Weekly Highlights: the 'I'm going away' 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! 

On The Blog

Review of A Riveting Affair, a Steampunk anthology - 3 stars
Discussion: to Arc or not to Arc? - where I ponder the blogger's relationship with free books

Currently Reading

The third of Demon Trappers, Forgiven by Jana Oliver; and All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill - loving both of them!

Behind the Blog

I have some news. I'm going away for most of next week and as I'm a little behind on reading (because of not reviewing the Demon Trappers until I've finished all of them), I'm going to take the week off from blogging. Granted, I'm not sure how much I'm going to be able to read while away, but it'll take the pressure off to try and finish a book before I leave. Thank you for understanding and I'll see you when I get back!

On My Bookshelf

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
The day that Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London to start a new life at boarding school is also the day a series of brutal murders breaks out over the city, killings mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper spree of more than a century ago. Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him--the only one who can see him. And now Rory has become his next target. In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humour, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

I went on a cruise of my high street's charity shops, looking for Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy, and I found this! I've had my eye on it for ages but now I've got it and I helped the British Heart Foundation! While perusing the charity shops, I also noticed that a lot of people give away the Twilight series and the Sookie Stackhouse books - which by the way, I kind of want to read the latter, does anyone highly recommend them? Let me know if I need to go back and get them!

New Girl by Paige Harbison
They call me 'New Girl'...

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend…but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be.

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
"Errand requiring immediate attention. Come.

The note was on vellum, pierced by the talons of the almost-crow that delivered it. Karou read the message. 'He never says please', she sighed, but she gathered up her things.
When Brimstone called, she always came."

In general, Karou has managed to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she's a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to a monstrous creature who is the closest thing she has to family. Raised half in our world, half in 'Elsewhere', she has never understood Brimstone's dark work - buying teeth from hunters and murderers - nor how she came into his keeping. She is a secret even to herself, plagued by the sensation that she isn't whole.

Now the doors to Elsewhere are closing, and Karou must choose between the safety of her human life and the dangers of a war-ravaged world that may hold the answers she has always sought.

Both of these I came across on kindle sale - New Girl was yesterday's daily deal and Daughter of Smoke and Bone is only 99p! 3 books for less than £4 in one day? Must be some sort of record!