Hello lovely bookish friends, and welcome back to my blog, which has been sitting here all lonely and neglected since July(!) I’m so sorry little blog, and lovely bookish friends. I feel so bad for disappearing, but I was going through some mental health stuff, and honestly, I just needed a break. I’m still going through that stuff, but I miss blogging so much and I really want to get back into it. I’m not working at the moment (apart from babysitting), and I have been doing a lot of reading recently (interspersed with sleeping and Netflix), so I’m hoping to be posting regularly again soon.
Today I thought I’d share with you a book haul, because it’s been a billion years since I did one of those (I’m pretty sure I haven’t even done one in 2018!) Here are some of the books I’ve picked up in the last month (with mini reviews of the ones I have already read!)
American Panda by Gloria Chao
I’ve been wanting to increase my collection of light-hearted YA contemporary books, because I have so many dark books on my shelves, and when I’m feeling down, I never want to reach for them, because they just make me feel worse. This book sounds like it will be the perfect heartwarming pick me up. It’s about Mei Lu, a Taiwanese American girl who has enrolled in college early at the age of 17, but isn’t sure she really wants the future she’s working so hard towards. It’s all about family and identity (and romance!) and it’s supposed to be funny and sweet, so I am all about that, and I can’t wait to read it.
Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson
I’ve heard a lot of people talking about this novel on Booktube and it sounds so much fun. It’s about a Wiccan girl named Mila who attempts to raise her friend Riley from the dead to find out who murdered her. It’s meant to be quirky, funny, witchy, diverse and generally a blast, so I’m really excited to get to this one! Also I am obsessed with this cover.
Everyone’s an aliebn when you’re an aliebn too by Jonny Sun
This is the sweetest, most adorable, most delightful graphic novel I have ever read. It’s about an alien who comes to earth to learn about humans, and it follows his interactions with all the different creatures he meets along the way. It’s so PURE. The illustrations are SO CUTE. The alien is so curious, and confused, and bad at spelling, and you will want to give him the biggest, squishiest hug. Basically this book will warm your heart and soul and you must, must read it.
Pages & Co: Tilly and the Book Wanderers by Anna James
This is a middle grade novel about a girl named Tilly who discovers she has the ability to travel into the worlds of her favourite books. It all kicks off when Anne of Green Gables and Alice (of Wonderland) turn up in Pages & Co, the bookshop Tilly’s grandparents own. It sounds so magical and charming and I’m really excited to pick this up. I think it will be the perfect cosy read to snuggle up with as the days get colder.
Sawkill Girls by Clare Legrand
I don’t know a lot about this book, but I know it’s set on an island, there is some kind of monster at large, and girls are disappearing. It’s meant to be very atmospheric and spooky, and I’ve been dying to read it ever since I heard about it, because I LOVE books set on islands.
Happily Ever Esther by Steve Jenkins, Derek Walter and Caprice Crane
I recently read this one and absolutely adored it! Esther the Wonderpig, if you haven’t heard of her, is quite an internet-famous pig. Her dads, Derek and Steve, got her when she was a tiny piglet and were told she was a micropig, but there was nothing *micro* about Esther, and she grew into the 600 pound commercial pig she was always meant to be. Derek and Steve eventually decided to move to a farm where Esther would have the space to do her piggy thang, and they turned the farm into an animal sanctuary to help other rescued farm animals. This book is all about the trials and tribulations of setting up the sanctuary, the adventures of their animal residents, and the wonderpig who started the whole thing. This book is funny in places, sad in places, but ultimately heartwarming and hopeful. I love it, and Esther, to pieces.
Twelve Nights by Andrew Zurcher
I’m waiting until December to read this one because it’s set around Christmastime. It’s a middle grade novel about a girl whose father goes missing on Christmas Eve, and it’s all about the mysterious, magical, dreamlike adventure she goes on to find him. It’s recommended for fans of Philip Pullman and CS Lewis, so it sounds like it’s going to be really cosy and whimsical and I can’t wait to curl up with it, a cup of tea, and a ginormous mince pie, later this year.
Sadie by Courtney Summers
I downloaded the audiobook of Sadie because I’ve heard amazing things. about it. Part of this novel is told in the format of a podcast, and apparently this element is done really well in the audiobook. with a full cast, sound effects, etc. I was going to listen to this in October but I didn’t get round to it. I’m taking a break from dark reads right now because I read tons of them during the Halloweeny season, but I’m excited to pick this one up soon.
The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas
I listened to the audiobook of this YA thriller in October, and it was very entertaining, but not super memorable. It’s about a girl who is investigating the deaths of five cheerleaders from her town (one of whom was her sister) who all died in different circumstances within the same month, because she believes their deaths might be connected. It kinda gave me Pretty Little Liars vibes, but without the utterly ridiculous ending (although THAT was certainly memorable!)
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
I picked this one up for £1.99 in a charity shop, and it sounds really warm and sweet. It’s about a woman who moves from Sweden to a small town in the US and opens the town’s first bookstore. It’s a quirky book about books, and that’s my jam, so I was super pleased to find it.
So that’s all of the books I acquired in October! Have you read any of these? What did you think of them? And which one should I pick up next?! Hopefully I will be back again shortly with a book tag, and maybe even a review or two! 😊 See you soon! xxx