April Book Haul

5/05/2017




Oopsie! I may have got a little spend happy in the last two months and bought a bit too much. Over the course of the last two months I managed to buy 12 books. Where on earth am I going to put them all? You might notice that some of look a little worn, that’s because the majority of these books I bought from charity shops! One of my favourite past-times is to go on little treasure hunts in charity shops to see what gems I can find. Turns out there are quite a few in various second hand bookshops at the moment.

I’ll start with what I bought new first!


Geekerella by Ashley Poston – I was having a harmless lurk in Waterstones when I saw this and knew I just had to buy it! Geekerella is a geeky retelling of Cinderella; of course I had to get it. I’ve read and reviewed this one already and thoroughly enjoyed it.

 Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han – No one had told me that the third book in the Lara Jean series had already been released. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was one of my favourite books of 2015, Lara Jean is such a relatable character and I’m so glad I get to see what her and her family are up to once again. Always and Forever, Lara Jean is on the top of my list to be my summer read.

Just One Year – If you read my review of Just One Day then you’d understand why Just One Year is part of this book haul. Gayle Forman has impressed me countless times and I’m really hoping this sequel will do the same. The first book in this series involves Allyson who finds herself whisked away on a whirlwind romance in Paris. When I finished Just One Day I felt like there were lots of questions left unanswered so I’m really hoping this’ll answer all of those. Plus, I’m really curious to see Willem’s side of this story!


The rest of the books in my haul were bought from various second hand bookshops and charity shops. Some I intended to buy and others I just couldn’t resist getting once I read the blurb. It’s probably quite clear now that I love a good girly book, and that’s what the next three books are.

Thanks for the Memories by Cecelia Ahern – Cue the Fall Out Boy music! Sorry I couldn’t help it. I came across Thanks for the Memories and A Place Called Here in a little second hand bookshop near Havant. I’d never heard of the book before, although I have read Cecelia Ahern’s more well-known works (P.S I Love You and Where Rainbows End) and loved them. The cover is beautiful, so simple, the gold detail is gorgeous. Not to mention that the blurb describes Joyce Conway having deja-vu, which I’m hoping means that fate plays a big part in this love story. Tales where magical forces bring two people together are one of the most enjoyable ones for me.

A Place Called Here by Cecelia Ahern – After picking up Thanks For the Memories I felt like it would’ve been wrong not purchase this one too. I’m not as interested in A Place Called Here although it does sound good. It’s about Sandy Shortt who after her classmate goes missing, makes finding her goal. She helps Jack Ruttle find his younger brother and somehow gets lost herself. Thinking about it, I am quite curious to see what this is really about. I get an inkling that there might be the theme of self-discovery in this one.

Here’s Looking At You by Mhairi McFarlane – It’s Not Me, It’s You was a complete flop in my eyes. However, when looking at different reviews, even the negative ones said that her other novels were much better. That is why I decided take a risk and buy Here’s Looking At You. Cancer Research was doing a two for £1 deal so how could I not?! How could I turn down such a bargain? Here’s Looking At You is about goofy Anna Alessi who has found happiness in her life, until James Fraser, a former enemy, walks back into her life seemingly a changed man. Where will this story goes, who knows? It sounds like this is a love/hate romantic build which I am always available for.


Us by David Nicholls – I’ve been considering buying this book for many years now and never got round to it. David Nicholls’ One Day broke me, yet here I am coming back to him again because I loved his writing so much! Us surrounds husband and wife, Douglas and Connie, who’s marriage seems to have fallen apart. There’s no hint to why their marriage is over, just that Douglas is going to win back the love of his wife and respect of his son. Perhaps Douglas did something incredibly wrong, I guess I’ll have to read it to find out.

The Light Between Oceans by M L Stedman – When I noticed that a film version of The Light Between Oceans had been released already I thought that I better get to it and buy it already! I’ve heard that M L Stedman has written a proper tear-jerker. It even says on the blurb that what happens will break your heart. A boat holding a dead man and a crying baby washes onto the shore of an island. The only two islanders, Tom and Izzy find the baby, and make a “devastating decision.” I’m assuming that they choose to keep the baby. Maybe I’ll leave this one for a bit before deciding to get my heart broken.

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult – One day I popped into work and met a new work colleague who had an equal love for musicals and books as me. He was surprised to find that I had not read My Sister’s Keeper, a book that many people have read. I have been planning to read this book since I saw the film I don’t know how many years ago. So after finding out that the book is completely different to the film too, I knew that this would be the next book to look out for in my mini treasure hunts. I eventually found it in a small second hand book shop in Whitsable. Can I just say that Whitstable is a lovely seaside town! A great place to find it. My Sister’s Keeper explores the ethical issues of bringing up a child to be a donor to another unwell child. It’s guaranteed to teach a valuable lesson and get me thinking.


Revival by Stephen King – Being my favourite and the only horror author I know, any book with the name Stephen King just draws me in. It’s about time that I added another book of his to my collection. The circus tent on the cover of Revival has always intrigued me; circuses are one of my favourite things to read about in books, there’s something so mysterious about them! Revival explores the bond between Jamie Morton and Charles Jacobs, based on fascination on electricity. Decades later they meet again, resulting in “profound consequences for both men.” A lot is left unsaid on this blurb, I’m really not sure what to expect.

On Writing by Stephen King – You’re bound to come across this book if you watch booktube. So many people use Stephen King’s half memoir, On Writing, as a reference to improve their own writing. Stephen King is known all over the world as a fantastic writer, numerous films and tv shows  have been made out of his books, if anyone’s going to have good tips its him. Hopefully by reading this I can improve my own writing!

Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White – Charlotte’s Web is one of those books that everyone read as a child. You can’t avoid knowing the ending as it’s assumed that you saw the film or read the book. Many years ago I did borrow it from my local library, but for some reason I never actually finished it. I figured that now is as good a time as ever to buy it, it was cheap and in good condition. Why not?

Twelve books! For someone who has books coming out of their ears, that’s quite a lot. I guess I am a bit of a book hoarder. Seeming as I have a ridiculous amount of books to go through already, so many that panics me when I think about it, I mean, where am I going to find the time to read these?! Ahh well, they’ll look good on my shelf. Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Perhaps you could help me choose and tell me which one I should read first!


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