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Book Haul

A Long Overdue Book Haul!

Posted on 21 August, 2017

I used to LOVE writing book haul posts — I’d do them every week and join in with all the different features, from In My Mailbox to Letterbox Love to Stacking the Shelves. It was one of my favourite parts of blogging and I love talking about the books I’ve recently bought or received for review. So I decided that I would bring back the book haul feature!

My lovely friend Stacey, who writes one of my favourite blogs Pretty Books, visited me at the weekend and we went around lots of the bookshops in Bath, which was obviously an excuse to go a tiny bit crazy with the book buying. Coupled with this, I decided to treat myself to some American hardbacks to celebrate finishing my novel and finishing my exams.

Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee

Ever since I heard Jenna talk about Tash Hearts Tolstoy, I’ve wanted to read it. It’s about Tash who has a web series based on Anna Karenina because she is obsessed with Leo Tolstoy (hence the title!). When one of the Internet’s most-famous vloggers gives her a shoutout, she’s suddenly thrust into the limelight.

It sounds nerdy and full of fandom culture, and is supposed to have amazing asexual representation too. I love books that deal with Internet culture because the Internet is such a big part of my life, so I can already tell that I’m going to adore this book. Plus, look at Leo Tolstoy rocking out on the spine! Not something I ever expected to see on a YA book, but it is incredibly cool.

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue has been one of my most-anticipated releases of the year and I’ve seen so many people on my Twitter feed talk about it. It’s a historical fiction novel, which I always enjoy and don’t think enough of it is published, about Henry “Monty” Montague who is embarking on his Grand Tour of Europe with his best friend, Percy. The trip should give Monty the perfect opportunity to have a wild last year without responsibility and the chance to flirt with Percy, who he has a massive crush on. The problem is one of his reckless decisions causes a manhunt across Europe, which will call into question everything he knows.

How amazing does that sound?! It hit the New York Times bestseller list when it was first released and sounds like a funny coming-of-age novel set hundreds of years ago. I’ve never read a book about the Grand Tour before, but it’s something I’m very interested in knowing more about. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I will love this!

Worlds of Ink and Shadow by Lena Coakley

Based on the Brontë children’s juvenilia, Worlds of Ink and Shadow is told in third person from Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne’s perspective. As any faithful reader of my blog or viewer of my YouTube videos will know, I am rather obsessed with the Brontës. Taking the stories of Glass Town and Angria, which was inspired by a set of toy soldiers that Branwell was given, Lena Coakley recreates the juvenilia with key characters from their writings.

I have to admit that I bought the book mainly because I was curious about it, and not because I think I’ll enjoy it. Whilst I love reading about the Brontës and loved Sally Wainwright’s adaptation To Walk Invisible, I’m not sure how I’m going to feel reading about them as if what’s being written about is the truth — with an adaption, when you can see the actors, it’s easier to feel as it’s just one adaptation of their lives, but a book feels more realistic and more personal. We’ll see!

Ariadnis by Josh Martin

I’ve wanted to read Ariadnis since I first heard about it, so when I saw a copy in Toppings & Company, I had to buy it. It sounds like a fantasy version of The Hunger Games where two girls have to compete in a trial to prevent war against their two nations. The description, rather ominiously, says: “Only one girl will claim Ariadnis’s final prize. Only one will survive.”

I don’t usually read a lot of fantasy, so for me to be excited to read one is a nice change. UKYA fantasy is always great, too, especially as so much of the YA fantasy genre seems to be by US authors. I shall be reading it soon and reporting back!

Tales of Angria by Charlotte Brontë

Is this purchase really much of a surprise? Of course I was going to buy a Brontë book! I love the Brontës’ juvenilia and think it’s a pleasure to read — it’s not always perfect, but that’s what makes it so special. It’s full of immoral characters and epic adventures, and the thing I find most fascinating is watching the progression of Charlotte’s writing from her younger fiction to her novels like Jane Eyre.

Even though I have a different version of the Brontë juvenilia, I think this edition — the Penguin Classics one — has a better introduction and set of notes, plus a few extra stories that my other edition doesn’t have. From the extracts I’ve read so far, I’m sure I will enjoy it.

Becoming Betty by Eleanor Wood

Becoming Betty is about Lizzie, who reinvents herself as Betty to achieve the goals on her to-do list: 1. Start college. 2. Become cool. 3. Join a band. 4. Makeover.

I’ve been loving band-related books recently, but have read a lot that are about boy bands, so it will be nice to read a book about music that isn’t centred around fame and celebrity. Eleanor Wood’s books sound really funny and uplifting, and I’m always looking for more contemporary books to love.

Waverley by Sir Walter Scott

I’ve already started reading Waverley, but I was reading it from a Kindle edition which didn’t have any notes and I’m sure, because of the complicated history of the story and the expectation that soon the characters are going to break into strong Scottish dialect, that explanatory notes are a must when reading Sir Walter Scott’s books.

I’ve heard very mixed reviews of Waverley but I’m enjoying it a lot so far; it’s different to what I would usually read, but I wanted to read Sir Walter Scott’s books because of his connection with the Brontës — his books influenced their writings, especially Emily’s.

Waverley was insanely popular when it was first written, with the whole of the UK on tenterhooks to find out who the author was — originally, Sir Walter Scott was a poet, and he published Waverley, one of the first examples of historical fiction, anonymously. Will it have stood the test of time? I shall have to see!

How To Be A Heroine by Samantha Ellis

I love books about books, and I’ve wanted to read How To Be A Heroine ever since I saw a post about it on Ruby’s (long-abandoned) blog. From Cathy Earnshaw to Lizzy Bennett, Samantha Ellis explores heroines from literature in the context of her own reading and life — how her perceptions of them have changed over time as she has changed as a person.

From the parts of Take Courage, Ellis’s latest book, that I’ve read, I think I’m going to love the personal touches of her writing. In the introduction to How To Be A Heroine, she writes: “I wasn’t just reading about my heroines, I was reading the story of my life.” I can relate!

Waterlog by Roger Deakin

Ever since reading Robert MacFarlane’s chapter on Roger Deakin in Landmarks, I’ve wanted to read Waterlog. It’s recently been published by Vintage Classics in one of their gorgeous red-spined editions, and is an exploration of the British Isles through water.

Nature writing books are my favourite and the one thing I dream of being able to write one day, so I’m trying to read as much as possible to develop my own craft, but also because they’re fascinating too. I learn so much about our world and environment through them, and the thing I find most interesting is how everybody’s interpretations about similar phenomenon are always different. I don’t think I’m going to be able to resist reading Waterlog for long!

Selected Poems of William Wordsworth, selected by Seamus Heaney

I love Faber and Faber’s poetry collections, so when I was looking to read some William Wordsworth poetry I knew immediately the edition I would buy. Selected by Seamus Heaney, this edition contains over 40 of Wordsworth’s poems.

Even though I’ve heard lines of Wordsworth’s poems and know of them, I’ve never actually read any of them in full. I love poetry, but I don’t read enough of it so I’m making it my goal for the rest of the year to read as much as possible. From the flick through I’ve done, I think Wordsworth will suit my tastes very nicely.

Plum by Hollie McNish

Cherry Pie was Hollie McNish’s first collection of poetry (published under the name Hollie Poetry) and it was one of the books that got me interested in reading poetry. In this collection, Hollie McNish creates new poems out of old poems she wrote when she was younger — for example, the first poem takes a poem she wrote when she was eight, repurposed now that she is 30.

I think she’s one of the best poetry talents in the country at the moment and I can’t wait to gobble up Plum in one sitting and then take my time when I go back through to discover the poems all over again.

Franklin’s Flying Bookshop by Jen Campbell, illustrated by Katie Harnett

I was super lucky to receive a copy of Franklin’s Flying Bookshop for review, especially as I’m such a big fan of Jen’s YouTube channel. I’ve already read it and I thought it was wonderful: about a dragon called Franklin who loves reading, but is shunned by the other villagers. When he meets a girl called Luna, though, they start their own flying bookshop.

If you know a child who loves books and reading, this would make the perfect gift. Even at 17 years old, I adored it and I’m not exactly the target audience! Jen’s poetic words and Katie’s illustrations work so well together to bring Franklin to life on the page, and I want to thrust it into the hands of all children (nicely) because they’ll love it.

Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls

I’ve admired Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls for a while now but wasn’t sure whether to buy it. When browsing Waterstones, though, and opening up onto the page featuring the Brontë sisters, I took it as a sign that I needed it in my life. It’s a collection of 100 pages featuring inspirational women from throughout history — from Jane Austen and Marie Curie, to Cleopatra and Michelle Obama.

It’s written in an accessible way so it’s perfect no matter how old you are. I’ve seen parents buy it for their young children, but equally, people of all ages have been shouting about how good it is on my Twitter feed. It is on the pricier side, but I think it would make a lovely present and is worth every penny for the gorgeous illustrations and fascinating facts.

What books have you bought recently? Have you read any of the ones on my pile? Share in the comments below!

Book Haul

September Book Haul

Posted on 9 October, 2016

I have a problem: I can’t stop buying books. My tastes have changed dramatically over the last few months so I’ve been discovering lots of new books and therefore can’t resist buying them all. I suppose there are worse problems to have!

As soon as I saw the new re-issues of Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie‘s books, I had already mentally bought them. I’ve wanted to read her books for a long time, but have only so far gotten to We Should All be Feminists – which I think is essential reading for everyone! 4th Estate have brought out these new gorgeous editions of Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun, The Thing Around Your Neck and Americanah, which I think will really encourage me to read her books soon.

I’ve also been collecting the Penguin English Library series recently so I picked out a few more to add to my ever-growing pile. I bought The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne because I’ve been studying Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy recently and The Scarlet Letter, although American, has similar themes of sin and the idea of purity. So I thought it would be some good extended reading!

I then added Silas Marner to my collection of George Eliot novels; I started reading Middlemarch a few months ago and am liking it (although I’m struggling to find the time to read it amongst all of my other books – it’s massive!), so I thought I’d try some more George Eliot soon. I don’t know much about it but I do love the purple hue of the spine.

Two Charles Dickens novels then – A Christmas Carol and Great Expectations. I read A Christmas Carol at school a few years ago but can’t remember much of it other than the basic storyline so I’d like to revisit it before Christmas this year. I watched the BBC miniseries of Great Expectations a few years ago and really enjoyed it, but it’s never felt right to read it until now. So I’m expecting good things!

And then because I consider Thomas Hardy among my favourite authors, I bought The Mayor of Casterbridge and Two on a Tower. I am incredibly excited to read these because I’m in love with Hardy’s Wessex and could read his books all day, every day. I LOVE them!!

There is then The Woman in White and The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, which I didn’t know too much about beforehand but have been recommended to me by lots of people in the last few weeks. They’re mystery novels and Wilkie Collins was one of the authors who inspired Agatha Christie, so I’m sure they’ll be brilliant, even if they are slightly different to what I’d usually read.

Finally for my Penguin English Library pile, I bought Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray. I have no idea when I’m going to get round to reading this huge book, but it was loved by Charlotte Brontë, which is why I want to read it. My Brontë obsession is getting out of hand!

The final three books are all by Vita Sackville West – The Edwardians, Pepita and All Passion Spent. Vintage have reissued these editions recently, and I knew I had to buy them. It’s my aim to read as many Bloomsbury and Virginia Woolf-related books as I can, and Vita Sackville-West was a friend of Virginia Woolf and partly inspired her book, Orlando!

From Hachette, I was sent Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo, the sequel to Six of Crows. I’m looking forward to reading them back to back, even if I didn’t love Leigh Bardugo’s other book, Shadow and Bone.

Also part of my quest to read Bloomsbury-related books, I bought The Waste Land and other poems by T.S. Eliot. The Waste Land was first published by The Hogarth Press, Virginia and Leonard Woolf’s publishing company and I also love poetry, so I can’ wait to read this. It’s a staple part of the poetry canon, in my opinion, so I’m hoping to read it ASAP.

I had recently read a little bit on John Keats’s life, so I thought I’d check out some of his poetry. He died tragically young and his life is very interesting to read about. I don’t know a lot about his poetry, so I’m looking forward to exploring it soon!

Anne of Green Gables is a children’s classic – but I’ve never read it, and I’m sure I’m missing out! I love the Vintage Children’s Classics editions and they even have fun little activities in the back. I can’t wait to start this series!

I first heard about Grief is the Thing with Feathers last year, when I did work experience in a bookshop. I’d been intrigued ever since, so finally bought a copy now that the paperback has been released and people are talking about it lots again. I did buy the hardback though!

Finally, because of my obsession with Virginia Woolf, I found this copy of The Charleston Bulletin Supplements which was written by Virginia’s nephews and which she contributed to too. I’d never heard of this before so it was a lovely surprise to find!

Isabel Greenberg is one of my favourite graphic novelists so when I first heard about her new one, The One Hundred Nights of Hero, I was incredibly excited. Her artwork is amazing and couples with her ability to weave incredible, fairytale-like stories which makes for a magical reading experience. I’m going to curl up with it one weekend and devour the amazing stories within!

Another graphic novelist I like is Nina Cosford, who has previously published little graphic novels on the lives of Jane Austen and Virginia Woolf, and her latest book is My Name is Girl which looks like it’s going to offer a funny insight into the mind of being a woman. I’m looking forward to it lots!

And the final book on my pile is this gorgeous collection of three Brontë novels, published by Barnes and Noble. It was gifted to me by my lovely friend Lauren and I did feel rather emotional when she gave it to me – it’s one of the best gifts EVER. I’m incredibly in love with it and would take it everywhere with me if I didn’t think it would get damaged if I did. THANK YOU, Lauren!

Those were the books that fell in to my hands in September! I’m estimating that October will be a far less busy month in terms of book buying because I don’t think I have any more room for more books!

What books did you get in September? Are there any on my list that you think I should read immediately?

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Book Haul

I Am Incapable of Only Buying One Book | A Book Haul

Posted on 18 July, 2016

I’ve recently taken the effort to actually do something with my summer. So far, this has involved going outside of my comfort zone and getting outside of the house. On my own (or with my dog). I don’t find it easy to get out and walk around where there are other people because my anxious brain thinks of every bad scenario and I’d much rather be inside reading, but I did decide to offer an incentive at the end of it, so yesterday I decided to go book shopping.

I walked down to my local Waterstones and WH Smith’s branch and scoured the shelves from top to bottom to search out some new books. At the moment I’m loving discovering new books that I maybe haven’t heard of before, or haven’t read anything by the author previously, so there’s a lot less YA but most of the books have huge crossover appeal. Varied tastes are good!

The List by Siobhan Vivian

The List is the only YA book on my pile and I decided to pick it up on a whim after reading the blurb and thinking it would be a great feminist read. It’s about a school where every year the prettiest and ugliest girl is chosen from each year group and the book then details how the girls respond to this. I think it will be interesting to see how Siobhan Vivian discusses body image and the relationships between the girls.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

It’s been described as a modern classic, so why haven’t I read it yet?! I’m going to be rectifying that as soon as I possibly can. The Handmaid’s Tale is a staple book for any feminist’s collection and I’ve heard amazing things about it, so this summer will finally be the time I put to rights the wrongs I have committed by not reading any Margaret Atwood. I also have a poetry collection to read by her for when I’ve finished it. I’d love to know what you’d recommend I read next by her too!

“One and one and one and one doesn’t equal four. Each one remains unique, there is no way of joining them together. They cannot be exchanged, one for the other. They cannot replace each other.” – The Handmaid’s Tale

The Colour Purple by Alice Walker

Alice Walker’s Poems at Thirty Nine was one of the poems I had to study for English Literature at GCSE and after reading about her, I decided a while back that I definitely wanted to read The Colour Purple sometime in the future. I’m trying to read more diversely and part of this will include reading more books by women of colour – I’ve realised that the majority of books I’m reading at the moment are written by white, English people so it can give quite a limited view of the world. The Colour Purple will be one of the books that contributes to my personal challenge.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

I read Maya Angelou’s And Still I Rise poetry collection earlier in the year which I found incredibly empowering and immediately went to her Wikipedia page after I’d finished and started reading about her. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is her first autobiographical instalment in a collection of seven, and from reading her Wikipedia I know she’s lead a very interesting life. I think it will be a must-read that I’ll be recommending lots!

Quiet Power by Susan Cain

Quiet Power is the follow up to Susan Cain’s first book, Quiet, and is aimed at kids and teenagers. In it, she explores what it’s like to be introverted and making your mark in the world in a quiet way. I’m a very introverted person and I watched Char’s review of it a while back and was intrigued then, but finally bought it after hearing Susan talk about it on BBC Radio 2.

I’ve always relished doing things quietly – reading on my own, getting lost in the thoughts and worlds that occupy my head – so I’m going to be starting this one right away as I can’t wait to dig in.

Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler

I am not one of those people that hate Shakespeare. In fact, I would marry Shakespeare’s works if I could, so I think the modern retellings of some of his best plays that Hogarth Press are publishing are brilliant. Vinegar Girl is a retelling of The Taming of the Shrew which is a play I’ve wanted to read/watch for a while now. I’m late to the Anne Tyler bandwagon because I’d never actually heard of her before, despite her being a prolific author, so hopefully it will lead to me reading more by her in the future.

I’m hoping to start a new project where I read and watch the original play and then read the retelling, so keep an eye out for this series soon!

On The Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher

I love watching Carrie’s YouTube videos and recently read her first book, All I Know Now. Whilst I enjoyed it and found it very informative, I don’t always love non-fiction so I’ve been looking forward to reading On The Other Side because it’s her first work of fiction. For those of you who don’t know who Carrie is, she’s a YouTuber but also played Eponine in Les Miserables in the West End up until recently and is currently touring with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in the UK. I think she’s incredibly talented and so I really hope I enjoy this.

What books have you bought recently that you’re excited to read? Are there any on my pile that you think I should read right away? Share the bookish love in the comments!

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Book Haul

Books, Books, Glorious Books! | Book Haul

Posted on 6 March, 2016

The past few weeks have been seriously good for books. I seem to be buying a lot more than usual lately because there are so many books I’m excited to read, and I’ve also been very lucky to receive some from lots of lovely publishers. SO MANY AMAZING BOOKS!

Spot the Difference by Juno Dawson is one of this year’s World Book Day titles and I’m currently reading it. Juno always delivers amazing books, so of course I’m loving it!

Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell is the other YA World Book Day title for 2016 and tells the story of Elena, who is queueing outside her local cinema for the opening of the new Star Wars film. It was super cute and a great choice of book to read if you’re in between books and want something quick but extremely gripping.

The Trouble with Women by Jacky Fleming is a look at women through history and how, as Fleming puts it, men have put women in the Dustbin of History. Its witty illustrations and satirical tone make it impossible not to laugh whilst read it, or bang your head against your bookshelf in horror at all Mankind.

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman is one of my most-anticipated releases of 2016, especially as I loved Solitaire so much. I’m going to be starting it right away because I can’t wait any longer! Alice is an incredible writer and I already know I’m going to love Radio Silence just as much as I loved Solitaire.

The #1 Rule for Girls by Rachel McIntyre looks at life post-break up for main character, Daisy. I enjoyed Me and Mr J, her debut novel, when I read it last year, so I was very pleased to hear that Rachel had a new book out this year. Thank you, Electric Monkey!

I read Crush by Eve Ainsworth last summer and have been desperate to talk about it since, but it’s only just been released! Eve is perfect at writing gritty contemporaries, and Crush explores what it’s like to be in a toxic relationship. Highly recommended! Thank you, Scholastic!

Half Lost by Sally Green is the conclusion to the Half Bad trilogy and I am so excited to see what happens! The trilogy has been absolutely amazing, so it will be a tiny bit sad to say goodbye to it, but I know there will be lots of other exciting books from Sally Green in the future. Thank you, Penguin Platform!

I’ve never read anything by Emery Lord before so when a copy of When We Collided popped through my letterbox, I was very happy. It comes out in April, so I’ll hopefully be reading and reviewing it before then. I’ve heard great things about Emery’s books. Thank you, Bloomsbury!

Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky looks at fandom culture and what happens when it goes wrong. Fandom culture is everywhere at the moment, so Kill the Boy Band is going to be very current. Thank you, My Kinda Book!

Finding a copy of the Complete Sonnets by William Shakespeare probably shouldn’t have excited me as much as it did, but I’ve been looking for a copy for ages. I’m reading lots of poetry at the moment and have read a few of Shakespeare’s sonnets, so I’m looking forward to reading the rest. SUPER EXCITED!

Head Over Heels by Holly Smale is the latest instalment in the Geek Girl series and I’m hoping to marathon read this and the previous book, All That Glitters, sometime in the next month. I need to catch up with Harriet! Thank you, Harper Children’s!

What books have you acquired recently? Are there any books on my list that you’ve read or are excited to read?

Book Haul

Book Haul | The Festive Edition

Posted on 6 January, 2015

I haven’t done a book haul in a long time on the blog, so I thought I would share some of the books I received in December for review.

From Bloomsbury:

Bloomsbury sent a lovely box of bookish goodies just in time for Christmas and it contained some amazing books!

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas – EEK! I am a huge fan of Sarah J. Maas’s books so I was over the moon when I found this in the package. I shall be starting it as soon as possible because I can’t resist!

Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan – I loved The Weight of Water by the same author and I’ve been looking forward to reading this book since its release in the summer. This is such a gorgeous hardback edition too!

The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Chris Riddell – I’ve already read this and I enjoyed it a lot. My review will be coming later in the month!

From Chapter 5 Books:

The lovely people at Chapter 5 Books sent me two amazing tote bags full of beautifully wrapped books! I got very excited when opening them!

Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan – I haven’t heard of this one before, so I’m looking forward to finding out what it’s about!

The 100 by Kass Morgan – I see people talking on Twitter all the time about the TV series, so I can’t wait to read this. It sounds really good!

Angelfall by Susan Ee – I love this book! It’s one of the best apocalyptic/angel books I’ve read and I know lots of other people have loved it too.

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout – Can you believe I haven’t read a single JLA book yet?! What have I been doing all this time?!

My Heart & Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga – This is a 2015 release that I was very pleased to get my hands on. I’m looking forward to reading it a lot!

The Catalyst by Helena Coggan – This is another 2015 release and I hadn’t heard anything about it at all, but it sounds amazing! Not something I’d usually read, but I’ll definitely be giving it a good go!

What books have you acquired recently?

Book Haul

Letterbox Love (25)

Posted on 26 July, 2014

Letterbox Love is a UK based feature where book bloggers showcase the books that they received that week, be they e-books, paperbacks, hardbacks or any other format. It is hosted by Lynsey from Narratively Speaking.

I’m getting absolutely useless at posting book hauls, and I always have such fun writing them too – I tend to post them all on my YouTube channel, but I’m going to try and alternate between the two from now on so that the blog gets a bit of attention too.

I’ve been very good lately and haven’t bought too much, but there are a few books I’ve missed out of past hauls for some reason and others I acquired recently. This haul will be a catch up of everything over the last few weeks to month and a half.

To Review:

Ever since hearing about it, My Second Life by Faye Bird has appealed to me and I can’t wait to get stuck in to it. It’s about a girl who has been born again and has to unravel a mystery that happened in her previous life – sounds awesome, doesn’t it?! Thank you, Usborne!

City of Halves by Lucy Inglis is described for fans of The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, and I’m a huge fan of her books so I’m looking forward to reading it when I’m in the mood for urban fantasy and the like. Thank you, Chicken House!

I absolutely adore Sophia Bennett’s books and I’m sure The Castle won’t be any different. Unlike her other books, which are cute contemporaries, this is more of a mystery-adventure type novel so I’m looking forward to seeing how it varies from Sophia’s other novels. Thank you, Chicken House!

Although it has been controversial, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity of reviewing Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige. I know based on the things that have emerged, which I won’t go into detail about here, that many people have chosen not to read it, but I wanted to read and review it so that those of you who do read it in the future or are curious about it can hear my thoughts. It’s a re-telling of The Wizard of Oz years later when Dorothy rules over Oz, and is very awesome so far. My review should be up in the next few weeks. Thank you, Harper 360!

Bought:

I’ve been meaning to buy Geek Girl: Picture Perfect by Holly Smale for ages now, but haven’t done so until now. I completely adored the first two books, and the third instalment was no exception!

Excluding the glasses (which I made!), I bought all of these books in charity shops, and I am so excited about all of them. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling was a super quick read which I managed to finish in under an hour. I enjoyed each of the stories a lot but I now miss all of the Harry Potter characters, especially Dumbledore.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion has been on my wishlist for ages now and I was going to buy it in Waterstones the other day but changed my mind at the last minute. I was ecstatic when I found this and I’m hoping to start it right away.

I started Looking for JJ by Anne Cassidy in April after borrowing it from the library but eventually had to take it back so never got around to finish it. Hopefully I’ll get to finish it off sometime over the summer!

Picture Me Gone by Meg Rosoff was a purchase with no thought behind it other than, ‘It’s Meg Rosoff! I can’t not buy it!’ I’ve never actually read anything by Meg before, even though I now own three of her books. Sometimes I just can’t resist…

Have you read any of these, or are you planning on doing so? What have you acquired lately? Let me know, and link me to your own hauls!

Book Haul

Letterbox Love (24)

Posted on 15 February, 2014

I haven’t posted a Letterbox Love in ages, so I thought I would post one today. These are all the books I’ve received since the start of February, and I’m so excited about all of them.

To Review:

Mutant City by Steve Feasey sounds so exciting and I don’t read much apocalyptic, futuristic fiction so I’m sure this will be a nice change. Thank you to Bloomsbury for the review copy! When The Rock Splits the Sky by Phillip Webb has me intrigued and I can’t wait to start it. It sounds so, so good! Thank you, Chicken House! Then we have Amy and Matthew by Cammie McGovern which sounds like a beautiful contemporary that I can fall in love with. Think Wonder and the like. Thank you, Macmillan! It has taken all my willpower to not start Take Back the Skies by Lucy Saxon immediately because it sounds like exactly my type of book. Thank you, Bloomsbury! Flirty Dancing by Jenny McLachlan has been compared to Geek Girl by Holly Smale which I loved so I’m very excited to read it. Thank you, Bloomsbury! I was hoping I would be sent a copy of Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott to review because I’ve heard amazing things about it; it sounds amazing! Thank you, Chicken House! I love Greek mythology and so Goddess by Laura Powell sounds like it will be right up my street. Thank you, Bloomsbury! And finally we have The Glass Bird Girl by Esme Kerr. I think this is slightly younger than YA so it will be nice to read something a bit different. Thank you, Chicken House!

Bought:

I bought The Lord of the Flies by William Goulding because I do want to start reading more classics (more on that soon!) and it has a very intriguing premise – a group of school boys stranded on an island. I can’t wait to read it. After enjoying Here Lies Bridget a few years ago, I decided I would try New Girl by Paige Harbison, which is based on Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. Finally we have Autumn Rose by Abigail Gibbs. I’m a huge fan of the first book in the series and so I am very excited to read the sequel.

I was so pleased when my copy of This Star Won’t Go Out arrived in the post. It tells the life of Nerdfighter Esther Earl who died of thyroid cancer in 2010 through her diary entries, pictures and pieces written by those around her. It was such a beautiful book and I will be posting a review of it very soon, so keep an eye out!

When Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi dropped through my letterbox I was so excited and started it straight away. Let me tell you, I was not let down! I’ll be posting a review of it very soon!

I had to buy Dead Silent by Sharon Jones because it turns out my review of the first book, Dead Jealous, is featured in it! I’m quoted inside the cover and I squealed so much when I found out. I’ve never been quoted before and so it was a very momentous occasion.

Won:

I was so excited when I won a copy of Liz De Jager’s Banished. I’m currently reading it and really enjoying it. It’s been compared to City of Bones, but I think it’s better! It’s out at the end of the month so you all need to go out and buy it please, on my orders!

That is my massive haul! I’m rather lucky to get so many amazing books. Thank you to all the lovely publishers who sent me review copies.

What did you acquire this week? Have you read any of these books? Let me know below!

Book Haul

Letterbox Love (23)

Posted on 8 December, 2013

I’m going to tell you a story. Are you sitting comfortably? This week I didn’t get any books at all and I was really proud of myself and so happy. That is until today when I went into my town and bought nine books. Yes, I know! Don’t look at me like that! I’m addicted, okay? *scurries away*

Bought

The first place I stopped was WH Smiths where I bought the Frostbite and Shadow Kiss by Rochelle Mead, the second and third books in the series. I liked the first book but didn’t love it so I’m hoping that they’ll get better as the series go on. I’m not a huge fan of the new covers but they are growing on me. The final book I bought in the shop was Gone by Michael Grant, which has been recommended to me a number of times and it’s such a well-known book that I can’t not read it.

I then stopped by good ol’ Waterstones and picked up Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley. This was recommended to my ages ago – so long ago that I can’t remember the person who told me to read it – and I’ve finally bought it. I’m always in the mood for a good contemporary book, and this certainly looks promising. Because I loved The Key to the Golden Firebird so much, I decided to buy Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson. I’ll read anything that Hot Key publish and I’m jumping up and down just thinking about starting this one. Finally, I bought Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher because it’s a book that frequently comes up at the book club I run and so I thought I’d join in on the conversation too.

My final stop was at The Works. If you don’t know what The Works is, it’s a crafty, bookish, random shop that sells everything really cheaply. One of the deals they have is 3 books for £5 so I obviously took advantage of this and came out with these brilliant books. The Iron Legends by Julie Kagawa is a series of novellas set in between each book and I’m really looking forward to diving back into the world once more. Maria V. Snyder’s Touch of Power has a very interesting premise, and do I need to say anything about Stardust by Neil Gaiman? I can’t wait to read all three.

What did you haul this week? Link me to your own posts or let me know below!

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