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!

Guys, what can I do other than apologise? You may have noticed my radio silence on the blog and on most of social media recently (then again, you may not have - I'll try not to be hurt) and unfortunately I don't have a great reason for disappearing. Work had been pretty hectic but nothing I couldn't handle; my reading had slowed after being stuck on Empire of Storms for over a week and that nearly sent me into a reading slump. It did however bring on a blogging slump, something I haven't experience in quite a while and couldn't find the energy to break. 

On The Blog

Review of Haunt Me by Liz Kessler (4 stars)
Review of The Creeping Shadow by Jonathan Stroud (5 stars)
Review of The Last Beginning by Lauren James (5 stars)

Currently Reading

The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - picked this up at work and am really enjoying it, it has a Scandal feel to it with DC political drama.

On My Bookshelf

Harley Quinn: Hot in the City by Amanda Conner
Fresh from BATMAN: DEATH OF THE FAMILY and SUICIDE SQUAD, Harley Quinn returns to her first solo series in the New 52! The writing team of Jimmy Palmiotti (ALL STAR WESTERN) and Amanda Conner (BEFORE WATCHMEN: SILK SPECTRE) unleashed Harley on an unsuspecting DC Universe, as she encounters various heroes and villains ... and leaves no one unscathed in her wake!

The one book I got for my birthday (because apparently I have too many)! My fiance is amazing and also got me a Harley and Katana pop vinyl, from Suicide Squad. 

The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard
Steffi doesn't talk, but she has so much to say.
Rhys can't hear, but he can listen.
Their love isn't a lightning strike, it's the rumbling roll of thunder.

Steffi has been a selective mute for most of her life - she's been silent for so long that she feels completely invisible. But Rhys, the new boy at school, sees her. He's deaf, and her knowledge of basic sign language means that she's assigned to look after him. To Rhys, it doesn't matter that Steffi doesn't talk, and as they find ways to communicate, Steffi finds that she does have a voice, and that she's falling in love with the one person who makes her feel brave enough to use it. 

These two I am super excited about; I loved both of their first books so I'm really interesting to see what comes next. Thank you Netgalley!

November TBR

First up is The Sun is Also a Star, which is being published on the 3rd, I might also try to get to A Quiet Kind of Thunder even though it isn't published until January. The classic of the month will be the collection of HP Lovecraft short stories I picked up from the library. Apart from that, I'm keeping it fairly open so suggestions please!

The Last Beginning by Lauren James

Sixteen years ago, after a scandal that rocked the world, teenagers Katherine and Matthew vanished without a trace. Now Clove Sutcliffe is determined to find her long lost relatives. But where do you start looking for a couple who seem to have been reincarnated at every key moment in history? Who were Kate and Matt? Why were they born again and again? And who is the mysterious Ella, who keeps appearing at every turn in Clove's investigation?

For Clove, there is a mystery to solve in the past and a love to find in the future. 

Both a sequel and a prequel to The Next Together, as it ties up all the loose ends, telling things from Clove's perspective as well as going back to the original story - ah, time travel makes me head hurt!

Seeing Clove all grown up after hearing about her briefly in The Next Together was very sweet; she was a particularly adorable and terribly smart teenager but was prone to acting impulsively and that made mistakes, sometimes costly ones. Her whole journey was spurred on by the natural urge to find her biological parents and protect her family. But she was only 16 and messing with the fabric of time so obviously things don't go according to plan. 

Enter Ella: now she was damn cool. Quite the opposite to Clove and that made her interesting and irritating in equal measure! But she challenged Clove and that made her better. A great friend and a huge fangirl of Clove's - again, time travel is confusing! - Ella pushed her to be better, to live up to the future's expectations of her. I totally ship these two, they are the most adorable time-travelling couple!

Very much like the first book, the story included brilliant little snippets of IM conversations, newspaper clippings and the like, that pieced together both Katherine and Matthew's original story line and Clove and Ella's future together. I kind of wish I had read these two books back to back because I'm sure quite a few references went over my head, but it was still absolutely incredible, from its pure romance to bounding-heart action. Definitely one of my favourites. 
Published 6th October 2016 by Walker. Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Creeping Shadow by Jonathan Stroud

Lucy has left Lockwood & Co. A freelance operative, she is hiring herself out to other agencies – agencies that might value her ever-improving skills.

But now Lockwood needs her help.

Penelope Fittes, leader of the well-renowned Fittes Agency wants Lockwood & Co. – and only them – to locate and remove the ‘Source’ for the legendary Brixton Cannibal.

It’s a tough assignment. Made worse by the tensions between Lucy and the other agents – even the skull is treating her like a jilted lover!

What will it take to reunite the team? Black marketeers, an informant ghost, a Spirit Cape that transports the wearer, and mysteries involving their closest rivals may just do the trick.

But not all is at it seems. And it’s not long before a shocking revelation rocks Lockwood & Co. to its very core . . .
Returning to the team, Lucy understandably feels torn; it feels like home but she is worried about Lockwood. Not to mention George feels hurt and abandoned, and Holly thought it was because of her. Actually everyone thought it was because of Holly! But before long, Lucy is back at it again, running off with Lockwood into thrilling danger and defeating ghosts and bad guys alike. We started with the notorious Ealing Cannibal (really shouldn’t have read that bit before bed!). This case was incredibly scary, just a dark atmosphere and super creepy feeling, plus, you know, bones in the basement and stories of bits of flesh in the fruit bowl… urgh.

Lockwood then pulls the team to a tiny village that appears to be the epicentre for a hell of a lot of ghost activity – it also happens to be right next to a Rotwell research institute so while they are there… might as well investigate! Between the multitude of hauntings in this village and the secrets behind what the institute are actually researching, we suddenly had a conspiracy feel to the storyline. Which was fantastic, as we sacrificed individuals cases like previous books for threading details together and adding into the story behind the Shadow.


What I adore about Stroud's books are the hugly character driven plots; a lot of this story was the tension between Lucy and the rest of the team and that all melting away as they work together again. Plus I am a huge Lockwood and Lucy shipper and the few moments they get in this installment just makes me heart melt, as well as feel like my stomach has dropped out because it was utterly terrifying! Finally, I can't not mention the Skull. As witty and hurtful as ever, the Skull actually becomes a major character as he is stolen and part of the conspiracy plot to learn more about ghosts.


A brilliant story and amazing developments both to the characters and the overall plot, Stroud always leaves me a little breathless from the thrills and secrets (sometimes literally) exploding within the pages. There are few secrets left, but after the massive cliff hanger right at the end, all I can say is: bring on the finale!

Published 15th September 2016 by Corgi.

Haunt Me by Liz Kessler

Joe wakes up from a deep sleep to see his family leave in a removals van. Where they've gone, he has no idea. Erin moves house and instantly feels at home in her new room. Even if it appears she isn't the only one living in it. Bit by bit, Erin and Joe discover that they have somehow found a way across the ultimate divide - life and death. Bound by their backgrounds, a love of poetry and their growing feelings for each other, they are determined to find a way to be together.

Joe's brother, Olly, never cared much for poetry. He was always too busy being king of the school - but that all changed when Joe died. And when an encounter in the school corridor brings him face to face with Erin, he realises how different things really are - including the kind of girl he falls for.

Two brothers. Two choices. Will Erin's decision destroy her completely, or can she save herself before she is lost forever?

You know when you are really excited for a book but honestly so scared you won't like it? Yeah, I had that reading this. I saved it for autumn even though I got a copy in July because ghosts are perfect for Halloween reading. And I might have read it at the wrong time, right after the latest Lockwood and Co which has very different kind of ghosts! But I still really liked it; the writing was quite soft and flowy, built up this traditional romantic atmosphere but had this undercurrent of issues.

It was a slow start, not a lot happens but get a very good sense of the characters, especially Erin. And yet, the love story felt rushed. Time lapsed a little to skip ahead to the good parts which means we didn't really feel Erin and Joe fall in love, it just... was. 

Joe’s monologue as he struggles to come to terms with what he is now, not being able to touch or feel anything, not remembering how he died, was pretty amazing. How one of the first things he remembered was his relationship with his brother, and then the therapeutic way he wrote poems but kept them hidden, revealed a lot about his character and what sort of person he was before he died. I didn't always like the way he was with Erin but I really appreciated the difficulties he had with his identity without his memories; very interesting.

Like I said, the insta-love almost ruined things for me but I really liked the different style love triangle, as Erin is drawn to Joe's brother Olly. Now their love story I really supported; it was adorable and tender and tentative. They really got to know each other without previous baggage and I think did them both good.

Alongside the super-cute romance, Kessler dealt with quite heavy issues – bullying, self-harm, drugs among others – accumulating into that finale where Erin feels so hopeless that she doesn’t see any other way out. All the drama was in the second half and it was a really unique coming of age story with first loves, death and grief, and true friendship. Definitely one to remember and my new favourite of Kessler's. 

Published 6th October 2016 by Orion. Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Weekly Highlights: the 'October 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!


Ah, October - orange leaves, a nip in the air and most importantly: my birthday! September has been pretty full on, as I expected. Work has been manic with new students and the sudden increase in hours has nearly killed me. Never mind, it's nearly my birthday and then it's half term!

On The Blog

Some of my favourite posts from the last month:
Review of We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (4 stars)
Review of Double Down by Gwenda Bond (4 stars)
Review of And I Darken by Kiersten White (5 stars)
Review of I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith (4 stars)

Currently Reading

As mentioned in my Friday Reads, I'm reading The Last Beginning and Empire of Storms.

On My Bookshelf

Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas

The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don't.
As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world. With war looming on all horizons, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

Aelin's journey from assassin to queen has entranced millions across the globe, and this fifth installment will leave fans breathless. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down?

All I can say is: ahhhhh!

The Creeping Shadow by Jonathan Stroud

Lucy has left Lockwood & Co. A freelance operative, she is hiring herself out to other agencies – agencies that might value her ever-improving skills.
But now Lockwood needs her help.

Penelope Fittes, leader of the well-renowned Fittes Agency wants Lockwood & Co. – and only them – to locate and remove the ‘Source’ for the legendary Brixton Cannibal.

It’s a tough assignment. Made worse by the tensions between Lucy and the other agents – even the skull is treating her like a jilted lover!

What will it take to reunite the team? Black marketeers, an informant ghost, a Spirit Cape that transports the wearer, and mysteries involving their closest rivals may just do the trick.

But not all is at it seems. And it’s not long before a shocking revelation rocks Lockwood & Co. to its very core . . .


I have been looking forward to this all year. I read it almost immediately and finished it in 3 days - it was so damn good!

The Wicked and the Divine by Kieron Gillen

Every ninety years, twelve gods incarnate as humans. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are dead. The team behind critical tongue-attractors like Young Avengers and PHONOGRAM reunite to create a world where gods are the ultimate pop stars and pop stars are the ultimate gods. But remember: just because you’re immortal, doesn’t mean you’re going to live forever.

I picked this up as a non-Marvel or DC graphic novel and I've heard great things about it so can't wait to dive in to this world. Speaking of graphic novels, my friend Alyce has got me into the new DC Rebirth of Harley Quinn, so for the first time ever I'm collecting comic books!

October TBR

So I've got Empire of Storms before the Lit Fest, I'm planning on reading Dracula and possible The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins for Halloween classics, and I've got a review e-copy of Holding Up the Universe which is due out on the 6th. Anything else I should be keeping my eye out for this month? And what are you guys hoping to read in October?