HUGE Book Haul! – 20+ Books

Today’s post has been a long time coming. I have been meaning to post a book haul for months but I never got round to writing it. So, I am going to make an effort this year to post a book haul at the end of every month. I have got 25 books in total this month which is a lot! I’m going to split this haul into a few sections. Let’s get on with it!

Books I Bought:

These are all the books that I bought in the month of January!

The Extinction Trials by S.M Wilson

I got this book in the January Wildest Dreams Box. I was actually looking at buying this book so I was very happy to get this in the book box.

“In Stormchaser and Lincoln’s ruined world, the only way to survive is to risk everything. To face a contest more dangerous than anyone can imagine. And they will do anything to win. But in a land full of monsters – human and reptilian – they can’t afford to trust anyone. Perhaps not even each other…”

The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

I recently finished another of Sáenz’s books and knew I wanted to read more of his work. I have heard a lot of good things about this book so I am really excited to read it.

“The first day of senior year: Everything is about to change. Until this moment, Sal has always been certain of his place with his adoptive gay father and their loving Mexican-American family. But now his own history unexpectedly haunts him, and life-altering events force him and his best friend, Samantha, to confront issues of faith, loss, and grief.”

If There’s No Tomorrow by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I finished my first ever Jennifer L. Armentrout book right at the end of 2017. I was a huge fan of her writing and wanted to pick up another of her books. I haven’t really looked into this story I just picked it up.

“Lena Wise is always looking forward to tomorrow, especially at the start of her senior year. She’s ready to pack in as much friend time as possible, to finish college applications, and to maybe let her childhood best friend Sebastian know how she really feels about him. For Lena, the upcoming year is going to be epic—one of opportunities and chances. Until one choice, one moment, destroys everything.”

I Am Thunder by Muhammad Khan

This book has been talked about a lot in the lead up to it’s release date. It ha a huge average rating. This book discusses serious issues in today’s society which I feel books need to do more often.

“Fifteen-year-old Muzna Saleem, who dreams of being a writer, struggles with controlling parents who only care about her studying to be a doctor. Forced to move to a new school in South London after her best friend is shamed in a scandal, Muzna realizes that the bullies will follow her wherever she goes. But deciding to stand and face them instead of fighting her instinct to disappear is harder than it looks when there’s prejudice everywhere you turn. Until the gorgeous and confident Arif shows an interest in her, encouraging Muzna to explore her freedom.”

Second Best Friend by Non Pratt

I love Non Pratt books so I knew I had to get a copy of this book. It seems like a book I could read in one sitting so I am saving it for the perfect moment.

“Jade and Becky are best friends, but when Jade’s ex-boyfriend lets on that everyone thinks Becky is the better of the two, Jade finds herself noticing just how often she comes second to her best friend. There’s nothing Jade is better at than Becky. So when Jade is voted in as Party Leader ahead of her school’s General Election only to find herself standing against Becky, Jade sees it as a chance to prove herself. If there’s one thing she can win, it’s this election – even if it means losing her best friend.”

Sky Song by Abi Elphinstone

I picked this book up purely because of Katie @ Anovelidea‘s review. She rates this book so highly and I had to pick up a copy!

“In the snowy kingdom of Erkenwald, whales glide between icebergs, wolves hunt on the tundra and polar bears roam the glaciers. But the people of this land aren’t so easy to find. Because Erkenwald is ruled by a cruel Ice Queen and you must stay hidden or risk becoming another of her prisoners.”

 

One Italian Summer by Keris Stainton

I got this book from the blind date with a book section that TEENSgate at Waterstones Deansgate. The little summary given for this book sound like something I would love reading.

“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 …”

We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan

I have been looking at this book for a long time but it was only out in hardback. So, when I finally saw a paperback copy I knew I had to pick it up.

“Nicu has emigrated from Romania and is struggling to find his place in his new home. Meanwhile, Jess’s home life is overshadowed by violence. When Nicu and Jess meet, what starts out as friendship grows into romance as the two bond over their painful pasts and hopeful futures. But will they be able to save each other, let alone themselves?”

All That She Can See by Carrie Hope Fletcher

I already have a copy of this book but there was a special edition of the book released in paperback, signed with green sprayed edges. I had to get myself a copy as it can now match my purple sprayed edge copy of On the Other Side.

“Feelings are part of life – feelings are life. If you take away what people feel, you take away anything meaningful. Wanting to diminish the evil in this world is a good cause, one I have fought for the majority of my life, but not like this . . . “

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

I made a silly mistake I had to rectify by being this book. I actually bought the second book in the series so I had to buy the first one to actually start reading the series.

“Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. An introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone remotely like the ship’s diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain.”

Headline New Voices Event:

I went to the Headline New Voices Blogger Event during January where I met lovely authors and talked to them about their books. I walked away with all five of their books.

The Wolf by Leo Carew

This book sounds perfect for Game of Thrones fans! I also love that the cover is inspired by Skyrim. I might give this book to David because I’m sure he will enjoy it.

“A great war has come to the land under the Northern Sky. Beyond the Black River, among the forests and mountains of the north, lives an ancient race of people. Their lives are measured in centuries, not decades; they revel in wilderness and resilience, and they scorn wealth and comfort. By contrast, those in the south live in the moment, their lives more fleeting. They crave wealth and power, their ambition is limitless, and their cunning unmatched.”

The Feed by Nick Clark Windo

I love the sound of this book, I am a big fan of the TV show Black Mirror and I feel as though I would also enjoy this book.

“Tom and Kate’s daughter turns six tomorrow, and they have to tell her about sleep.
If you sleep unwatched, you could be Taken. If you are Taken, then watching won’t save you. Nothing saves you. Your knowledge. Your memories. Your dreams. If all you are is on the Feed, what will you become when the Feed goes down?”

The Tall Man by Phoebe Locke

This book sounds so creepy! I love the idea that it is inspired by Slender Man. I will certainly not be reading this book before I go to bed.

“1990: In the darkest woods, three girls devote themselves to a sinister figure. 2000: A young mother disappears, leaving behind her husband and baby daughter. 2018: A teenage girl is charged with murder, and her trial will shock the world. Three chilling events, connected by the shadow he casts.”

The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton

This book sounds so terrifying. The main character sound extremely psychotic and I am definitely down for reading this book.

“Juliette loves Nate. She will follow him anywhere. She’s even become a flight attendant for his airline, so she can keep a closer eye on him. They are meant to be. The fact that Nate broke up with her six months ago means nothing. Because Juliette has a plan to win him back. She is the perfect girlfriend. And she’ll make sure no one stops her from getting exactly what she wants.”

In Our Mad and Furious Planet by Guy Gunaratne

I love the sound of this book and I really like how bright the cover is. I feel like this is going to be the most “our world” story of all the books from the event and I am a big fan of books that talk about modern day and serious topics.

“For Selvon, Ardan and Yusuf, growing up under the towers of Stones Estate, summer means what it does anywhere: football, music, freedom. But now, after the killing of a British soldier, riots are spreading across the city, and nowhere is safe.”

 

Kimi and Fiona’s Unhaul

At the second blogger event I went to this month the wonderful Kimi and Fiona brought a load of books they unhauled for us blogger to pick up. I ended up walking away with eight books, thank you so much Kimi and Fiona for bringing all these amazing books to the event.

The Memory Book by Lara Avery

I have been meaning to pick this book up for ages. I have been eyeing it up every time I have stepped foot into a book shop. So, when I saw this book on the shelf I picked it up immediately.

“Sammie was always a girl with a plan: graduate at the top of her class and get out of her small town as soon as humanly possible. Nothing will stand in her way–not even a rare genetic disorder the doctors say will slowly start to steal her memories and then her health. What she needs is a new plan.”

There May Be a Castle by Piers Today

I picked this book up solely because it had no synopsis on the back at all. The only information given was the title. I love going into a book knowing nothing or hardly nothing and this book gave me exactly that.

“Eleven-year-old Mouse is travelling to see his grandparents on Christmas Eve with his mother and two sisters. But it’s snowing, and visibility is bad, and the car goes off the road, and crashes. Mouse is thrown from the car. When he wakes, he’s not in his world any more. He meets a sheep named Bar, who can only say Baaa, and a sarcastic horse named Nonky, who is a surprising mix of his beloved toy horse and his older sister.”

Unspeakable by Abbie Rushton

I saw this book in a local bookstore a long time ago but never picked it up. I never saw the book again and completely forgot about it until I saw it at this event. I immediately recognised it and picked it up.

“Megan doesn’t speak. She hasn’t spoken in months. Pushing away the people she cares about is just a small price to pay. Because there are things locked inside Megan’s head – things that are screaming to be heard – that she cannot, must not, let out. Then Jasmine starts at school: bubbly, beautiful, talkative Jasmine. And for reasons Megan can’t quite understand, life starts to look a bit brighter.”

Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Edgar

This is another book I have been looking at for a long time. I never picked it up for some reason or another. So, when I saw this book was on the shelf I picked it up and bonus points it is a floppy book which I love!

“While her friends are spending their summers having pool parties and sleepovers, twelve-year-old Carolina — Carol — is spending hers in the middle of the New Mexico desert, helping her parents move the grandfather she’s never met into a home for people with dementia. At first, Carol avoids prickly Grandpa Serge. But as the summer wears on and the heat bears down, Carol finds herself drawn to him, fascinated by the crazy stories he tells her about a healing tree, a green-glass lake, and the bees that will bring back the rain and end a hundred years of drought. As the thin line between magic and reality starts to blur, Carol must decide for herself what is possible.”

Troublemakers by Catherine Barter

This book discusses politics which I know I will enjoy. It also says for fans of Lisa Williamson which I am. There were a few copies of this book at the event, so a few of us picked up a copy.

“Fifteen-year-old Alena never really knew her political activist mother, who died when she was a baby. She has grown up with her older half-brother Danny and his boyfriend Nick in the east end of London. Now the area is threatened by a bomber who has been leaving explosive devices in supermarkets. It is only a matter of time before a bomb goes off.”

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

I needed a simple and cute contemporary to read and this seemed perfect. I am going to take this on holiday with me and read it on the plane!

“Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they’re rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.”

What Light by Jay Asher

I am a big fan of Jay Asher’s writing and this is one of the one books of his I had yet to pick up. So, when I saw a copy of it on the shelf I knew I had to pick it up. I will be reading this at Christmas time and I am excited.

“Sierra’s family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon—it’s a bucolic setting for a girl to grow up in, except that every year, they pack up and move to California to set up their Christmas tree lot for the season. So Sierra lives two lives: her life in Oregon and her life at Christmas. And leaving one always means missing the other. Until this particular Christmas, when Sierra meets Caleb, and one life eclipses the other.”

The Future for Curious People by Gregory Sherl

I am not going to lie I picked this book up purely because of the cover. I know you should never judge a book by the cover but this cover is stunning. After reading the synopsis, it sound like a book I will enjoy.

“In The Future for Curious People, a young librarian named Evelyn becomes obsessed with this new technology: she can’t stop visiting Dr. Chin’s office because she needs to know that she’ll meet someone and be happy one day. Godfrey, another client, ends up at the envisionist’s office only because his fiancée insisted they know their fate before taking the plunge. But when Godfrey meets Evelyn in the waiting room, true love may be right in front of them, but they are too preoccupied—and too burdened by their pasts—to recognize it.”

TEENSgate Blogger Event:

These two books were sent to the TEENSgate Blogger Event by Penguin Random House, thank you so much! There will be a post on this event coming out tomorrow so keep an eye out for that!

The Truth and Lies of Ella Black by Emily Barr

I actually only have around 60 pages left in this book and I am excited to see what happens. It is a good book and I do like Emily Barr’s writing.

“Ella Black seems to live the life most other seventeen-year-olds would kill for . . . Until one day, telling her nothing, her parents whisk her off to Rio de Janeiro. Determined to find out why, Ella takes her chance and searches through their things. And realises her life has been a lie.”

Love, Simon (Simon Vs. the Homosapien Agenda) by Becky Albertalli

I have been looking to read this book for so long now! I have the movie copy and the standard copy now. I am really looking forward to the movie and going to watch it. As well as discussing this book at our next blogger event.

“Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.”

There you have it an HUGE book haul and I think the longest blog post I have ever written. I really need to get reading these books!

Check out my GIVEAWAY on Twitter for ONE of these 8 amazing new YA Releases!

Be sure to check out Book Depository using my link here: Loisreadsbooks

Find us on Twitter @loisreadsbooks,on Goodreads here on Bloglovin’ here and don’t forget to follow us!

Until next time,