Summer Book Haul

Hello! It has been a while since I last posted anything but I’ve been quite busy and have needed to give myself a break from looking at a computer screen 24/7. However, I am coming back today with a book haul because I have no restraint and I won a YALC Twitter Giveaway which was incredibly exciting!

There are a lot of books to get through so let’s get started.

Books from Friends:

First off, Sifa very kindly sent me her copies of The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo that she was unhauling (not these ones below, the original UK covers). I was very stupid in unhauling my original copies because I didn’t know at the time that my sister would develop an interest in reading YA fantasy and would want to read these too.

This is a note to self – don’t unhaul any old YA books without checking with the sister first!

Anyway, I’m very grateful to Sifa for sending me these along with all the YALC goodies that she and Beth collected for me!

Pre-Orders

I’ve had a few pre-orders come in the last month or so, thankfully before Waterstones was hit with their warehouse and stock problem which, as we all know, is causing A LOT of delays currently.

Witchshadow by Susan Dennard – I’m always a year behind everyone else as I wait for the paperback release, but I can’t wait to finally catch up with the series and see where it is going.

Her Dark Wings by Melinda Salisbury – Mel Salisbury is the QUEEN of dark, twisty YA fantasy and I adore everything she has written. I’ve had this book for a month and I can’t believe I haven’t read it yet, but I can guarantee it will be read in the run-up to Autumn. If not, I give everyone permission to yell and throw it at me until I do.

The Sign of the Devil by Oscar de Muriel – The seventh and final book in the Frey and McGrey series, which I am now rushing to catch up on so I can read this. I did an Instagram post about this book and series recently, but it is full of Victorian, gothic, supernatural/occult-esque mysteries and I LOVE it. I call it my underrated, hidden gem as the first book is one that jumped out to me in Waterstones about 6 years ago and I never really hear anyone talk about it. Honestly, if you like this type of fiction, I highly recommend it.

Books I’ve Bought:

This is a combination of factors that culminates in the fact that I have no self-restraint whatsoever!

My Brain is Different: Stories of ADHD and Other Developmental Disorders, edited by Monzusu – I am not someone who reads Manga, but I saw Beth’s Instagram post about this, and I just knew I also had to own a copy. I wholeheartedly trust Beth’s recommendations when it comes to books (we know each other’s book tastes rather well), so when she says this is a fantastic representation of ADHD, ASD and the varying differences neurodiverse people face, I listen and learn because I am very neurotypical and it is important to be aware of and try to understand all this. It has also encouraged me to try Manga for the first time, which was interesting. If I find another book or series that catches my attention, I might give it another read.

The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid – I’ve wanted this book for a while as it is a fairytale/classic story retelling and we all know I love those. I will get my hands on which ever one comes out next, even if it sits on my shelf for a while before I read it.

Misrule by Heather Walter – I didn’t know whether or not I was going to buy this as I wasn’t completely in love with Malice, but I was still intrigued by that ending and how it would continue, so I bit the bullet and asked my sister to pick it up for me when she was in Waterstones and I was stuck at home with Covid.

Godmersham Park by Gill Hornby – First off, I was drawn in by that cover as it’s rather pretty. Secondly, it is about governess Anne Sharpe who eventually becomes Jane Austen’s closest friend and confidante, and I like anything to do with Jane Austen so I had to have it.

Penguin Platform YALC Giveaway

I’ve saved the biggest section of this haul until last because they sent me THIRTEEN books. It was all a bit unreal because I entered the Twitter giveaway on a whim, feeling quite unhappy and annoyed that I wasn’t at YALC (stupid covid), and I honestly thought I wouldn’t win because I never do. Obviously, I was wrong because, last week, two packages arrived on my doorstep. They’re a very eclectic mix of books, some of which are definitely out of my comfort sone, so it will be interesting to read them when the time comes. Unlike with the other books, I’m not going to discuss each one as we’ll be here all day and this haul post is long enough already.

And there we have it.

I don’t think I’ve acquired so many books like this for a while, and I can most certainly say that my bookshelves are bursting at the seams. I actually do have another two that I’ve missed off here, but as they’re crochet books, I’ll talk about them on The Rambling Dreamer.

What books have you hauled lately?

As always, thanks for reading and have a brazzle dazzle day!