February Book Haul.

I thought it was about time that I shared my February book haul. I know it’s a little late but better late than never I guess. 

So last month I got a total of 20 books. I bought ten and received ten to review.

I’d read three before but wanted different copies and out of the rest I only managed to read one last month.

I cannot believe how much my reading has slowed down since last year. But I am watching more TV at night now instead of reading so that might be why? But I like having a break from reading sometimes. I think I burnt myself out last year and three reading slumps were what came of it. Anyway, onto my book haul.

So the first book I got last month was Almost Midnight. I bought a copy of this randomly. I wasn’t looking for it. I do have a copy of one of the short stories in this book, Kindred Spirits, but haven’t actually read it yet.

This edition is really pretty in person, it had glitter all over the book. I don’t know when I’ll get around to reading it. Maybe if I fall behind in my reading challenge.

I’ve read a few of Rainbow Rowell’s books and I think my favourite out of the ones I’ve read might be Landline? But Fangirl is still on my TBR. I have a copy of that, I just haven’t gotten around to reading it yet.

The next book I also bought for myself. I actually sent money to my cousin in England to pick me up a copy of this because I loved the Waterstones edition and couldn’t find it on Book Depository. Well, I think it’s a Waterstones edition?

Anyway this is the first book in Philip Pullman’s new series. I have to confess that I’ve only read Northern Lights in the His Dark Materials trilogy but I really enjoyed it and I plan on continuing the trilogy at some point this year. Then I will pick up La Belle Sauvage.

This edition also has a daemon inside the cover. I think there were a few you could get but I can only remember three, the monkey, one that I think was Pan (??) and a cat. I got the cat. There are more photos of the book on my Instagram but I’m sure you could Google to see too.

I also finally got the Shadow and Bone trilogy last month. I’ve been wanting to read these for years but the library I used to go to didn’t have them and I never got around to getting myself a copy of them until now. But that doesn’t mean I’ll be reading them anytime soon. I’ve had books sitting unread on my shelves for years and yet I still buy more…

I do want to read at least the first book this year though. At least then I’ll know if I should get copies of the Six of Crows duology. I’ve been really tempted to just buy them now but I don’t even know if I’ll like this trilogy. Which is why I haven’t actually bought them even though the hardbacks are so pretty with their sprayed edges! I love these editions though and the box set even came with a map!

Another book I bought for myself. Well, this one is a graphic novel of a book. I loved Marie Lu’s Legend trilogy so when I saw this for only $3 I had to get it. I don’t read a lot of graphic novels. The last one I read was the Northern Lights edition. I don’t know if the other two books have graphic novels though…

I haven’t read this yet. I’m planning to read it if I fall behind on this years reading challenge on Goodreads because graphic novels are really fast reads. And I haven’t read this trilogy in years!

I also want to get this trilogy in hardback too because my copies are different sizes and it frustrates me. I like have a series be the same size.

The next book was sent to me from Walker Books Australia to review. I’ve heard really good things about Scythe and I cannot wait to read it. It’s actually on my March TBR but I don’t know when I’ll pick it up…

I can’t remember what this is about and I don’t want to assume things here because I’ll probably just be wrong so I’m not going to. Someone told me that it made her cry both times they read it. It takes a lot for a book. TV show or movie to make me cry. I think I cry more watching something than reading though but there have been books that have made me cry. I can’t remember what the last one was though. I just looked at my reading challenge on Goodreads and none of the books I’ve read this year have made me cry. So I guess I’ll see if this one does when I eventually pick it up.

The next two books were sent to my from HarperCollins New Zealand to review. Firstlife is the first book in a trilogy I think. I think it was something about you live your first life and then die and go on to the next one? Which is your actual life? Oh wow that is a crap summary but it’s been a while since I read the synopsis.

That ‘hot price’ on the cover really annoys me because I can’t take it off. Why do you do this to pretty books!!!

Anyway, Firstlife is on my March TBR too. I don’t have my TBR in an order of when I’ll read the books. I just pick up a book I’m in the mood for. I think I tried to have them in some kind of order once and it never worked. Looks like I’m a mood reader. Especially if it’s a contemporary. I have to be in the mood for one of them to read them.

HarperCollins NZ also sent me a copy of Zenith to review. I love sci-fi books but I haven’t been hearing good things about this and to be honest it’s kind of put me off a little bit. I mean, I’ll read it eventually because it’s a review book but I’m just not in the mood for it yet. I will say that my expectations have dropped though. I’m not going to go into it expecting to have the same opinion as everyone else but the things I’ve heard just aren’t making me excited to read it.

I do like the cover though and the story still sounds good. I kind of hope I like it but if it’s as bad as I’ve heard it is then I also don’t want to at the same time? I don’t know.

I bought the hardback edition of Illuminae last year when I saw it at a local store for $7. So obviously I had to have the other two in hardback. Gemina arrived last month and it is gorgeous! I love the Illuminae Files and can’t wait for my copy of Obsidio to arrive. It’s finally been shipped!!

I really want to re-read this trilogy but it’ll have to wait until later in the year or next year. I have too many review copies I need to read first.

If you haven’t read Illuminae and Gemina then I cannot recommend them enough. They’re so unique and amazing and Gemina has beautiful illustrations by Marie Lu too. I gave both books five stars and I’ve already read them twice. I actually re-read them when I heard Obsidio’s publication date had been pushed back.

Walker Books Australia sent me an ARC of Small Spaces to review. This is a debut novel (I think) and comes out in April. It’s also a YA thriller and I love thrillers so I’m hoping to pick it up soon.

I can’t remember what this is about. I do remember requesting it and I think I read a synopsis but I’m not sure. I think I read it last year… My memory is crap though.

I think this is also from an Australian author too. I don’t read many ‘local’ authors. I mean, Australia isn’t really local, I’m in New Zealand, but it’s not like Australia is that far away. And I know a couple of New Zealand authors that fall under the LoveOZYA category so I guess we share…

Allen and Unwin New Zealand surprised me last month and sent me a copy of Obsidio to review. This is the only review book that I received last month that I read. There was no way I was waiting until closer to the review date to read it. That would drive me crazy. My review will be up when Obsidio is officially released in New Zealand but I will say that I gave it five stars too. This trilogy was amazing! But I’m not saying anything else here. You’ll just have to wait for my review.

The ANZ edition is so shiny though! I had to angle the book away from me because I kept showing up in the cover. I can’t wait to see what the hardback looks like in person. I don’t think it’s shiny though.

The next two books I got because I am buying The Selection Series in the hardback editions. Now I have the first three. When I first picked up The Selection and The Elite a few years ago I heard The CW were making it into a TV show and I wanted to read the book first. Well that never happened but I did fall in love with the story and America and Maxon.

I didn’t acutally think I would because it’s kind of like The Bachelor except with royalty and also sort of dystopian. The third book, The One, has a lot more action. Well, when I say action I really mean death. Which I did not see coming by the way. I know people don’t like The Heir and The Crown but I did. Eadlyn was annoying at first but as she grew up I found her less annoying. 

I’m planning on buying The Heir, The Crown and Happily Ever After in hardback too. I’m not in any rush because I’ve read the series so I know what happens.

I was planning on re-reading them as I got them too but that hasn’t happened yet. Probaby because I need to catch up on my review books from last year and this year first. Taking a break over the holidays really put me behind and I haven’t caught up yet. I don’t even know if I will unless I stop requesting more books. Which I probably should. But there are so many good books coming out this year!

I bought a copy of The Librarian of Auschwitz from Book Depository when I saw it for $14. That’s not bad for a hardback in New Zealand. Anyway, this is based on a true story and has been translated into English. I haven’t read a book set in Auschwitz before so it’ll be different. I’ve read The Diary of a Young Girl a few times and Anne Frank Remembered, which was so sad but really good too.

My mother is reading this at them moment. Well, she’s been at 21 pages for the last two weeks so I can’t say she’s actually reading it. But she knows I won’t be picking it up any time soon so there’s no rush for her to finish it. I do want to read The Librarian of Auschwitz this year though.

Lighthouse Media New Zealand sent me a copy of Children of Blood and Bone to review. I’m actually reading this now and it’s so good! The release for New Zealand is the 13th I think so I have time to finish it and get my review up. I do recommend reading this though, it’s so good!!

I’ve also bought a copy of the Barnes and Noble special edition. I’m hoping it arrives in once piece. I’ve never bought anything from them before but I couldn’t pass up that edition! It’s so pretty. I also chose the cheapest shipping which means the longest. But I didn’t need it straight away because I have this to review.

But if you haven’t got a copy or weren’t planning on getting one then you definitely should! Or get it from a library! The magic and characters are amazing! And the cover is gorgeous.

HarperCollins New Zealand sent me a copy of The Queen’s Rising to review. This also has a pretty cover. And no I don’t remember what it’s about. But I’m assuming it’s about a queen.

This isn’t on my TBR for March but I think if I get time I might squeeze it on? But I’ll have to see what happens. So far I’ve only read The City of Brass, which was good, and I’m 3/4 way through Children of Blood and Bone. They are both big books though and my copy of Children of Blood and Bone has tiny text. Hopefully I’ll finish it in the next couple of days. And then I’ll figure out what I want to read next. I have six books to choose from. I also still need to post my March TBR…

So the last books I received in February were the 10th anniversary editions of the Chaos Walking Trilogy. These editions are beautiful and even have black sprayed edges. I’m hoping to read The Knife of Never Letting Go soon. I don’t have it on my TBR but hopefully my reading picks up again soon. I don’t know why it’s slowed down so much.

What books did you get in February?

– Aimee.

January Book Haul.

So my January book haul post is going to be a little different from the ones I’ve done in the past. I forgot to save all the photos of my new books as I posted them and to be honest I’m just too lazy to go and find them. Basically I’m just going to wing it.. But I’ll link all the books to Goodreads.

I got a few late Christmas presents at the start of January – Wicked like a Wildfire, The Mime Order and Batman: Nightwalker. The first two were from a friend and I chose Batman: Nightwalker with some of the money I got for Christmas.

City of Brass was sent to me from HarperCollins New Zealand to review. This is on my February TBR. I haven’t picked it up yet.

I bought myself the hardback edition of The Selection. I’ve read the series a few times and I love it so I finally decided to get the hardbacks. So far I only have one but there is another in the mail. I’m planning to get one a month.

I also got myself this Puffin in Bloom edition of Little Women. Every year I’ve said I want to read more classics and never do. But I love these editions. I also have Anne of Green Gables too but I got that a couple of years go and still haven’t read it.

WaR: Wizards and Robots, The Dangerous Art of Blending In, The Hazel Wood and Still Me were all sent to me from Penguin Random House New Zealand to review. The Hazel Wood is on my TBR too but I haven’t got to that either but I am currently reading Still Me.

The Immortalists and Deception were both sent to me by Hachette to review. If I have time I might put Deception on my TBR but it’ll depend how many books I get to.

Truthers and Being Fishkill were sent from Walker Books Australia for me to review. I didn’t have Truthers on my TBR in the photo but I put it on there.

And lastly, Bloomsbury Australia sent me a copy of Reign the Earth to review which is also on this month’s TBR.

What books did you get in January?

Aimee.

October Book Haul.

I didn’t post a book haul last month. I was in a reading and blogging slump and just couldn’t be bothered. But I am slowly getting back into things.

I’m just going to just right in. The first book I received last month was from Hachette New Zealand. Ringer is the sequel and conclusion to Replica. I haven’t read it yet but I can’t wait to pick it up. I loved Replica so I am looking forward to finding out how this story ends. I just need to figure out which chapter I read first…

When I read Replica I read a chapter of Gemma and then flipped the book to read a chapter of Lyra. I think I’m going to do that again this time I just don’t know which one to read first, Gemma or Lyra? I guess I’ll figure it out soon. If you want to read my review on Replica you can click the link here.

The second book was sent to me from a friend. There was a huge-ish book sale here for imported US editions of books and I managed to get a few. My local store didn’t have The

Passion of Dolssa so Chelsea offered to get me a copy. I have heard good things about this so hopefully I’ll like it whenever I actually pick it up.

I can’t remember what this is about but I figured for $7 if I don’t like it I can just pass it on. The sale had a lot of hardbacks which are usually really expensive in New Zealand so there was no way I was going to miss a chance of getting cheap hardback books. I think I got seven? I can’t remember. But the one I was really excited about was the hardback edition of Illuminae. I loved both Illiminae and Gemina and really wanted the hardback editions. Now I just need to get Gemina in hardback. 

The next book was sent to me from Penguin Random House New Zealand. I loved The Martian by Andy Weir so when I heard Artemis was coming out I knew I had to read it. I haven’t picked it up yet but I’m hoping to get to it soon.

This is another sci-fi book. I can’t remember which planet it takes place on but I think it has something to do with a heist? But I’m not really sure. I just saw an Andy Weir book and wanted to read it. I didn’t really care what it was about. But I have heard that it’s good.

The next three books were sent to me from Walker Books Australia to review. The first one, The Other Way Around, I can’t really remember what it’s about. I remember now why I do book hauls throughout the month, so I know what the book is about… The cover makes me think road trip but I could be completely wrong.

So I just looked the book up on Goodreads. This is the synopsis on there – “Andrew has seen a flash of his future from his unfulfilled parents. Based on what he’s seen, he’s uninspired. After a particularly disastrous Thanksgiving, Andrew accidentally runs away and joins the circus. Kind of.” So not exactly what I was thinking but whatever.

The second book is Of Jenny and the Aliens. I think this one has an alien invasion and a guy crushing on a girl. And for some reason he asks this alien for advice with Jenny… I guess there’s more going on but that’s all I remember from when I read the synopsis when the book arrived.

I love the cover of this book. Especially the alien – he’s cute! Well I don’t even know if the alien is a he or not but whatever it is it’s cute.

I don’t know when I’ll be picking this up. I’m really behind with my review books so I have a few others I need to read before I can pick this up but I’m hoping to get to it soon. And I’m hoping that my reading slump just buggers off already! 

The third book I received from Walker Books Australia was On the Free. This one takes place at a camp (I think) and something happens, people die I think? I’m assuming there’s some kind of animal attack because under the dust jacket there’s claw marks. Like from a bear or a huge cat.

I also love this cover! I don’t really know why but I think it’s so pretty. I’m also really looking forward to reading this one. I think out of these three I might pick this one up first. It just keeps standing out to me.

So the next five books were sent to me from Penguin Random House New Zealand for me to review. The first one was a graphic novel of Northern Lights by Philip Pullman. Northern Lights is the first book in the His Dark Materials trilogy. I’ve actually read Northern Lights but not the next two books. So I thought this was a great way to get a fast re-fresher on the first book so that I can finally pick up The Subtle Knife.

Plus, I haven’t read a graphic novel in ages and I enjoyed Northern Lights so I wanted to see what the graphic novel is like. I’m actually planning to read this next.

The illustrations look really good too. I can’t wait to pick this one up. It will also help with my Goodreads challenge too.

The next book I received was Things a Bright Girl Can Do. I didn’t request this one but it does sound good. I think it takes place before or during the suffragette movement. I don’t know if the characters are based on real people or they’re just fiction. I haven’t looked into it at all.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book set during this time so it will mostly likely be a first for me. I also have no idea when I’ll pick this one up but I will one day soon-ish. Hopefully.

If you’ve read this book let me know what you thought of it? Because I don’t really know a lot about it or anyone that’s read it… That I know of anyway.

The next book I received was Expelled by James Patterson and Emily Raymond. This is about someone that’s expelled from school (I can’t remember why) but something happens and it might actually be the best thing that happened to him. If I’m remembering the synopsis right anyway. So, there’s like a 90% chance I’m completely wrong…

I thought this sounded kind of good when I first read the synopsis so I’m hoping I’ll like it. I don’t think I’ve ever read a James Patterson book before. This one is for YA, which I read more of than anything else but I don’t just read YA. I know people judge others for reading YA and I really don’t get it. There are some amazing books that are YA!

Anyway, the next book I received was This Mortal Coil and no, I can’t remember what this is about. I think it might be dystopian but I’m not 100%. I haven’t read a dystopian book in so long so if it is I cannot wait to read it. I do remember hearing good things about this ages ago though.

You can’t see in this photo but the edges of the book have the DNA (I’m not really into science so I’m just guessing) thing down it. It looks really cool though. I’ll try to get a photo of it for my review. Whenever I post that because I haven’t even read the book yet. I’m hoping to get to it this month but who knows if that will happen. I only read three books last month and I haven’t touched my current read in days… Seriously guys, how do I get out of a reading slump??

Okay, so the last book I received from Penguin Random House New Zealand was Turtles All the Way Down by John Green. It also came with some kind of bracelet and a notebook.

I’ve only read three of John’s books – The Fault in Our Stars, Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns. I loved TFIOS but the other two were just meh. I have three more of his books but haven’t picked them up. I hope I like TATWD more than I liked Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns. I didn’t hate them but they weren’t the best books I’ve ever read. TFIOS though was so good. I think I’ve read it three times? Anyway, I’m also hoping to read TATWD this month too. 

I got the October Owlcrate which was “Find me in the Forest.” I have shared my unboxing on my Instagram. If you want to see it you can click the link. I loved this box and I especially love the Harry Potter mug!

I don’t know how many Owlcrate boxes I’ll be getting because it’s not exactly cheap for me with the exchange rate and international shipping but I am so glad I got this box just for the mug. I haven’t read the book yet. I don’t know when I’ll get to it. Maybe over the Christmas break? Who knows. November’s Owlcrate sounds good too. Somethings about castles and kingdoms. 

 

The next two books were sent to me from Hachette New Zealand to review. The first one, Mirror, Mirror, sounds really good. Something about friends, lovers and betrayals.

I read the synopsis for this one months ago, way before the book was released so there’s no way I remember what the book is actually about. I haven’t made a TBR for November because I just don’t see a point with this stupid slump but if I can get to Mirror, Mirror this month then I definitely will.

I also received a copy of Stalking Jack the Ripper to review. I got a copy of Hunting Prince Dracula last month and cannot wait to read Stalking Jack the Ripper. I didn’t know until last night that it was about someone being in love with Jack the Ripper but okay. Sounds interesting…

I have heard really good things about this book though so I can’t wait to read it. I was planning on joining a read-along for it but then our stray cat had kittens and I just didn’t get a chance to pick it up. But I’m hoping to get to this one soon.

This is also another beautiful cover! I love the colours and the buildings at the bottom. Anyway, if this reading slump would just f off already I could actually finish Godsgrave and pick up another book. 

I won a giveaway on Twitter for an ARC of The Last Namsara from Date a Book Australia. I also haven’t read this but it’s another book I can’t wait to read. I think this one is about hunting down and killing dragons (why????) and something to do with stories. I guess I’ll find out when I read the book but I’m not really in a rush because it’s not a review book.

I love dragons so I’m not sure I’ll enjoy the hunting them down and killing them part but whatever. It has dragons in it and I am looking forward to reading it. 

I received a copy of Nexus from Allen and Unwin New Zealand to review. This is the last book in the Zeroes trilogy. I’ve read the first two books and I’ve actually enjoyed them more than I thought I would. You can click the links for my reviews of Zeroes and Swarm.

I am really looking forward to seeing how this trilogy ends. Some of the characters in the first two books really annoyed me. Well one that I can remember off the top of my head. But there was a great cliffhanger at the end of Swarm and I actually remember it for a change! If I had a TBR for November this would definitely be on it. 

The next two books were sent to me from Bloomsbury Australia. These were both surprise book mail. I had no idea they were being sent. But I love surprise book mail. Anyway, the first book I have already read and reviewed. Not this edition. I got a different edition from Allen and Unwin New Zealand I can’t even remember when. But if you want to read my review of The Song from Somewhere Else you can click the link here.

I’m not sure what I’ll do with this copy but I love the cover of the paperback edition. 

The other book Bloomsbury Australia sent me was The Start of Me and You. I have read two other books by Emery Lord and I think my favourite was The Names They Gave Us. I had heard of this one before but hadn’t gotten around to picking up a copy. But I’m glad I didn’t.

This book sounds kind of sad. Or like it could be sad. But it takes a lot to actually make me cry so we’ll see. I don’t know when I’ll be picking this one up. Probably when I’m in the mood for a contemporary so it might be a while. I so want to get over this slump soon. If you have advice please leave me a comment!

The last two books I received in October were from Allen and Unwin New Zealand. The Nearest Far Away Place sounds like it could also be a sad read. It follows two brothers after the loss of their parents in a car crash. They go to live with relatives and that’s all I can remember. It says on the back it’s about brothers, loss and something else.

I can’t remember why I wanted to read this but I did because I remember requesting it. This isn’t a very long book so I’m hoping to pick this up soon too.

The last book I received was The Red Ribbon. Again, I can’t remember why I wanted to read this but I know I requested it the same time as The Nearest Far Away Place so I must have thought it would be something I’d like.

Well it says on the cover something about a dress being the difference between life and death so that seems different. Guess I’ll find out when I pick the book up though.

Anyway, that’s my October book haul. What books did you get last month??

– Aimee.

August Book Haul.

I was planning on going on a book buying ban in August but that didn’t last long. I did only buy seven books but I still broke the ban. I seriously don’t even know why I bother.

Anyway, I’ll just get into the haul. Hopefully this won’t be as long.

So the first two books I got in August were sent to me from HarperCollins New Zealand. I’ve actually already read and reviewed this. Which doesn’t happen very often in my hauls. If you want to read my review you can click the link here.

I’m not going to go into what The Cause of Death is about here because I have posted my review of this. But I will say that if you love true crime and can find a copy of this then I recommend reading it. Plus, it’s set in the area where I live. So I’ve actually been to some of the places in this book rather than just reading about them. Which was a nice change. And some of the cases were really interesting.

I read The Outliers last year and really enjoyed it. I’ve been waiting for the sequel ever since I finished the first book. I don’t remember everything that happened but I do remember how the book ended. I’m hoping to pick this up soon.

I think the first book was about some kind of power? I know someone was kidnapped or ran away and her friend and boyfriend went to look for her. Then things went all kinds of crazy and that’s where I’m missing things. But I can remember the ending which is weird. I might either look up the book or read my review so that I don’t have to re-read the book. I’ll see. Hopefully there’s some kind of recap at the start of The Scattering.

So the next book was a surprise. I don’t remember requesting it but that doesn’t mean I didn’t. I’m not good with remembering which books I’ve requested. Anyway, this book was sent to me from Allen and Unwin New Zealand.

I don’t know anything about this. It’s not a very long book so hopefully I’ll get to it soon-ish. I’m assuming it’s about someone who either wants to fit in with everyone else or is being told to be like all the other girls and doesn’t want to. But I can also be completely off. I guess I’ll find out when I pick it up. I’m not exactly sure when that will be with the reading slumps I’ve been in lately. I’m struggling to even start a new book right now….

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe was sent to me from Walker Books Australia. I read Laurens other books, The Next Together and The Last Beginning. I liked them both so I was excited to see Lauren had written a sci-fi because I love sci-fi books. Although I haven’t read that many…

I think this is about a girl that’s alone and falls in love with someone she’s never met. Or something like that anyway. I might put this on my August TBR. I haven’t even thought about that yet. This reading slump is annoying me and I don’t know what books will help get me out of it this time. Or maybe I should just stop scrolling through social media and actually pick up a book.

The next two books were sent to me from Bloomsbury Australia to review. I have read Moonrise but haven’t reviewed it yet. I have read one other book by Sarah Crossan and I loved that so I was excited to receive Moonrise to review.

This book follows Joe as he goes to visit the brother he hasn’t seen in ten years. Ed has been sitting on death row in Texas (I think) and his execution has been set. This might be the last summer Joe and Ed get to spend together.

I found Moonrise really gripping and so hard to put down. And it actually made me cry. Not a lot of book have made me cry but this one did. I’m hoping to post my review of this soon but I’d definitely recommend it.

Bloomsbury Australia also sent me a copy of Because You Love to Hate Me. I know I don’t have a very good history with short story books with different authors but there were a few that have written stories for this that I love and I just had to read it. I’m looking forward to reading the stories by Renee Ahdieh, Marissa Meyer, Victoria Schwab, Samantha Shannon and Nicola Yoon. I think some of the stories are retellings and I love retellings so I can’t wait to pick this up.

I think I might put this on my August TBR. I have been wanting to read this since I first heard about it. Maybe it’ll help me with my stupid reading slump. I bet you’re sick of me talking about that now.

The next books I got were the ones I broke my book buying ban for. I had wanted the hardbacks of this edition of the Harry Potter series since they came out but my mum bought be the paperback box set. But I got an email from Booktopia with a free shipping code and saw that they were that expensive on there. I’ve seen them listed for double what I paid so I just got them. But I did sell my paperbacks so I don’t have three editions.

I have slowly been re-reading the series. I’m up to Goblet of Fire so I’m thinking I might also put that on my August TBR. I love re-reading the Harry Potter books even though I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read them. It’s one of my favourite series.

The next two books were sent to me from Penguin Random House New Zealand to review. I was so excited to see Wonder Woman: Warbringer! It’s one of the books I was most excited to read this month so this is definitely going on my TBR for August.

All I can remember about this book is it follows Diana as she saves a mortal girl, Alia, who is a warbringer descended from Helen of Troy and something about if Alia is left to live and not helped by some spring then she will bring in an age of war.

I loved the Wonder Woman movie and cannot wait to pick this up. I think this might have to be my next read.

Penguin Random House New Zealand also sent me a copy of A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares to review. I can’t remember what this is about but I’ve heard good things about Krystal Sutherland so I wanted to give this book a chance.

I don’t know when I’ll get around to reading this. Hopefully sometime this month but who really knows at this point?

I know Krystal is an Australian author and I need to read more NZ and Aussie authors. I haven’t actually read that many. Although I don’t know of a lot of NZ YA authors so that’s also a problem I need to fix. Maybe one day. I think I need to read my books first.

So a few of weeks ago I was contacted on Instagram by a company asking if I’d like a review copy of The Crowns of Croswald. I looked the book up on Goodreads and thought it sounded interesting so i said yes. Then at the end of August this box of goodies showed up. It’s such an amazing box full of things that relate to the book and I can’t wait to read it.

I’ve seen a lot of people on Bookstagram have loved this so I think I might pick this up soon-ish.

This isn’t the best photo of everything that came in the box so I might have to take a better one when I start the book because so much went into it.

The last two books I received in August were sent to me from Allen and Unwin New Zealand. I can’t remember what drew me to S.T.A.G.S but when I requested it I thought it sounded like something I’d enjoy.

Maybe it was because it sounded kind of similar to The Hunger Games with the “deadly weekend” thing? I really don’t remember. But who doesn’t love reading about death?

Anyway, I have seen a couple of people picking this up on Bookstagram and saying it was better than they expected to I guess I’ll find out what they’re talking about when I get around to picking it up. Whenever that will be.

The last book I received in August was Genuine Fraud. I have only ever read We Were Liars by E. Lockhart and I wasn’t really a fan of the main character, she was really annoying, so I couldn’t get into the book. I did see the twist coming though.

But I did like the sound of Genuine Fraud so I thought I’d give this a chance. Although I can’t remember what it’s about now.

So that’s my book haul for August. What books did you get last month?

– Aimee.

 

 

July Book Haul.

 

I was meant to be on a book buying ban this month. That lasted like three days? I only bought five books but they did cost me a lot of money… Well not a lot but more than I usually pay for books in a month. But I did get a pretty good deal. I’ll talk about that later though. 

So the first book I got was sent to me from HarperCollins New Zealand. I’d seen this on Booktube I think and thought it sounded like something I’d enjoy.

I think this is about siblings, a brother and sister, competing for the throne? I’m not 100% sure so don’t quote me on that.

This would totally have been a cover buy for me had I not had the opportunity to review it because this cover is gorgeous.

I think I’ve read two books by Charbonneau. So I’m looking forward to reading this.

The second book I received to review was from Allen and Unwin New Zealand to review. I didn’t realize this was a sequel until it arrived so I won’t be reading it until I have a copy of the first book. Which I haven’t gotten around to buying yet.

I haven’t really read much about this because it is a sequel but I know it’s about mermaids, or a mermaid.. Whatever. I’ll figure it out when I get a copy of Lorelei.

This is another book with a gorgeous cover. And it’s even better in person because the gold scales are holo I think.

The next five books I bought for myself. I went into a local second-hand bookstore and these were sitting on the counter. Apparently they were an unwanted gift and the guy took them into the store. I already had the paperback editions of the A Song of Ice and Fire series but I couldn’t just leave them.

So I started talking to the woman in the store about the books and she took $10 off for me and then I was like “okay I’ll take them.” Now I have to sell my other editions.

I have read the series up to A Dance with Dragons twice and I’ve read A Game of Thrones three times. I still want to re-read A Dance with Dragons before the next book comes out. If it ever comes out. So obviously there’s no rush for that re-read.

The next book I got was a surprise from Penguin Random House New Zealand. I’d read the synopsis of this but didn’t request it. I do plan on reading this for ARC August though.

So from what I remember of the synopsis a woman is at home making dinner and the next thing she knows she’s waking up in the hospital… The police are saying she was up to no good. Her best friend doesn’t know what to think. Her husband is on her side. But she’s not sure who to believe. I think it sounds pretty good and I’m looking forward to reading it.

I don’t know when I’ll get to it though because I’m in another reading slump at the moment so yay me. I’m reading The Crown’s Game to try to get out of it. 

Hachette New Zealand sent me a copy of City of Circles to review. This is another book I have on my ARC August TBR.

I think this follows a girl who lost her parents and is trying to find out what happened to them. And something about a circus. But I’m not really sure what.

Fans of Erin Morgenstern will apparently like this. I haven’t read her books though so I’m not sure what to expect. Which I think is good because it won’t let me down.

Okay so this isn’t the kind of book I usually read but it said fans of Jojo Moyes will enjoy this and even though I’ve only read two books by her I did enjoy them.

I’m just going to admit that since I read the synopsis a couple of months ago I cannot remember what this is about. But I am looking forward to reading it. It’ll give me a break from the books I usually read, which is always a good thing for me.

I don’t know when I’ll be reading this though. My TBR is a little crazy this month but I’ll hoping that I can get to it soon. There was also something mentioned about keeping the secret once you’ve read the book. Which seems really interesting… 

Allen and Unwin New Zealand also sent me a copy of Sparrow to review. This was a complete surprise as I didn’t request it. But because it’s by an Australian author I think I’ll give it a chance. One day.

I don’t remember what this is about either. Obviously it has something to do with alligators or crocodiles… I guess I’ll find out whenever I pick it up. I think my mother plans to read it as well. I’m not really sure why… But whatever. I don’t care if she wants to read it first. She probably will get to it before I do.

Hachette New Zealand also sent me a copy of The Taste of Blue Light to review. This isn’t out til next month but I do have it on my ARC August TBR. I’ll probably read this at the end of August though.

I think this is about a girl who wakes up from a coma and her dreams, or nightmares, are all in red. I don’t know what that has to do with blue light but I’m sure it’ll make sense when I read the book.

I thought this sounded really interesting when I read the synopsis so I’m looking forward to reading this as well. There’s a note at the start of the book that made it sound really good too but I can’t remember who wrote it.

I can’t remember who sent me a copy of Slave Power. I think it actually came from the author but that’s not who I requested it from…. 

I did read the synopsis of this but it was so long ago that I don’t remember what the book is about. I know it’s the first in a new series and that it’s meant to have a strong female lead. But that’s all I can remember.

Oh, it’s also by a New Zealand author which is a big reason behind me wanting to read it. I love supporting local authors. I’ve never heard of Raewyn Dawson until I was sent an email about the book.

Anyway, this is on my August TBR, which I will be sharing this weekend.

Bonnier Publishing Australia sent me a copy of And Fire Came Down to review. This is the sequel to Resurrection Bay which I read and reviewed a couple of months ago. If you want to read that review you can check it out here.

I really enjoyed Resurrection Bay so I’m excited to read And Fire Came Down. I think Caleb, the main character, is investigating the death of a woman when it leads him back to his hometown again.

I have And Fire Came Down on my August TBR and am hoping to read it soon. But I also have a couple of other books to read first. 

I received some surprise book mail from Bloomsbury Australia in July. These two were completely unexpected but definitely welcome.

I don’t know when I’ll get to these, hopefully soon, but I have another book from Bloomsbury Australia on my TBR for August. If I can fit one in I’ll definitely will but I’m not sure I will.

I can’t remember what either of these are about but I did like the sound of them when I first read the synopsis.

Walker Books Australia sent me a copy of Tell It to the Moon to review. This is the sequel to The Moonlight Dreamers. Which I read recently. I’m not going to talk about Tell It to the Moon because it is a sequel and I don’t want to spoil things for anyone who hasn’t read The Moonlight Dreamers yet.

But The Moonlight Dreamers was so good. It was about four girls, all completely different and from different backgrounds, that come together and not only become friends but better people as well.

I’ve mentioned before that I’ll be holding a giveaway for both books when I post my review of Tell It to the Moon (sometime in August). So if you live in New Zealand or Australia then keep an eye out for that. The books will be sent from Walker Books Australia. 

The next two books are both from Hachette New Zealand. Friend Request is a mystery/thriller (I don’t know which).

A woman gets a friend request on Facebook from someone she knew in high school. But this friend has book missing for years and people assume she’s dead. So, who’s sent the request? And is this Maria actually dead?

I thought it sounded like something I’d enjoy so I’m looking forward to finding out what’s going on in this book. I do like thrillers so I couldn’t resist requesting this.

I Am Traitor is about an alien invasion and one girl thinks she’s found a way to save humanity (I think) but it means trusting the enemy. I’m pretty sure I got that right. But again, don’t quote me on it.

I love alien invasion books. Not that I’ve read a lot of them but out of the ones I have read I enjoyed them.

I can’t wait to see what this alien invasion is about and what exactly is going on. I think this is set in London if I remember correctly. But my memory is shit so I doubt it. I think this is also out in September so I won’t be reading it this month. Unless I can fit it in right at the end. 

So a couple of months ago I was contacted through my blog about reviewing this book. I don’t normally say yes because it’s always an e-book and I can’t read digital books. But they offered to send me a physical copy of the book.

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold has adventure, pirates, stolen gold, criminals, ship wrecks and some curses.

I’d never heard of this before I read the email but I am always happy to help out indie authors if I can. This is the first book in a series and is also on my August TBR.

So the last two books I received in July were sent to me from Hardie Grant Australia to review. I totally forgot to take a photo of these so I’ll have to just link to their Goodreads pages.

The first book was I Have No Secrets and I thought this sounded really good. This is on my ARC August TBR so I’ll be reading this soon. The second book was In the Dark Spaces which also sounded really good. I’m hoping to get to this soon too.

So that’s my July book haul. How many books did you get last month?

– Aimee.

June Book Haul.

I got a total of 17 books this month. Three I’ve read previously and just wanted my own copy. The rest I haven’t managed to get to yet.

So I’m just going to jump right into the haul because they always take so long to type up.

So the first book I got was Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare. I used to have all The

Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices books but when we moved I got rid of a lot of books and DVDs. But I’ve wanted to read The Dark Artifices for a while. I know the second book came out recently but I’m going to see if I like this before getting a copy of that.

I don’t really know much about this other than Emma wants to know what really happened to her parents.

I don’t think I’ll be reading this any time soon because my TBR is crazy and this is like 800 pages. But I hope to have read it by the end of the year. Maybe…

I wasn’t planning on getting both the hardcover and paperback editions of Philosopher’s Stone. I’d pre-ordered the hardback months ago from Book Depository. But then I saw the paperback in a bookstore over here for 20% off and free Hogwarts house postcards. So, I couldn’t say no.

I read the extras inside the paperback edition when I got it and I really enjoyed them. I also love all the new illustrations too. I didn’t have a very long look though. I just sort of skimmed everything. I’ll read them all again one day. There’s no rush.

What Hogwarts house are you in? Are you planning on getting all the house editions or just the house you’re in? 

I received an ARC of Empire of Salt from Penguin Random House New Zealand to review. This is the first book in a new fantasy trilogy (I think) and I’m pretty sure it’s YA… But I’m not 100% sure.

I’m also not really sure what’s it about other than 12 families fighting for one throne. Kind of sounds like A Game of Thrones but I don’t want to compare it to that before even reading it because I’ll just get disappointed. I love the Song of Ice and Fire series. I love fantasy books so I’m looking forward to reading this. I think it’s released in August so I’ll read it closer to the release date.

HarperCollins New Zealand sent me a copy of The Crown’s Fate to review. I haven’t read The Crown’s Game, even though I’ve had a copy of it since it was released last year.

But I think I’ll be putting The Crown’s Game on my July TBR, which I haven’t even really thought of yet. And if I have time I’ll try to squeeze The Crown’s Fate onto it as well. But knowing my reading at the moment I don’t think that’s going to happen.

I don’t really know much about these other than they’re set in Russia (I think) but I’ve heard really good things about both of them so I’m excited to read them. 

Hardie Grant Egmont sent me a copy of The Huntress: Sea to review. I think that’s how you do the title? I requested this a few months ago so I can’t remember what this is about anymore. It was sent to my old address so I didn’t receive it straight away and will admit I completely forgot about it.

I will be putting this on my July TBR since it kind of went missing for a while. I don’t know when it was released but I’m probably behind…

I finally bought a copy of Cinder. This was the last book that I needed to complete my collection of The Lunar Chronicles. I love this series and wanted them all in hardback because I won a copy of Winter last year I think and it was a hardback so I wanted the rest of the series to match and now they do. I don’t have a copy of Fairest though because I can’t stand Levana and I don’t want that on my shelves. She’s an evil, twisted cow.

I loved this series! I’ve read the first three books twice, I had to re-read them before I could read Winter. But I haven’t read Stars Above yet. I’ll get to it one day. Soon I hope. If you haven’t read The Lunar Chronicles then I recommend finding copies.

I received a copy of The Ones that Disappeared from Hachette New Zealand to review. I think this is set in Australia by an Australian author but I could be completely wrong.

I think this is about kids disappearing and a fictional version of what may have happened to them. I really can’t remember.

I don’t know if this will be going on my TBR for this month yet. I have another book from Hachette that will be in this post that I want to read more. If I can fit it in I definitely will though. I love this cover. It’s kind of velvety in person and so pretty.

HarperCollins New Zealand sent me a copy of Godblind to review. I think this is a debut novel and the first in a new fantasy series.

This sounded really interesting when I first heard about it and I am really hoping to get to it this month. I know it’s about some kind of red gods but that’s all I remember. And yes, I can see that on the cover in the photo…

Speaking of the cover, it is so eye-catching. I’m not sure but I think this is an adult fantasy book and not YA but again, not 100% sure. So I’m expecting a lot of death and gore… 

The next two books were sent to me from Penguin Random House New Zealand to review.

Juniper Lemon’s Happiness Index follows Juniper after the death of her sister and how she’s trying to move on/put her life back together. And she writes these index cards of happy things. But one goes missing with a big (maybe?) secret on it. And I think the book is what follows. Or something along those lines. I have heard good things about this so I’m looking forward to reading it.

The second book I received from Penguin Random House New Zealand was Midnight Jewel. This is the sequel to The Glittering Court which I got in a giveaway but haven’t actually read yet. I’m reading it at the moment. Although I’m not really that far in but I have enjoyed what I’ve read so far.

I’ll be putting Midnight Jewel on my July TBR because I need to have it read this month. Hopefully I can get to it soon. But I don’t think I’ll be reading it straight after The Glittering Court. I have too many other books to read first. I think this is out on the 6th? 

Hachette New Zealand sent me a copy of When Dimple Met Rishi to review. I have heard so many good things about this books and I am so excited to read it. I’ve been getting into contemporary books a lot more in the last couple of months. They’re a nice break from all the fantasy books I read.

When Dimple Met Rishi will definitely be going on my July TBR. I think I might actually read it really soon. I’ve got my next read picked out but it might be the one after that. Anyway, I’m just rambling now…

I went shopping alone a couple of days ago, which is never a god idea, and I saw a ‘buy

one get one half price’ on YA books and I just couldn’t resist.

I’ve wanted to read Hunted for a while now. I’ve never actually need it in store till the day I bought it though.

I love Beauty and the Beast and I think this is a retelling. I saw the name Beast when I flicked through the book so I’m pretty sure it is. So I’m excited to read it. I haven’t read a lot of Beauty and the Beast retellings. I’m not sure when I’ll actually be reading it though, probably not any time soon because I have a crazy long TBR. 

The second book I got was York. It’s the first book in a trilogy/series. I’m not really sure which.

I will admit that the cover drew me in because it’s gorgeous and so much better in person. But the story sounded pretty good when I read the synopsis. And then fact I got it for $8.50 wasn’t bad either.

I don’t know when I’ll get around to reading this. I’m not in a huge rush at the moment. Maybe when the sequel comes out.

I received a 10% off code from Book Depository earlier this month and I used it to buy two books. The first book was Our Dark Duet, the sequel to This Savage Song. I read and loved This Savage Song not long after it was released.

I’m hoping Our Dark Duet picks up not long after the ending of This Savage Song. I might have to read the last couple of chapters again to see what happened but I do remember the last scene because that stuck in my head.

This is another book that I hope to read soon but I’m not really sure when I’ll actually get to. These are the first books I’ve read by V.E. Schwab. I have one of her other books, A Darker Shade of Magic, in my Book Depo wishlist. I just haven’t gotten around buying it yet. 

The other book I got with my code was A Court of Wings and Ruin. I haven’t actually read the first two books in this trilogy yet but now I have them all I don’t really have an excuse, other than my crazy TBR, not to read them.

I know this is like the first three books in the series but also the story in these books has an ending or something. The size of ACOWAR is kind of putting me off wanting to read it soon. I like fast reads at the moment. Much easier to get through and get off my TBR. I need to go on a book buying ban.

The last book I received in June was sent to me from Bloomsbury Australia to review. I love this cover and pirates so I cannot wait to read this.

I also can’t remember much about this because I read the synopsis so long ago but I did like the sound of what I read. And this cover is gorgeous!

So that’s my June book haul. I got some amazing books this month that I can’t wait to read.

What did you get in June??

– Aimee.

May Book Haul.

 

I’m going to be posting the books I bought and received to review in May. I think I only bought one book in May and I’ve read it before but it was pretty and I couldn’t resist. But I don’t have a photo of it yet so I can’t show it in this haul…

Anyway, onto the book haul! 🙂 

The first book I received in May was sent to m from HarperCollins New Zealand. I’ve heard really good things about Dear Ijeawele and I was surprised that it’s under 70 pages.

I haven’t read this yet and I have no excuses because it’s such a small book that I should have been able to fit it into May but I just didn’t pick it up. Hopefully I’ll get to it sometime in June because I really want to read it. I haven’t read a lot of books about feminism.. Or any really now that I think about it. So it’s about time I do something about that.

I also received a copy of The Cows from HarperCollins New Zealand. This is on my June TBR.

I don’t know much about this and I kind of want to keep it that way. I do know it follows the lives of three different women. I’m not sure if they know each other or not. But this sounds like a really good book and I know a few people who have read and loved it so I’m excited to read it.

The Cows will actually be my next read. I’ll probably be starting it tomorrow after I finish my current read. Which I’m hoping to finish today. 

The next three books I also received from HarperCollins New Zealand to review.

I haven’t read a lot of LoveOzYA books and I’ve only read books by three of the authors who wrote short stories for this collaboration. I’ve read books by Amie Kaufman, Lili Wilkinson and Melissa Keil. But I’m looking forward to reading all the stories in this book. I think I put this on my TBR for June so hopefully I can pick this up soon. I’ve seen some good things about this but I haven’t looked into it because I don’t want to read any spoilers.

I was intrigued by The Lucky One when I read the synopsis in April but now I cannot remember what it’s about. April was a loooong time ago and synopsis never stick in my head.

So, clearly I haven’t read this or I’d be able to talk about it. I haven’t put this on my TBR because I have so many books I want to read and I don’t want to pressure myself because that’s when I get into reading slumps. And I’ve already had too many of them this year thank you very much book gods.

If I have the time I’ll try to squeeze it in though. 

The last book I received from HarperCollins New Zealand was Red Sister.

I haven’t read this but I do remember what it’s about because it reminds me of Nevernight. This is about female assassins. And they’re Nuns too I think. So I have to read it because it sounds badass.

I really want to read this in June but it’s kind of big and I have a full TBR right now. I’ll just have to see how the month goes. I’ve been reading about 10 books a month so maybe.. Maybe not though.

The next two books I received from Bloomsbury Australia to review. I think Royce Rolls is about a reality show following the Rolls family but Royce wants out? Kind of reminds me of Keeping Up with the Kardashians which is probably why I remember what it’s about.

I don’t know when I’ll get around to reading this. It sounds okay. I mean I watch KUWTK so I’ll probably actually enjoy this. It’s just I have so many books to read already. But I’m not complaining. It means I’ll never need to join the library anytime soon. I’ve heard my local one is rubbish anyway. I really hope not though. I like going to libraries.

The second book I received was Letters to the Lost. I actually read this last month and I really enjoyed it. I don’t read a lot of contemporaries but I’ve enjoyed the ones I’ve read recently so maybe I should start reading them more often. They’re a nice break from all the fantasy books.

Anyway, this book follows Juliet and Declan as they write letters to each other. But they don’t know they’re writing to the other person, when they start its anonymous. But then something that happened in both their lives could tear them apart before they get a chance to be together.

It sounds really cheesy but it wasn’t for me. I liked this and the only other book I’ve read by Brigid too, Thicker Than Water.

I did a book swap with someone on Twitter last month. I got rid of an ARC that was just sitting on my shelf and I have a finished copy of and got Roseblood. I’ve never read anything by A.G. Howard or about The Phantom of the Opera but I thought this sounded like something I’d like and I love the cover.

I’m not sure if I should read the original story or not before I read Roseblood. I never have before when I read retellings so I’ll just read it.

I’m not in any hurry to read this because I wasn’t sent it to review. So it’s just sitting on my TBR shelf for now. It can go with my small collection of ARCs when I’ve read it. 

Bonnier Publishing Australia sent me a copy of Ida to review.

I can’t remember what this is about now but when I was offered a copy to review I thought it sounded like something I’d enjoy.

I’ve put Ida on my June TBR. It’s not a very long book so hopefully I can read it quickly. This is a LoveOzYA book so that’s two on my June TBR. I need to find some good NZ YA books as well!!

The next two books were sent to me by Allen and Unwin New Zealand. The first book, The Girl from Everywhere is about time travelling pirates. I think. I love books about time travel and who doesn’t like pirates? Sounds like an awesome combination to me.

There was something about a girls boyfriend being kidnapped and trapped in time somewhere by her father or something like that.

But I think this sound amazing and I can’t wait to read it. I’ve seen a different cover of this book and I have to say I prefer this one. I don’t think thee sequel has a cover like this though so that sucks.

The other book I received from Allen and Unwin New Zealand was Defy the Stars.

I recently finished the last book in The Firebird Trilogy by Claudia Gray and wanted to read more of her work so this was great timing.

I’m not too sure if I’ll like this or not. It sounds a bit weird to me but I’m willing to give it a chance. I know there’s a romance or something going on in this but I think there’s a twist to it. Something about artificial intelligence. I think. Don’t quote me on that because I could be way of the mark. But that’s why it sounds weird to me.

I received the next two books from Penguin Random House New Zealand to review. I’m actually reading One of Us is Lying at the moment. I think I’ll be finished with this later today because I need to know what the hell is going on.

This has reminded me a lot of Gossip Girl and I can see why people are saying its like The Breakfast Club too. But I didn’t like that movie. I prefer this to be honest,

Like I said, I’m sure I’ll finish this today. But if you loved Gossip Girl or Pretty Little Liars (because it’s got that kind of vibe too, although there are no texts) then I definitely recommend getting a copy of this.

The second book I received from Penguin Random House New Zealand was Pieces of You. It also came with an awesome box full of things I assume relate to the story.

I haven’t read a lot of New Zealand YA books so I’m excited to read this. I think this is another contemporary but I’m not really sure what it’s about. I guess I’ll find out when I read it.

I really want to squeeze this onto my June TBR because it came out June 1st so fingers crossed I can.

I did share what’s in the box on my Snapchat when I first got it. The chocolate has gone but everything else is still in there.

The next four books were sent to me from Hachette New Zealand to review. The first is Contagion which is the first book in a new series by Teri Terry. I’ve read a few of Teri’s books so I was looking forward to reading this and it did not let me down.

I read this last week I think. It was the first book I read in June anyway I know that much.

This follows Shay and Kai as they look for Kai’s sister Callie. Callie went missing a year ago and Shay remembers seeing her. Their search takes them across the country to the heart of a new, incurable, virus.

I really enjoyed this but I’ll be talking about this more when I post my review. 

I finally have the last book in the Waterfire Saga and I cannot wait to see how this series ends.

I’m not going to say anything about Sea Spell because it is the last book in the series and spoilers but I will say that the first three books were really good and I could not put them down.

I think it says on the first book that it’s like the Percy Jackson series with mermaids and I have to agree. It’s not Percy but it has some badass mermaids!

I also received Flame in the Mist and I am really looking forward to this. I don’t think I have to say what this book is about because it’s been everywhere for months. But I have heard that it’s a Mulan retelling set in feudal Japan. I’ve never seen Mulan so I’m not really sure what it’s about other than some badass woman saving her country.

Anyway, I’m not sure if any of that is correct but I’m just going to move on. I’ve been sitting on this computer too long and my back is killing me. I need to finish this post soon.

So, Flame in the Mist is on my June TBR and I’m hoping to read it soon because it sounds really good. Should I watch Mulan first though??

The last book I received Hachette New Zealand was Since We Fell. And yes, you’re right, I can’t remember what this is about either. But I think it’s a psychological thriller and I love those kinds of books so I’m looking forward to reading this.

I didn’t put this on my TBR because it was already so I might just put this on my July TBR. Maybe. I don’t know yet.

Omg I forgot how long these posts take me to type up….

I received another four books from Bloomsbury Australia. I wasn’t expecting these at all. I’ve already read The Possible and really enjoyed it. I have The Names they Gave Us on my June TBR.

But I don’t know when I’ll get to the other two yet. They both sound really good and I will read them but I’m just not sure when. I think these are all out this month some time. But I’m not sure when, the media releases just said June.

I think I’ll read Countless first though. It grabbed my attention more than Stargazers for Beginners did.

The last book I received in May was from Walker Books Australia. I think this is about the Roman Empire and I haven’t read a lot about that time so I’m looking forward to reading this.

I think I put this on my June TBR so I will be reading it at some point this month. If I stick to it this time.

Anyway, that’s my book haul for May. My back is killing me so I’m done. I can’t sit here anymore.

What books did you get in May?

– Aimee.

March Book Haul.

Last month’s book haul was pretty good. I only bought one book and I won another in a competition on Facebook. The rest were kindly sent to me for review. So, I’ll just jump into it. 

The first book I received last month was from Penguin Random House New Zealand. This book has 100 stories of women throughout history. I say women but there are some teens and even a five year old (I think she’s five…).

I’ve actually read this and I loved it. The writing is definitely for kids but if you can look past that then it’s a really good read, even for adults. There were a lot of women in this book that I’d never even heard of. I’ll talk more about this in my review which will hopefully be up soon. But if you were thinking of getting a copy of this then I highly recommend it.

I bought a copy of Big Little Lies when I saw it in a store here for $14.99. I wanted to see the TV show because it looks really good and I love Reese and Shailene. But I need to read the book first.

I haven’t read this yet and I don’t know a lot about it other than it follows the lives of three women in a small town and one of them is dead or dies.. That’s pretty much all I know. I’ve tried to stay away from spoilers because I want to find out what happens myself.

If I get a chance I might read this in April. I already have my TBR picked for the month but if I get through them then I might pick this up. 

I received The Roanoke Girls from Hachette New Zealand to review. I actually started this today. I’m not that far in yet but it’s pretty good so far. It’s taken a disturbing twist but I’m interested to see where this is going.

Apparently everyone wants to be a Roanoke girl, but they don’t know what being a Roanoke girl means. The Roanoke girls either run away, or die. Lane made it out once, eleven years ago, but she came back because her cousin, Allegra, is missing. Is she strong enough to leave a second time? That’s what I remember from the synopsis. This book is kind of addicting already.

The next two books are from Walker Books Australia. Pointe, Claw follows two best friends. One is a ballerina and the other is turning into a bear.. So that’s all I remember about this. It stood out for a reason. A girl turning into a bear.. Should be an interesting read.

I think the last book I read with ballerinas was Tiny Pretty Things, which I loved. I still need to read the sequel to that.

But look at this cover! I love it. I don’t know why but I do. I can’t remember if I put this on my TBR for April. But if not hopefully I can squeeze it on there. It sounds different. 

The second book I received from Walker Books Australia was What Girls Are Made Of. I think this follows a girl, Nina, as she tries to figure out love? Her mother told her that there’s no such thing as unconditional love. Now she’s trying to prove to her boyfriend why she deserves to be with him. Sounds like a healthy relationship. I have this on my TBR. It’s only 180+ pages so it shouldn’t take too long to read.

I won a copy of Lifeblood in a competition on Facebook. I haven’t actually read the first book in this series yet but I loved Gena’s other YA series, The White Rabbit Chronicles or something like that. So I’m sure I’ll love this when I eventually get around to reading them.

Lifeblood is an ARC so I’ll have to buy a copy of the finished book when I see it. I haven’t seen it in the stores I go to yet. I don’t actually know when this was released so I’ll just have to keep an eye out for it. Not like I’m in a rush though because I still need to read them and I have the ARC for now.

I love these covers. Although you can’t see the first book in this photo it’s just as good as Lifeblood. 

Walker Books Australia also sent me a copy of Shadows on the Moon to review. This is a retelling of Cinderella set in fairy tale Japan. It’s a companion to Barefoot on the Wind which is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, also set in fairy tale Japan. Apparently you can read these in any order but Shadows on the Moon was written first.

I’ve actually read this and it was pretty good. Although I kept forgetting that it was a retelling of Cinderella and not Aurora. I don’t know why. I’ll be talking about this more in my review, which I’ll hopefully be posting soon.

Hardie Grant Egmont sent me a copy of The Secret Science of Magic to review. I’ve never read anything by Melissa Keil before but I liked this. It’s a contemporary, which I don’t read a lot of.

This follows Sophia and Joshua in their last year at high school. Sophia is a child prodigy but is freaking out about her future while Joshua isn’t giving his a second thought.

There’s more to it than that but I don’t know how to word it right now. I need coffee. It’s also diverse and by an Australian author, set in Melbourne I think. I’ll be reviewing this soon. I think the book came out today. 

The next two books I received from HarperCollins New Zealand to review. The first is A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom. I read his debut novel last year, Not if I See You First, and I loved it so I can’t wait to read this. Not that I can remember what it’s about. I think someone’s brother died or something like that. But I could be completely wrong.

I’m hoping to read this in April but I don’t know yet. We’ll see how the month goes. I think I can feel a slump coming already.

The other book I received from HarperCollins New Zealand is Allegedly. I think this is a debut novel but I’m not really sure.

I finished reading Allegedly yesterday and it was sooooo good! It has an amazing twist to the story that I was not expecting but really should have seen coming. I gave it five stars.

This follows Mary, who was convicted of killing a three month old baby when she was nine. Now she’s seventeen (I think) and pregnant. The state wants to take her baby away from her. Mary never had the chance to set the record straight before, but now she needs to. For her and her baby. I’ll be reviewing this soon but it was really good, I could not put this down. 

Hachette New Zealand also sent me a copy of New York 2140 to review. I really liked the sound of this when I read the synopsis and the cover is gorgeous but I was not expecting the book to be so long…

I think this follows some people that live in one of the skyscrapers in New York which has flooded and now each skyscraper is an island. Or the sea levels rose.. I’m not really sure. But I love these kinds of movies, like Day After Tomorrow and 2012, so I’m hoping this is just as good as watching a movie.

The next book was sent to me from Penguin Random House New Zealand. I wasn’t expecting this. It’s by a New Zealand author, which I don’t read a lot of so I’ll definitely give it a try.

But it follows a guy in a war. I don’t remember which war. I think it was WW2 but don’t hold me to that. I’m not really into reading books that focus on the war. I mean, I’ve read some but not a lot.

Anyway, I’ll definitely give this a chance. If I have time I might read it sometime this month. But I have other books to read first. It’s not a very long book so I should be able to read it quickly.  

The last book I received this month was from Bloomsbury Australia. This is the new edition of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It has six new beasts and a new forward by Newt Scamander which talks about his time in New York from the movie.

I’m hoping to read this after I finish The Roanoke Girls. I’ve read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them before but I’m looking forward to reading about the new beasts and more about Newt. And I cannot wait for the next movie to come out. I hope Jacob is in it because he was hilarious. And the Niffler!

So that’s my March book haul. How many books did you get last month?

– Aimee.
 

February Book Haul.

I didn’t get photos of every book I got in February. I received 16 books from publishers and I bought two for myself. So, I’ll just jump right in.

The first five books I got while I was staying at a friend of the family while we were waiting to move into our new place. The first book I got was Cruelty by Scott Bergstrom. I don’t have a photo of this yet. With all the moving and unpacking I fell behind with my book haul last month on my bookstagram. I haven’t read Cruelty yet but I hope to get to it soon.

The next two books I received from HarperCollins New Zealand to review. Wayfarer is the sequel and conclusion to Passenger. I read Passenger last year and I thought it was okay, not the best. But the cliffhanger at the end of the book made me want to read the sequel.

I’ve actually read this. I still had the same problems with Wayfarer that I had with Passenger but I think because I was expecting them that I was able to ignore and skip over the parts that had too much detail. Like the friggen ending. I’ll talk about all that in my review though. Which I hope to have up soon. I’ve fallen behind on a lot of this with the move but I’m hoping to catch up soon. 

The other book I received from HarperCollins New Zealand was Aerie. This is the sequel to Magonia. This is another one where I wasn’t really sure about the first book but I still wanted to see what the sequel was like. It’s not that I didn’t like Magonia, it was just different. But not in a bad way.

Amway, Aerie is on my March TBR so hopefully I’ll get to read it soon. I don’t know what to expect with Aerie but I’m looking forward to reading it. I don’t know if this is going to be a duology or a trilogy/series.. 

I received Defender from Hachette New Zealand to review.

When this arrived I didn’t remember what it was about but I must have requested it for a reason. I think it’s about voices… I’m not really sure.

I don’t know when I’ll get to read this. My reading has slowed down so much in the last couple of months. I hope now that we’re settled into the new house that things will get back to normal but who knows..

I received a copy of The Edge of Everything from Allen and Unwin New Zealand to review. This is actually the first book mail I received in my now house.

I haven’t read this yet but it is on my March TBR so I’m hoping to get to it soon.

If you’ve read my book hauls before then you know I suck at remembering what books are about and I’m just too lazy to look them all up. It takes long enough to do a book haul post. I cannot be bothered looking up every book too. I don’t have time for that.

Anyway, I love the orange pages. The photo doesn’t do them justice because they’re so bright. 

Hachette New Zealand sent me a copy of King’s Cage. Yes, I know it wasn’t in my book haul photo. That’s because I forgot where I put it and by the time I found it I couldn’t be bothered taking a new photo. Lazy, right?

Anyway, this is the third book in the Red Queen series and I’m actually reading this at the moment. I’ll be finished today because I need to know how this ends but at the same time I really don’t. Victoria’s cliffhangers are normally kind of shocking and painful. And then there’s a really long wait until the next book is released.

I love this series. King’s Cage was one of my most anticipated releases of 2017.

Walker Books Australia surprised me with a copy of The Light Fantastic. I’d never heard of this until I opened the box it came in.

Again, I’m not sure what it’s about but I hope to read it soon. I made quite a big March TBR considering I didn’t read much in January and February. If I get through the books that I plan to read in March early then hopefully I can squeeze this on. Maybe. I don’t know. I don’t even know what this is about…

Also, you’ll have to excuse the really crappy photos in this post. I don’t have a lot to work with here, flowers and tree wise. There’s two tiny trees in the backyard. 

Penguin Random House New Zealand sent me a copy of See You in the Cosmos to review. I thought this sounded really interesting when I read the synopsis.

It’s about Alex, who’s made recordings on his iPod to send into space for other forms of life to see what it’s like on Earth. Then he goes on a road trip with his dog, Carl Sagan, to launch it into space but gets a lot more than he expected.

See You in the Cosmos is on my March TBR. I actually held a poll on my twitter to see what my next read should be. I can’t wait to read the book that won but I also wanted to read this too. I’ll read it after the book that won so it’s okay. 

Another surprise from Walker Books Australia. I’d seen this on bookstagram but didn’t really know what it was about. Then it appeared one day and I was really excited to read it.

I don’t know when I’ll get to it though. And, yes, since receiving a copy I have forgotten what it’s about. I’m sure it has somethings to do with running though.

I love getting surprise book mail. Who am I kidding.. I love getting book mail. It’s the best part of my day sometimes. Does that make me a really boring/sad person?

Hachette New Zealand sent me both He Said/She Said and The Girl Before to review. These both sound really good. I think they’re both psychological thrillers but I’m not 100% sure.

My mother took The Girl Before the day I got it and has already read it. She said she really liked it. I think it’s been picked up for a movie but I could be wrong.

He Said/She Said is about a couple witnessing a crime, I think, and then not reporting it? And then whatever happens in the book picks up a year last? I don’t know. It sounds familiar but I could be completely wrong. 

Allen and Unwin New Zealand sent me a copy of Traitor to the Throne to review. This is the sequel to Rebel of the Sands. I read Rebel of the Sands last year and I loved it. I can’t remember what happened in it and I don’t want to re-read it so I might have to look up a recap somewhere. If anyone knows a good site please let me know!

I have Traitor to the Throne on my March TBR and I cannot wait to read it. But it’ll have to wait until I find a good recap site. I did have one last year but it sucked. I needed a recap of An Ember in the Ashes and it said something like “blah blah person reveals secret to another person” but not what the freaking secret was. What kind of half assed and completely unhelpful recap is that? Anyway, if you know a good site what actually recaps books properly please let me know!

Penguin Random House sent me a copy of Into the Water to review. I loved Paula Hawkins’ first book, The Girl on the Train so when I saw she’d written another psychological thriller I had to read it.

I’m assuming this has something to do with water because again, I can’t remember what it’s about. I mean, it doesn’t actually matter. I loved The Girl on the Train so I don’t need to know what this is about to know I want to read it.

This doesn’t come out here till May so I will be reading it closer to the release date. 

Walker Books Australia sent me a copy of The Hate U Give. This has been one of the books I’ve wanted to read for so long and it’ll be my next read after I finish King’s Cage.

I think this was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and the song Thug Life by Tupac. But don’t hold me to that.

The Hate U Give follows Starr as she witnesses a policeman shoot and kill her unarmed best friend, Khalil. As the only witness to the crime what Starr does next could tear her community apart. It could also get her killed. I think this sounds like a book everyone needs to read and I can’t wait to pick it up. 

The last book I have a photo of was sent to me from Hachette New Zealand to review.

I have read Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy and wasn’t a fan. But Strange the Dreamer sounds interesting so I can’t wait to read it.

This is on my March TBR so I’m hoping to read it before the release date so I can have my review done in time. That hasn’t happened for a looong time now.

Like I said at the start of my post there are a few books I didn’t manage to take photos of. I’m just going to list them here.

Cruelty by Scott Bergstrom,
Caraval by Stephanie Garber,
Heartless by Marissa Meyer,
The Great Shelby Holmes: Girl Detective by Elizabeth Eulberg,
This Beats Perfect by Rebecca Denton.

Cruelty was sent to me from Walker Books Australia to review. I bought Caraval and Heartless for myself. The Great Shelby Holmes: Girl Detective was surprise book mail from Allen and Unwin New Zealand and is a middle grade retelling of Sherlock Holmes. And I won a copy of This Beats Perfect from Hachette New Zealand.

So that’s my book haul for another month. How many books did you get in February?

– Aimee.

December Book Haul.

It’s been so long since I’ve posted to my blog. I thought it was about time I got back into it. I’m not sure how often I’ll post because there’s a lot happening right now but I’ll try to start reviewing again soon.

Anyway, onto my December book haul. 

So the first book I received in December was from Penguin Random House New Zealand. I’ve never read a book my Tahereh Mafi before. I keep hearing about her Shatter Me series though. I’m not really sure why I wanted to read this but it stood out last year. And the cover is beautiful. This is on my TBR for January and I’ll definitely be reading it soon.

This follows Alice, a colourless girl in a world of colour as she looks for her missing father. That’s all I can remember at the moment but I think there’s also magic in this book as well. I’m looking forward to reading it.

The second book I received from Allen and Unwin New Zealand to review. Norse Mythology is out sometime this month so I’ll hopefully be reading it soon.

I’ve also never read a book by Neil Gaiman before but I wanted to read this because it’s about Norse myths which I’ve been getting into a lot recently.

I think this just tells you about the Norse myths but I could be wrong. I love the cover of this too with a beautiful take on  Mjölnir. Well, I’m assuming it’s  Mjölnir on the cover. I haven’t actually had a proper look at the book. It’s packed in a box at the moment because we’re moving and it sucks. I hate not having my books. Anyway, I can’t wait to read this.

This is another book from Penguin Random House New Zealand. I think Flora, the main character, has memory problems. As in, she doesn’t retain new memories. I think. Or she doesn’t remember anything? I don’t know.

But then Flora meets someone and remembers them the next day. Which never happens.

When I received a copy of the book to review it also came with a letter (I don’t know if it’ll be in the book) that was written to Flora from her mother and at the bottom someone has written “can I trust mum?” That has my really wanting to read it soon. I think I put this on my January TBR too.

Hachette New Zealand sent me an ARC of Caraval to review. I’ve wanted to read this for so long now and I cannot even remember what it’s about. I know it’s meant to be like The Night Circus but I’ve never read that.

I think I’ve put think on my TBR for January but I can’t remember. I know I want to read it after Furthermore but I’m tossing up between this and Frostblood and I don’t know which one to pick…

I keep hearing good things about this which makes me want to read it soon. I guess I’ll have to look up which one comes out first, Frostblood or Caraval, and read that one first. That will make it so much easier on me. Yes, that’s what I’ll do. 

Hachette New Zealand also sent me a copy of Who’s Afraid Too? to review. I really liked the first book, Who’s Afraid?, when I read it last year and am looking forward to seeing what’s going to happen in this book.

I don’t have this on my TBR at the moment because I don’t know how many books I’ll get to read this month with all the crap that’s going on but if I can fit it in I definitely will.

I don’t remember a lot about the first book except some of the ending and I can’t just go look because that’s in a box too. So I’ll just have to pick it up and see if things come back to me.

HarperCollins New Zealand sent me a copy of Lady Helen and the Dark Days Pact to review. This is the sequel to Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club.

I enjoyed the first book when I read it earlier this year and am looking forward to reading this. But, this is another one where I can’t remember what happened in the first book and it’s also it a box. Moving is so frustrating and annoying. Not to mention stressful.

Anyway…. I hope there will be a recap or something I can read before I pick this up. If you know where I can read that let me know. Or if you know how it ended please let me know!! I can remember where Helen is but not why… 

HarperCollins New Zealand also sent me a copy of The Watcher to review. This is like Girl on the Train, as in a psychological thriller. I love psychological thrillers. Especially ones that have me guessing to the end.

This is another one where I can’t remember what it’s about but when I read the synopsis I c needed to read it.

I think I read somewhere that it’s been picked up to be a movie but that could be another book. I get them mixed up sometimes. I want to read this in January but I don’t know if I’ll have time.

My mother got me the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for Christmas last year. She’s planning on getting me each one for Christmas now because apparently I’m really hard to buy for.

I have already read this edition and loved it just as much as the illustrated edition of Philosopher’s Stone. I did a review on that book last year. Not the story but the reasons I loved it. I don’t know if I’ll be doing the same thing for this or not. Let me know if you want to know what I thought of this one or not.

I cannot wait to get Prisoner of Azkaban!! Its my favourite book in the series so it’s going to be one of my most anticipated books of 2017. 

Allen and Unwin New Zealand sent me a copy of the new edition of Quidditch Through the Ages to review.

I have read the original copy (it’s also in a box) but I can’t remember a lot about it. I don’t know how much different this one will be but I guess I’ll find out when I read it.

There are also new editions of The Tales of Beedle the Bard and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them coming out this year too. I’ve also read both of those but I’d love to read the new editions too.

My lovely friend Jenn sent me two books for Christmas. The first one was Frost like Night, the last book in the Snow like Ashes trilogy. I’ve only read the first book but I loved it and I cannot wait to read the other two books.

I’ll have to re-read Snow like Ashes first because I read it so fast that I can’t remember a lot of what happened but I did figure out the twist with Meira. That I remember.

I’ll probably be reading these later in the year. I have too many review books to read at the moment so I want to read those first and then I’ll be free to read some of my books. Like these and finally finishing the Throne of Glass series. Which I am so behind on. There’ll probably be another book released but the time I catch up. I have Queen of Shadows to read next.

The other book Jenn sent me a copy of was Shiny Broken Pieces. This is the sequel to Tiny Pretty Things which I read last year and loved. I cannot wait to read this!!

I also don’t know when I’ll get to read this but I’m hoping maybe March/April. When we’ve hopefully moved into our new house. (It’s a long story.)

If you haven’t read Tiny Pretty Things I highly recommend finding a copy because it was sooo good!!

I received some bookmarks from Midnight Alley Designs last month. I’ve only got two photos to share here. I haven’t taken a photo of the last one yet.

But anyway I bought myself a Ravenclaw bookmark. I didn’t have one and I saw this on their Instagram and could not resist.

I’ll definitely be using this when I re-read the series later this year.

There are some other Harry Potter inspired bookmarks but this one I loved. I have ordered another one but it hasn’t arrived yet.

The second one I received in a rep package. I’ve been one of the reps for Midnight Alley Designs for a few months now. They had a different name but changed it and their site late last year.

If you want to check out their website you can click here. To see their full range of bookmarks go to products and all their bookmarks will come up.

They’re currently having an end of year sale so if you use the code HEY2017 at the checkout you’ll receive 40% off your order. There’s only two more days left for the sale so get in quick.

So that’s my December book haul. If you’ve read all of my rambling then thank you!!

What books did you get in December?

– Aimee.