. Links to Goodreads.

And then: behold my yalc haul! I think I did pretty well: I didn't go overboard (learning from my mistake last year when I broke my shoulder muscles!) and I also got some great books! I've already read The Loneliest Girl, sped through it actually, and am planning on reading the rest sooner rather than later.

August TBR

At time of writing, I don't have any review books to read urgently, so my TBR is pretty open - which I am very happy with! As I said, I am very excited for the books I got at yalc so those are probably going to be first up. Any ideas of what I should read next?

Weekly Highlights: the 'July TBR' edition

Weekly Highlights is a feature borrowed from Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts, where I get to highlight my posts of the week, show you my new books and talk about bookish things!

It's the summer! One of my jobs has finished for the summer holiday so I have lots more time off to (hopefully) read and actually do stuff! Well, when I can go outside without pollen attacking my face. 

P.S - I know I am a little late, I usually post these on a Sunday but this week I did a whoopsie and completely forgot! Better late then never, yeah?

On The Blog

Review of Remembrance by Meg Cabot

Review of The Flight of a Starling by Lisa Heathfield

Discussion: Top Ten Series I Would Start If Not For Other Things

Review of Truth or Dare by Non Pratt

Discussion: Top Ten Books of the Year So Far

Review of Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Currently Reading

A Girls Guide to Summer by Sarah Mlynowski - I bought myself a physical copy for my collection, even though I had an e-proof so I did have to wait for that to arrive before I could crack on but it is very good so far!

On My Bookshelf

As you can see, I went a little bit mad when I went up to London with my friend Alyce; we found some great books in a couple of charity shops and then went to Non Pratt's event in Waterstones and bought Tom and Lucy's new book Freshers! I read it in two days, it was brilliant, as expected, but be warned about reading it in public - I laughed out loud in the quiet coach on a train and got some funny looks!

I also got this month: Hidden Among Us by Katy Moran (bought off Faye - thanks Faye!) and Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, which I am beyond excited for.

True Love at the Lonely Hearts Bookshop by Annie Darling

Verity Love – Jane Austen fangirl, manager of London’s first romance-only bookshop Happy Ever, and an introvert in a world of extroverts – is perfectly happy on her own (thank you very much), and quite happy hiding in the office and lying to her friends about her fictional boyfriend Peter, whose presence is very useful for getting her out of social events.

But when a case of mistaken identity forces her to introduce a perfect stranger as her boyfriend, Verity’s life suddenly becomes much more complicated.

Because ‘Peter’ is actually Johnny, and he too could use a fictional girlfriend. So against her better judgement and because she can't stand sitting on the sad singles table, Verity and Johnny decide to partner up for a summer season of weddings, big number birthdays and garden parties, culminating in her sister’s Big Fat Wedding.

And by the end of the summer, there’s a bad case of heartache that even Verity’s beloved Pride And Prejudice might not be able to cure…

I adored Annie's first book The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts and am really excited about getting back into this book lovers world. Thank you Harper and Netgalley!

A Change is Gonna Come by et al

Featuring top Young Adult authors alongside a host of exciting new talent, this anthology of stories and poetry from BAME writers on the theme of change is a long-overdue addition to the YA scene. Contributors include Tanya Byrne, Inua Ellams, Catherine Johnson, Patrice Lawrence, Ayisha Malik, Irfan Master, Musa Okwonga and Nikesh Shukla.

Plus introducing four fresh new voices in YA fiction: Mary Bello, Aisha Bushby, Yasmin Rahman and Phoebe Roy.

I've just been approved for this so I am very excited! I don't really know what the stories are going to be about but with names like these, I'm looking forward to finding out! Thank you Stripes and Netgalley!

July TBR

I'm going to be slowly making my way through the new books I bought myself, but as usual my review books take priority as they are both coming out in August. Let me know what you're planning on reading this month and if you have any summer holiday plans!

Weekly Highlights: the 'June TBR' edition

Weekly Highlights is a feature borrowed from Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts, where I get to highlight my posts of the week, show you my new books and talk about bookish things!

May seemed really busy to me; work was hectic, reading once again took a back seat but at least the month ended with a week off for half term! 

On The Blog

Never Judge A Book By Its Face

Review of One Italian Summer by Keris Stainton

Review of The Circus by Olivia Levez

Top Ten Books That Remind Me of Summer

Review of Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas

Most Anticipated Books of July-Dec '17

Review of A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas

Currently Reading

Flight of a Starling by Lisa Heathfield - at time of writing, I'm not quite half way through but already it seems a different feel to her other books, in a good way.

On My Bookshelf

Truth or Dare by Non Pratt
How far is too far when it comes to the people you love? Claire Casey hates being the centre of attention. But if it means getting Sef Malik to notice her, it’s a risk she’s happy to take. Sef is prepared to do anything to help his recently disabled brother. But this means putting Claire’s love – and life – on the line. Because when you're willing to risk everything, what is there left to lose?


The Waking Land by Callie Bates
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 righthand 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.

Both of these are from Illumicrate and both I'm really looking forward to! Non's books are always great and The Waking Land sounds different and magical.


The Girl's Guide to Summer by Sarah Mlynowski
Sydney Aarons is leaving her Manhattan townhouse for a summer backpacking around Europe with her best friend, Leela. They're visiting London, France, Italy, Switzerland and everywhere in between - it's going to be the trip of a lifetime.

BUT... The trip gets off to a bad start when Leela's ex-boyfriend shows up on their flight out of JFK. When they touch down in London, Leela Instagrams their every move in the hope Matt will come and find them... Which he does, along with the most gorgeous guy Sydney has ever seen.

Will Sydney's summer fling last the distance? And what will happen when they all head home?

I adore Sarah's books and even though the formatting on this version was a bitch to download, I'm really excited to be laughing at her characters and stories again. Thank you Netgalley and Orchard Books!

The Crash by Lisa Drakeford
Best friends Sophie and Tye are watching TV when a car crashes through the living room wall. The driver and passenger are twins, Harry and Gemma. Next door neighbour, eleven-year-old Issy, witnesses the accident. In the aftermath, Tye is thrown into a coma, Gemma’s dark past begins to haunt the present, and Sophie starts to fall for Harry – but how can she, when he was the driver who nearly killed her best friend? And Issy, meanwhile, hides a terrible secret... 


I really liked her first book The Baby so I'm looking forward to her mix of characters with something a bit darker. Thank you Chicken House!

City of Saints and Thieves by Natalie C Anderson
Street-thief Tina breaks in to the luxurious house where her mother was killed to steal from Mr. Greyhill and nail him for her mother’s murder. She is caught red-handed.

Saved by Mr. Greyhill’s gorgeous son, Michael, the pair set in motion a cascade of dangerous events that lead them deeper into the mystery, and reveal dark and shocking secrets from Tina’s past.

Tina and her mother fled the Congo years ago as refugees, trading the uncertain danger of their besieged village for a new, safer life in the bustling Kenyan metropolis. The corruption and politics of the Congo, and the gangster world of Sangui City, are behind Tina’s mother’s downfall. Is Tina tough enough to find the truth and bring the killer to justice?

A little something different, I wanted to read about a different place in the world and the Congo is pretty new to me. Thank you Oneworld!

June TBR

Definitely starting with Truth or Dare! Also this month I need to read my review books, starting with A Girl's Guide to Summer and City of Saints and Thieves. Let me know what you're planning on reading this month!

Weekly Highlights: the 'April TBR' edition

Weekly Highlights is a feature borrowed from Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts, where I get to highlight my posts of the week, show you my new books and talk about bookish things!

March was a funny month for me - reading took a back seat while I panicked and fought for my job (restructures are the worst). Luckily, I got it - yay! - but getting back into the book world has been a struggle. Please bear with me as I try to get excited about books again, but good for me I have a few really good-looking releases coming up!

On The Blog

Review of The Scarecrow Queen by Melinda Salisbury 

Discussion: Top Ten Books to Read the Day Away

Review of The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

Discussion: Dream Loot Crate

Currently Reading

Into The Fire - book four and the finale in Jeaniene Frost's Night Prince series - details below.



On My Bookshelf

One Italian Summer by Keris Stainton
It's been a year since Milly, Elyse and Leonie's dad died, and a year since their last trip to Rome. Summer's here again, and once again they are heading with their mum to Italy - but what's it going to be like going without Dad? Rome still holds its familiar charms - the sun is still as warm, the gelato as delicious, the people as welcoming. But nothing is quite as it once was ... 

With grief still raw for all of them, Milly is facing the additional awfulness of having to see Luke again - gorgeous, gorgeous Luke, who she had a fling with last year, and who she made a total fool of herself with - or so she thinks. What's going to happen this time? What's more, things between Milly, her sisters and their mum are rocky - Leonie is being tempestuous and unpredictable, Elyse is caught up with her new boyfriend, and Milly feels like she just doesn't know how she fits in any more. 

Over one Italian summer, can Milly find a way back to the life she once had?

Didn't even realise that Keris had a new book coming out so when I spotted this on Netgalley, I was all over it! Thank you Hot Key!

Into The Fire by Jeaniene Frost
In the wrong hands, love can be a deadly weapon.
For nearly six hundred years, Vlad Tepesh cared for nothing, so he had nothing to lose. His brutal reputation ensured that all but the most foolhardy stayed away. Now falling in love with Leila has put him at the mercy of his passions. And one adversary has found a devastating way to use Vlad’s new bride against him.

A powerful spell links Leila to the necromancer Mircea. If he suffers or dies, so does she. Magic is forbidden to vampires, so Vlad and Leila enlist an unlikely guide as they search for a way to break the spell. But an ancient enemy lies in wait, capable of turning Vlad and Leila’s closest friends against them…and finally tearing the lovers apart forever. 

I adore Frost's books and cannot wait to find out what happens in Vlad's finale.

The Island At The End of Everything by Kiran Milwood Hargrave
Ami lives with her mother on an island where the sea is as blue as the sky. It’s all she knows and loves, but the arrival of malicious government official Mr Zamora changes her world forever: her island is to be made into a colony for lepers. Taken from her mother and banished across the sea, Ami faces an uncertain future in an orphanage. There she meets a honey-eyed girl named for butterflies, and together they discover a secret that will lead her on an adventure home. Ami must go back to the island of no return, but will she make it in time?

I loved Hargrave's first book and am really looking forward to more of her beautiful writing. Thank you Chicken House!

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.

Went on an ebook shopping spree to get me out of this reading slump, so along with Caraval, I also bought Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink, The Deal by Elle Kennedy, and All Fired Up by Elle Kennedy and Vivan Arend.

April TBR

First up are all my review books, those mentioned above as well as Windfall and The Circus. I think that's all I'll be able to read, like I said I've been in a weird reading place for a while now so I'm not putting too much pressure on myself. Let me know what you're planning to read this month and if there's any of these books you're also excited for!

Weekly Highlights: the 'March TBR' edition

Weekly Highlights is a feature borrowed from Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts, where I get to highlight my posts of the week, show you my new books and talk about bookish things!

March already! Thank god, it's getting warmer and brighter! I haven't been all that good with blogging and reading recently, too many things happening in my personal life that is taking up all my brain power. Hopefully, it won't last much longer but that's why I haven't been around that much. Anyway, here's to a better reading month ahead!

On The Blog

Review of Heartless by Marissa Meyer
Review of Unconventional by Maggie Harcourt
Discussion: Top Hate-to-Love Stories
Review of Wing Jones by Katherine Webber
Review of Moondust by Gemma Fowler

Currently Reading

The Scarecrow Queen by Melinda Salisbury - it's taking me a while, my mind just isn't in the mood for reading at the moment, but it is very good!

On My Bookshelf

The Circus by Olivia Levez

Why would a girl who has everything want to run away and never be found?

Willow has staged runaways ever since she was a little girl. She has everything a young person should want: a rich daddy, clothes, money, a pony and a place at a prestigious boarding school. In reality, she has everything except the thing she really wants: a father who cares enough to find her.

Aged sixteen, on the eve of her father’s wedding, she ruins the bride’s dress and escapes through a window, determined never to return. Her missing mother was a circus performer, and Willow wants to follow in her footsteps. But the performers she meets don’t want her. When her last bit of money is stolen by Suze, another runaway girl she thought she could trust, Willow becomes really homeless. Then Suze comes tumbling back into her life and a desperate Willow has to decide whether to trust her all over again . . .

So begins their frightening, exhilarating odyssey though hunger, performance, desperation and dreams. Will they both survive and will Willow make it to the circus of her imagining?

An unsolicited review copy that appeared on my doorstep, I am none the less really excited because I enjoyed Olivia's first book and this one sounds very entertaining. Thank you One World!

King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard

Mare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her lethal mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal. Now a king, Maven Calore continues weaving his dead mother's web in an attempt to maintain control over his country—and his prisoner.

As Mare bears the weight of Silent Stone in the palace, her once-ragtag band of newbloods and Reds continue organizing, training, and expanding. They prepare for war, no longer able to linger in the shadows. And Cal, the exiled prince with his own claim on Mare's heart, will stop at nothing to bring her back.

When blood turns on blood, and ability on ability, there may be no one left to put out the fire—leaving Norta as Mare knows it to burn all the way down.

It took me too long to realise that book three was on Netgalley but once I did, I snapped it up! Details are foggy on previous books but I can't wait to see what in store for Mare next. Thank you Harper and Netgalley!

Windfall by Jennifer E Smith

Alice doesn’t believe in luck—at least, not the good kind. But she does believe in love, and for some time now, she’s been pining for her best friend, Teddy. On his eighteenth birthday—just when it seems they might be on the brink of something—she buys him a lottery ticket on a lark. To their astonishment, he wins $140 million, and in an instant, everything changes. 

At first, it seems like a dream come true, especially since the two of them are no strangers to misfortune. As a kid, Alice won the worst kind of lottery possible when her parents died just over a year apart from each other. And Teddy’s father abandoned his family not long after that, leaving them to grapple with his gambling debts. Through it all, Teddy and Alice have leaned on each other. But now, as they negotiate the ripple effects of Teddy’s newfound wealth, a gulf opens between them. And soon, the money starts to feel like more of a curse than a windfall. 

As they try to find their way back to each other, Alice learns more about herself than she ever could have imagined . . . and about the unexpected ways in which luck and love sometimes intersect.

This past month I bought Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton and The Scarecrow Queen by Melinda Salisbury. And from the library, I borrowed Spectacles by Sue Perkins and Feminist Fight Club by Jessica Bennett. 

March TBR

Library books are first, obviously, I never return late. I would like to read The King's Cage, before I get spoiled. And as for review books, The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli is due out early April. Let me know what you're planning on reading this month. 

Weekly Highlights: the 'February TBR' edtion

Weekly Highlights is a feature borrowed from Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts, where I get to highlight my posts of the week, show you my new books and talk about bookish things!

January sure dragged its feet, didn't it? Thank god for February, where it's getting lighter, slightly warmer and half term! Below are a few of my favourite posts from the last month, and I must apologise for the lack of book covers - Blogger just wasn't playing ball with images.

On The Blog

Review of Trouble Makes A Comeback by Stephanie Tromly

Discussion: My Dream Book Conference

Review of Beware That Girl by Teresa Toten

Discussion: Top Ten Most Anticipated Reads

Review of Bad Blood by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Currently Reading

Some Girls Do by Clodagh Murphy - I fancied something a little different and this fluffy, not-to-be-taken-seriously romp is definitely that!

On My Bookshelf

Moondust by Gemma Fowler
When Lumite was discovered on the Moon, the dark days of the Earth appeared to be over. But disaster struck: a huge explosion at the first Lumite power station. Agatha, god-daughter of the founder of Lunar Inc., was sole survivor. As the 10th anniversary of the disaster looms, Aggie takes centre stage, a poster-girl for the company. But a chance meeting with one of the prisoner-miners, the darkly attractive Danny, changes her mind about everything she knows about her world.

Space, romance and futuristic settings, I am all over this! Thank you Chicken House!

Unconventional by Maggie Harcourt
Lexi Angelo has grown up helping her dad with his events business. She likes to stay behind the scenes, planning and organizing...until author Aidan Green - messy haired and annoyingly arrogant - arrives unannounced at the first event of the year. Then Lexi's life is thrown into disarray.
In a flurry of late-night conversations, mixed messages and butterflies, Lexi discovers that some things can't be planned. Things like falling in love...

Wing Jones by Katherine Webber

Jandy Nelson meets Friday Night Lights: a sweeping story about love and family from an exceptional new voice in YA. With a grandmother from China and another from Ghana, fifteen-year-old Wing Jones is often caught between worlds. But when tragedy strikes, Wing discovers a talent for running she never knew she had. Wing's speed could bring her family everything it needs. It could also stop Wing getting the one thing she wants.

I bought both of these my my Christmas Waterstones voucher (thank you Sophie!) and I've already read Unconventional, which was fantastic in every way!

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love-she's lived through it twenty-six times. She crushes hard and crushes often, but always in secret. Because no matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can't stomach the idea of rejection. So she's careful. Fat girls always have to be careful.

Then a cute new girl enters Cassie's orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly's cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly's totally not dying of loneliness-except for the part where she is.
Luckily, Cassie's new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. Will is funny, flirtatious, and just might be perfect crush material. Maybe more than crush material. And if Molly can win him over, she'll get her first kiss and she'll get her twin back.

There's only one problem: Molly's coworker, Reid. He's an awkward Tolkien superfan, and there's absolutely no way Molly could fall for him. Right?

Just excuse me when I scream a little bit, which I totally did when I got auto-approved my Penguin Random House! I am so looking forward to this one, I loved Simon Versus so have high hopes for Becky's next book. Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House!

February TBR

My priorities are the above, especially the two review books. I would also really like to get to the two graphic novels that have been sat on my shelf since Christmas. Apart from that, I'm in a bit of a weird reading mood so any suggestions are welcome.