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book haul

Book Haul

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

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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!

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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

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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

Letterbox Love (24)

Letterbox LoveLetterbox 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 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:

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 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:

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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.

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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!

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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!

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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:

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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!