August Book Haul - Part 2!

So when I wrote part one of the book haul for August I had divided the books I bought this month nice and evenly between the two parts.  I bought more between then and the end of the month so this one is even longer. I have a serious book buying problem!!

I am going to start off with the two books that I have received kindle copies of for review.

"A Prophet Without Honor" by Joseph Wurtenbaugh

What if Hitler had won the war?  What if a clever bluff meant that the French and British soldiers lost to Hitler's untrained army? What if Hitler had taken over the world? I requested this advanced reader copy because I was so excited by the plot outline.  I really love reading authors I have never read before so I was keen to review this one - I can't wait to read it this month.  This book was released in June 2017 and is available on Amazon.






"The Lost Season of Love and Snow" by Jennifer Laam

This is based on the story of Alexander Pushkin's wife.  Natalya has a lot of admirers within the court and soon strikes up a loving relationship with the poet.  Their intense love for each other as well as their jealous tendencies spells disaster for the couple.  Natalya is vilified in St. Petersburg the story tells of her tale to defend her honour and to broadcast the truth about what she is really like.   I LOVE Russian based stories.  Among my favourite ever reads are books like "Sashenka" so I truly hope that this lives up to my expectations - I am predicting this one as a 5 star read.  The book is an advanced reader copy for review and will be published January 2nd 2018.


"The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to Enlightenment" Edited by Brian P. Copenhaver

Ok so this is a total guilty pleasure for my.  I love all things witch - anything with a Wiccan stamp and I am all over it.  There really is not a lot to say about this book other than it is basically a book full of spells, incantations, charms and curses.  The book features a variety of entries from ancient and medieval times through to Thomas Aquinas, Milton, John Dee and much more.  I think this will be a book that will be more of a casual flip through and reading bits and pieces than a cover to cover read.

"Antigone" by Sophocles

This is the third of Sophocles' Theban plays.  It tells the story of the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, Antigone.  Antigone is basically a kick-ass female character - she is strong willed and intelligent and is not scared to show it.  Antigone wants to bury her brother but the king has forbidden it.  She goes up against him in a bid to get him to back down.  She is strong and determined throughout which makes her a typically fantastic Greek character.


"The Empathetic Store" by Jackie Kay

Currently the Scottish makar, Jackie Kay is a larger than life personality who makes me laugh out loud.  I got this when I went to see her at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in August.  This is a collection of her poetry which generally makes honest and down-to-earth observations about life, childhood and relationships.  I can't wait to dig through this collection.




"Letters of Note" by Shaun Usher

This is exactly what it says on the tin: a collection of interesting letters from throughout history.  Such gems included are: letters from Queen Elizabeth II, Virginia Woolf and Jack the Ripper.  This is a beautiful "coffee table book" that will be another book that I pick up and flick through every so often.  I kind of enjoy the idea of a non-committal reading tool actually - sometimes you just need a break from trekking through 400 page tomes!





"How to Stop Time" by Matt Haig

Tom is centuries old.  He has a rare condition that keeps him alive.  Over the years he has changed his identity several times to keep him from being discovered.  When we find him he is teaching History at his local high school telling stories that he must pretend that he never really witnessed.  The one thing Tom is not allowed to do though is to fall in love. OK I will hold my hands up - the beautiful cover of this book definitely played an important role in my choice to buy it however I have also heard wonderful things about this book so it definitely is not just me being shallow!  I don't know what I will make of this as it will be my first book by Matt Haig.



"Only Ever Yours" by Louise O'Neill

The reason I picked this one up was it has real similarities to "The Handmaid's Tale" (which I LOVE) and I am intrigued at whether this one will pull off the emotional response Atwood created for me.  This tells of a version of the world where women are bred in specialist centres where they are trained in the art of pleasing men.  At the graduation ceremony the most highly rated become "companions" who live with their husbands for the sole purpose of breeding sons until they no longer can.  Those who are not highly rated become concubines or teachers.  A story of two girls brought up as best friends which ultimately tests their friendship and loyalty to each other.




"The Language of Flowers" by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

I received this book in a mystery package from "Blind Date With A Book" - I have no idea who ordered it but I totally love it.  Victoria has spent her life in foster care.  She feels a real sense of detachment to those around her because of her childhood experiences.  Victoria is an expert in flowers.  She knows the symbolism of Victorian times which is associated with each flower and sets about planting her own garden beside the park bench that she sleeps on.  Victoria is soon discovered by a florist who notices her talent and passion for flowers.  Victoria has to decide whether she is ready to let go of her past for a second chance at being happy.



Finally...
"The Underground Railroad" by Colson Whitehead

A story of slavery set in Georgia we follow the story of Cora - an African slave who is outcast by her fellow slaves.  When Caesar comes onto the scene he offers Cora a sense of hope she has never had before.  He explains of the existence of an underground railroad which will take them out of the plantation to a life where they can be free.  They take the risk but it does not quite go to plan.  They end up running for their lives being chased all the while.  I knew nothing about this book when I picked it up but I have seen it on so many review sites and it has much hype surrounding it.  I am eager to read it but I don't think I will get to it any time soon.  It does sound very interesting though.




My August wrap up of what I read will be up this weekend as well as my reading outlook for September - I need to up my game to get back on track with the number of books I want to have read in 2017!!

Meg x

August Book Haul Part 1 (Oops...)

Every month I promise myself that I won't get carried away with buying books and every month I break that promise. This month has been no different!  One super exciting development is that I have actually received two ebooks for review from authors - these are not out yet so I have very limited knowledge as to what they are all about so far. I am only going to give very brief summaries again this month as I will post full reviews on each book once I read it!

"Once Upon a Dream" by Liz Braswell
This is a re-telling of Sleeping Beauty and, similarly to the other two books in the series (see July haul), it is told with a dark twist to the tale.  I adore the cover of this book - it is beautifully designed and mysterious looking.  The book questions what would happen if true love's kiss did not actually solve everything? What if there was more to be done to get passed Maleficent's evil curse?  Sleeping Beauty is one of my all time favourites and so I am SUPER keen to read this twisted tale!







"The One Memory of Flora Banks" by Emily Barr

A devastating brain tumour has left Flora with no short term memory retention.  Every day the things she does she almost immediately forgets until the day she kisses her best friend's boyfriend (Drake) and remembers.  Flora convinces herself that this boy must be the key to unlocking her memory retention. Flora travels across the world to meet Drake in Norway but with the problem of her memory this proves a lot more difficult than it would for other people. I got this one after seeing it for cheapsies in a supermarket.  I have heard mixed reviews about it so I thought I would give it a go and see for myself.



"Nutshell" by Ian McEwan

To say I am excited about this one is an understatement.  I first heard about this from Booktuber Sophie Carlon and from her description I just HAD to read it. This is a re-telling of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" (hooked already?!) told from the perspective of an unborn baby in the womb. I don't really think I need to explain any further why this book sounds so blooming fabulous do I? I mean what more can you want?







"Confessions of a Sociopath" by M.E. Thomas

Having bought this one at a service station on one of my many trips down south I now feel a little bit of regret.  I always have a snoop on Goodreads when I buy something I haven't heard of and this is among the lowest rated books I actually own.  This is an autobiographical tale of the author's life as she identifies as being a non-criminal sociopath.  Anyone who knows me knows I love a good book with a socio/pyschopath in there.  I find the dynamics and relationships of sociopathic characters absolutely fascinating.  I think there is a huge gap in the modern market when it comes to identifying female socio/psychopaths and with this being based on real life experiences I feel like this has the potential to educate us all about living life with conditions of mind different to the average person.I am definitely going to read it and hope Goodreads reviews were maybe wrong on this one.



"The Sellout" by Paul Beatty

Having been brought up witness to a variety of racial psychological experiments the main character is forced to look at life differently.  He ends up in the Supreme court having reinstated slavery as well as enforcing segregation at the local high school.  He does all of this to please his father and to help him to finish a manuscript based on his experiments in the hope that the script will help the family out of financial trouble.  When his father is killed in a police shoot out, he must confront all that he was brought up with as well as facing the lies and deceit left behind by his father.  It's a satire. It sounds AMAZING.  Let's all have a think about what the world is like now...this could not be more relevant.



"Love & Gelato" by Jenna Evans Welch

Lina's mum has one last wish before she dies: Lina must go to Tuscany, Italy and get to know her father - a father who hasn't been around for 14 years.  Lina is hesitant until she is given her mother's journal from the time she lived in Italy. She ends up on a journey of discovery that leads her to uncover a secret that means everything will change. This was a 99p ebook.  Every day I get an email from "BookBub" which outlines free or very cheap ebooks that I might like based on the interests I put into their website.  It is brilliant and there is often a little gem in amongst the recommendations too.


"The Time Traveller's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger

Unfortunately I just have not gotten around to this month's book club reads.  This was one of them and I will definitely read it but I have been so busy this month getting organised to go back to work that I just have not had a minute to read this.  I will be honest I know very little about this other than Henry is married to Clare.  Henry has a rare disorder which makes his genetic clock reset periodically to a time which has had or will have an emotional impact on his life in some way.  Every so often he finds himself out of sync with time and not in the place he is meant to be.  Together Henry and Clare attempt to keep life as normal as possible but are faced with an uphill struggle against something completely outwith their control.  I have wanted to read this for ages and just never managed to get around to it.  Now that I actually have the ebook it seems there is no excuse!


"The Girl With All The Gifts" by M.R. Carey

This was the second book club read this month and again I just never made it to this one on my list.  It is one that a few of my colleagues have read and loved which makes me interested straight away.  Melanie's life is far from normal.  She is escorted only to school every day strapped into a wheelchair and with two armed guards.  They say she is a special little girl.  She talks about her life in the future - all that she hopes and dreams of.  This makes everyone around her look sad but she is not sure why.  All I am going to say is zombies.  Again, anyone who knows me and what I like to read would not straight away jump to recommend this one.  I am not, have never and will never be one that is into zombie fiction (one day I will be able to face the experience of reading "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" but it is not today).  I am nervous about this one.  Very nervous.


I have a few posts that I want to put up in the next few days.  Obviously part 2 of the book haul is my priority but I also met Patrick Ness this month (EEK) and I have a special review of "See What I Have Done" in the pipeline.  Finally my monthly reading wrap up - which is not actually too shabby!  I will be working on those this week.

Have you read any of these? If so what were they like?

Meg x

July Book Haul!

I thought that I had been bad for buying books last month but this month was so much worse!!  I'm going to keep the descriptions brief as I will include more detail in the reviews once I read each book!

1. "When Dimple Met Rishi"

This is all about an 18 year old Indian girl whose parents are determined she will have an arranged marriage to a boy named Rishi.  In a cunning effort to draw the two together Dimple's family agree to send her off to a programming camp she wants to go to - she is oblivious to the whole idea.  When she gets there Rishi introduces himself and the whole plan unfolds.  The whole story is about the journey they each go on discovering what they really want from life as well as the sacrifices they are willing to make to be happy.

2. "Caraval"
Caraval is about the Dragna sisters who have lived their life practically imprisoned by their father's cruelty and the control he has over them.  It has always been their dream to see Caraval - a travelling show - but they have never been allowed to go.  As the arranged marriage of the eldest sister draws closer it seems less likely that they will achieve their dream until they receive a letter from the organiser inviting both of them to go and see the show.  They are faced with the decision: to risk the wrath of their father if they are caught leaving or to wave their dream goodbye and stay where they are. 

3. "The Essex Serpent"
In Essex there has long been a legend of an evil, terrifying snake-like creature which emerges from the waters killing animals and humans alike.  For years the creature has been no more than a folk tale, a legend to scare children into behaving. Now the latest from Essex is that the creature is back.  No one knows why but the local Pastor is doing his best to keep the panic from setting in.  Teamed up with the recently widowed Cora he goes in search of the truth. Will the answers be forthcoming and should they turn to science or religion for help?

4. "Gilead"
This is the story of 3 generations of America starting with the Civil War and ending in the 20th century.  It is about spiritual battles undertaken by humanity and how they have developed over the years.  This looks at the appeal of leading an ordinary life and at the human condition as a whole. This is a novel I know very little about but have heard fantastic reviews over BookTube and a variety of blogs.


5. "The Selfish Gene"
So this one I have only really heard about and don't particularly know a lot about.  It's a non-fiction science book which looks into our genetic backgrounds.  It asks the reader to think about how our own genes build and make us into who we are. That's all I know really about this one!

6. "His Bloody Project"

Roderick Macrae is 17 years old when he is arrested for the brutal murder of 3 people in Ross-shire, Scotland.  It is written in as a presentation of docments such as police statements, witness testimonies etc. which offer contradictory views on the lead suspect.  Some argue he is a shy, quiet and gentle soul but others say he is menacing and evil.  The novel looks at whether Macrae was actually sane and what his motives for the murders actually were.  It is full of suspense right until the end.

7. "The Girls"
This is about 1960s North Caroline where a bout of violence is soon to turn the state into disarray.  Evie is drawn to a group of girls who she meets in the park. They seem carefree, have the freedom to dress how they like and a sense of danger that appeals a lot to Evie.  She is desperate to achieve acceptance by the leader - Suzanne.  Unbeknownst to her, Evie is falling into an infamous cult where she is drawn into a world of murder and violence.  Can she realise before it is too late?

8. "Wilde Like Me"
A story of a single mum who lives her life hiding her true feelings of loneliness.  She loves her child and her job but feels desperately lonely underneath it all.  She wants nothing more than to fit in with the mum crew at school but stuggles with this.  She has tried everything to find someone who she can share her life with but to no luck.  She decides it is time to change her life and seize the new opportunities thrown at her.


9. "Stay With Me"

This is a widely accredited novel which I can't wait to read! Yejide and Akin fell in love as teenagers and married young.  While polygamy is an accepted part of their culture, they agree it is not for them.  Yejide and Akin have been trying to get pregnant for 4 years with the help of fertility specialists, healers, medicine and holistic approaches.  They have not been successful.  Their family arrive with a new young wife for Akin which infuriates Yejide who realises it is now or never - get pregnant or lose her marriage.  She goes to great lengths to fall pregnant and save her fragile marriage.

10. "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine"
Eleanor lives her life by a rigid timetable.  She does not like to deviate from her schedule at all. She avoids social situations at all costs preferring to spend her time with pizza and phone calls to her mum.  That is until she meets Raymond who changes her life - or tries to.  Together they rescue an older gentleman named Sammy.  The three become unlikely friends and all suffer isolation of some description. They work together to save each other from their isolation and break through the fear and constrictions they previously faced.

11. "As Old As Time"

This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast.  It looks at Belle's mother and her family history.  Belle looks into the past when she touches the enchanted rose and sees unexpected connections between her and the Beast who has her held captive.  If what Belle sees in the past is true then it was her mother who was the Enchantress who cast the curse on the Beast and the castle inhabitants. Together the Beast must work with Belle to solve the mysteries of the past and work out the connections that have drawn them together.

12. "A Whole New World"
From the same series as "As Old As Time" this retells the story of "Aladdin" and looks at what would have happened if Jafar had summoned the genie from the lamp instead of Aladdin.  Jafar uses his first wishes to make him the ultimate sorcerer and sultan of Agrabah.  Agrabah lives in terror and fear of Jafar and it is up to Aladdin and the former Princess, Jasmine, to lead the citizens in a rebellion against Jafar to try to regain control over their kingdom.

June Book Haul (Be prepared - I bought lots!)

All year I have promised that as soon as we got to the summer holidays I would go all out to boost my reading time.  What an excellent excuse to get myself some new books! For the first time in my life I got myself a Kindle last month so a lot of the books I got are on there.  Much as I have mixed emotions about Kindles I have been blown away by how handy it has been.  Because I am going on honeymoon this month I needed to invest in a way that I could take as many books as possible with me on holiday without doing in my case weight.

I will keep each synopsis as brief as I can.

I saw this book on a few Booktube channels as being highly recommended.  It is about a dystopian future where women suddenly have all of the power.  They wake up one day and have the ability to cause pain and even death.  Men are disempowered all of a sudden and find themselves at the mercy of women. I am REALLY looking forward to this one!

 "See What I Have Done" is a novel which is based on the Lizzie Borden axe murders in Massachusetts.  I love novels based on real life events so I was drawn to this own.  The story starts off when the bodies of a mother and father are discovered by their youngest daughter having been axed to death.  It then looks at the other members of the household who each have their own stories to tell.

This is another novel based in a dystopian version of the world where a deadly plague is contributing to the end of the world. Humans everywhere are spontaneously combusting and the fire is spreading.  I was drawn to this because the protagonist is female which is unusual for the genre.  She is a pregnant nurse who is determined to live long enough to give birth to her child.

Another true crime novel.  Maggie Nelson's aunt was murdered.  After years of investigation by her she realises that the police have also been working on it and have a strong new lead.  They arrest a man who then goes on trial for the murder.  Maggie and her mother attend the trial every day.  This documents her emotional journey and thoughts as she watches the trial.

I am not usually a fan of fantasy novels - particularly ones about mermaids.  This follows the story of a mermaid princess who is running away from the sea and being a princess.  She goes to live on shore and is under the care of a young boy who is trying everything to keep her safe.  I believe there are also pirates involved here too...This one was another BookTube recommendation so I will give it a go!

Our main protagonist (Tara Sharp) is gifted with the power to read people's auras and find out things that they would not necessarily want people to know about.  Tara uses this power to help her progress her career and to get out of some sticky situations.  This is one that is supposed to be funny and witty so I am interested to see how that comes across.

This is a book club read this month and after reading "The Girl on the Train" in a day I was keen to see this. A single mother along with other women has been found at the bottom of a river.  The discovery leads to the reveal of other secrets that the river has been hiding for many years. Her daughter goes to live with her aunt who is a stranger to her.  Her aunt lives in fear and has tried to run away from the place she keeps being dragged back to.

A world where everyone lives on Mars after Earth was destroyed years ago.  The protagonist is a girl who is a trained fighter who is chosen by her school to travel on the mission back to Earth where she will discover many secrets.

This novel has been recommended to me so many times. I am so excited to read this one.  Starr witnesses her unarmed friend being shot dead by a police officer.  This looks at the media portrayal of the shooting and how young people are portrayed in the media.  Her life is in danger but she is the only person who is still alive that really knows the truth.

This is set in 1812 in London.  Lady Helen is about to be presented to the Queen when one of her housemaids disappears the night before.  She has to decide whether she can trust the dark lord Carlston to help her get to the bottom of the mystery.

Last but not least...

In every generation three triplets are born.  This is the first in a trilogy which follows the journey of 3 sisters who each have their own unique powers.  They must fight for the one crown to decide who will become queen.  I have heard lots of good things about this one so can't wait to get stuck in!

Sorry for the long haul - hopefully some good reads amongst the list.

Meg x