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Recent Book Haul

6/23/2020

Hello bookworms! Today's post is a book haul! I've definitely been buying more books since quarantine, but I've also been reading a lot more so I call that a win-win situation! I didn't buy these books all in the same month but I thought I'd just compile them in a list here. I'm super excited about all of them so let's get started!

Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco

This is the last book in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series and I am beyond excited to read it. I recently read Escaping from Houdini which I loved. I know I've talked about this series over and over again but for those that don't know it is a historical fiction/mystery about a girl named Audrey-Rose who dreams of pursuing her passion of forensic science. Along the way she meets Thomas Cresswell who helps her in these endeavors as they try to solve murders happening all around the world. I'm not looking forward to this series ending but I absolutely need to know what happens next!

The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson

There's a trend! This is also another book in a series I cannot stop talking about! I believed this was the last book in the series, but recently I saw that it is getting a fourth installment! I was beyond excited when I heard this news. This is also a mystery book where the story toggles from between the past and present. The past being the perspective of what is happening as they are looking for the missing wife and child of a man who runs a boarding school. The present following Stevie Bell, true crime enthusiast, who has been accepted into the same school and is determined to solve the case even when murders start happening again. I'm hoping to reread the series before continuing with this installment.

The Ballads of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Ever since I was younger I absolutely loved the Hunger Games series. I read all the books, watched all of the movies and even dressed up as Katniss for Halloween one year. As you have probably seen I did a giveaway on my bookstagram account celebrating 500 followers where I gave away a copy of this book. I don't know much about the plot aside from that it is focused on President Snow. It's also a lot longer than I expected, I can't wait to find out more!

Forged in Fire and Stars by Andrea Robertson

So since quarantine started, my family and I have been obsessed with this reality competition show called Forged in Fire. It's essentially a competition where blacksmiths make weapons in time constraints and are judged. I originally saw this book on Instagram and I found the title to be a really funny coincidence, then I read the synopsis and I think all of my tv show knowledge will actually come in handy while reading this! It's all about a girl named Ara who comes from a family of royal blacksmiths, however the monarchy has been gone for many years. Then, one day the prince and princess enlist the help of Ara to take back the throne. It sounds really intriguing! Also the cover is beautiful!

The Conference of the Birds by Ransom Riggs

This is also another continuation to a series that I love, and that is the Miss Peregrine's series. We follow Jacob who loves all things odd and is deeply intrigued with his grandfather's stories. Jacob feels out of place and that he doesn't fit in with people his age. That's until he visits Miss Peregrine and her charges, there he finds a home and an amazing group of friends. I can't wait to see where this installment takes the series next!

That's it for today's bookhaul! I am so excited to get to each of these books and can't wait to share my thoughts with you guys! What's a book you bought recently? Let me know in the comments below!

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June Reading Wrap Up

6/23/2020

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June is officially over bookworms! I am now officially done with school for the year! I wasn't able to read as much this month and schoolwork was definitely the cause of that. I'm hoping now during the summer I'll be able to read more. This June I read a total of 5 books.

In this wrap up I'll be providing a few of my thoughts on each book and some quotes if any stood out to me while reading. I will also be sharing my star rating out of 5. (Disclaimer: If any of these books are sequels there will be spoilers!)

Now let's get into the wrap up!

Book 1: Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie 🎧

“And that very same evening - that very same evening - Lord Edgware dies. Good title that, by the way. Lord Edgware Dies. Look well on a book stall.”

“Enemies! People these days don't have enemies! Not English people!”

4/5 Stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐

As usual this month there is an Agatha Christie book! No surprise there! This installment was very intriguing at it was one that kept me guessing. At points I did become confused as there is many characters, however once I sorted it out everything went smoothly. For the past couple of books in this series I have been listening to the audiobooks. I really enjoy the narrator and I feel that the portrayal of the characters is very well done. By the end I had come to a conclusion about who the murderer was, but as usual Agatha Christie blew all of my ideas right out of the water. I quite enjoyed reading it.

Book 2: Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco

"Oh, wonderful." Thomas said. "Satan has decided to claw his way out of Hell and join us. I had no idea he did subpar tricks, though.”

"Hope is an invisible yet mighty force. Don't dismiss its power"

“I love you... More than all the stars in the universe. In this life and ever after. I love you.”

5/5 Stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This being one of my most favourite series of all time, the 5 star rating should be no surprise. I buddy read this with Chantelle from @chantelleisbookish make sure to check her out and follow if you aren't already! I had a really good time discussing this with Chantelle and we both loved the book! I was constantly guessing at what would happen and who the true murderer was. When the time came to reveal that Andreas was the killer I was shocked. Both Chantelle and I thought he was very innocent and liked him a lot at first! I know that many people don't like the love triangle in this book but I enjoyed it very much! Mestiophicles was a very loveable character and I hope we see more of him soon. Audrey-Rose and Thomas' romance was adorable as always and I can't wait to continue reading Capturing the Devil next month!

Book 3: The Legendary Shiver by J.H. MacAl

3/5 Stars
⭐⭐⭐

This month I was contacted by the author to do a review of this book. It was interesting to read and I did enjoy the side characters the most. You can find my whole review here!

Book 4: Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly

“Don’t you see? A pretty girl must please the world. But an ugly girl? She’s free to please herself.”

“Go now, girl. Remake the world.”

“The wolves in the woods have sharp teeth and long claws, but it's the wolf inside who will tear you apart.”

"The stomach is easily satisfied. It's the hunger in our hearts that kills us."

5/5 Stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As you can see from all the quotes I pulled from this book, I loved it! The main character Isabelle was one I enjoyed tremendously. Her determination and stubborn nature were amazing to read from. In fact there wasn't a character that I didn't like to read about. The story was very intriguing and kept me entertained non stop. Not to mention this cover is stunning! I also recently found out that the story has been picked up for a movie adaptation?! Which I am beyond excited about. This is definitely a new favourite of mine that I won't be forgetting about anytime soon. I buddy read this one with the lovely @booksofmagicandmystery make sure to give her a follow as well! She has great photos! I had a lot of fun discussing feminism and our favourite characters together!

Book 5: Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie 🎧

“What's wrong with my proposition?"
Poirot rose. "If you will forgive me for being personal - I do not like your face.”

“If you confront anyone who has lied with the truth, he will usually admit it - often out of sheer surprise."

4/5 Stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐

At the end of the month I managed to squeeze in another Hercule Poirot. I also listened to audiobook for this novel. Even though there was a change in narrator, I still enjoyed it very much. I had watched the film adaptation with Johnny Depp before reading this so I already knew the plot. This however didn't deter my enjoyment at all. This was actually the first Hercule Poirot novel that I read where I guessed the plot twist correctly! (This is something that doesn't happen often so I was really excited) An interesting fact was that it was after watching the film that I decided that I would read all of the Hercule Poirot series, and it's been a lot of fun progressing through it!

Favourite Book This Month

For the month of June my favourite book is Escaping from Houdini! This I think doesn't come as much of a surprise as the Stalking Jack the Ripper series is one of my all time favourites. Stepsister was a close contender as I really enjoyed it as well. It has definitely become another favourite and is a retelling I'd recommend to anyone!

Well that's it for my June Wrap Up! I hope you enjoyed reading it. What was your favourite book you read this month? How many books did you read? Tell me in the comments below!

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