I have decided to combine the last two months in one book haul – not because I forgot but because September was rather a poor effort for book hauling. So instead of boring us all with a paltry 3-book haul, I’ve lumped September in with my much healthier book hoarding habits from October.

This exact book haul is also up over on my YouTube channel so feel free to head that way and WATCH if your reading muscles are exhausted. I also may not have another book haul going up until December, as a word of warning. This is intentional. I go on a book buying ban (the only time of the year I do this) throughout December. Why? Because I put together a wishlist (I do this on the Book Depository cos idek *shrug*) and send it out to family (I make three separate wishlists so no one gets double-ups or has to stress about getting me books I might already have).

But these lists contain ALLLLL the books I want. All of them. And mum has been extra organised this year and started to get Christmas together in November . . . .which basically means I’m starting my ban now. IT’S GOING TO BE HARD. So whilst I apologise that there may not be a haul in November (depending on the review copies situation), I can promise that December will be good.

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BOUGHT

The Harp of Kings
Juliet Marillier

The last few months, after putting together my monthly post of new releases, I’ve been trotting down to the bookstore to pick one (or two) new releases that have hit the shelves. It’s like a really exciting monthly treat. In September, The Harp of Kings had really caught my eye and being about a brother and sister who are sent on a mission as assassins (or something like that) they go undercover as bards. I love it!

Serpent & Dove
Shelby Mahurin

As soon as October rolled around, I knew I just had to go and get a copy of this. Serpent & Dove is actually a lot thicker than I thought it would be (sitting happily around the 500 page mark) but it’s about a witch and a witch hunter forced into marriage. I’m so here for the drama (and the cover!!).

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RECEIVED

The Christmas Party
Karen Swan

Honestly? I’m so excited about this. I was sent and read (and loved) Swan’s 2018 Christmas book and I’m so excited that Pan Macmillan sent me a copy of her 2019 book. This is already out in the stores but I’m saving it up to read it in December. Whilst I haven’t read The Spanish Promise or The Greek Escape, my mum had LOVED both and I can’t wait to get around to them myself!

Salvation Lost
Peter F Hamilton

I feel like I’ve dedicated so much effort to this series this year. Back in god knows when, Pan Macmillan asked if I’d be interested in reading and reviewing Hamilton’s newest book. I read the blurb of book one (this being book two) and was genuinely interested (and so was Jayden who loves sci-fi). PM agreed to send me both book one and two which was very generous of them, so that I could catch up and get excited about the sequel! I can happily say I have read book one and I’m currently reading this. This is a really fun sci-fi series involving aliens with nasty hidden agendas.

The Queen’s Tiger
Peter Watt

Now I wasn’t expecting Pan Macmillan to send me a copy of this because I’d originally turned down the offer when they’d asked if I was interested in reading/reviewing this. This is also a sequel and giving all the effort I’d put into the Salvation series, I just didn’t have it in me to do that with a historical fiction series as well. But here we are, I was sent a copy anyway. I’ve yet to find out whether this is one of those series where it doesn’t really matter if I’ve read book one or not – because I am genuinely interested in this premise. It’s set in 19th century colonial India.

The Confession
Jessie Burton

Now, I was possibly sent this one in August but I’d left it at my parent’s house because my mum was thinking of reading it, and consequently I forgot all about it. I do apologise, Picador. Jessie Burton is the author of The Miniaturist, which you may recognise. I’m not really sure what to make of the blurb of this one and I’m also not 100% sure I’m going to read it. But for now, it’s happily haunting my bookshelf.

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 AUDIOBOOKS

The Rosie Project
Graeme Simsion

This was the free editor’s pick on Audible in September, I believe. That’s a new feature that Audible has recently introduced. I’ve had the paperback version of this on my shelf for such a long time and I just wasn’t getting around to it so I  thought maybe audiobook was the way to go. I WAS WRONG. I tried listening to this the other day but holy shit the audiobook is terrible *cringe*. It’s an Australian narrator (and despite the fact I’m Australian myself) I CANNOT stand Australian narrators.

Stalking Jack the Ripper
Kerri Maniscalco

I’ve been contemplating reading this for the longest of times and I was so excited to finally bite the bullet! Being a reimagining of Jack the Ripper, my curiosity was piqued and I’d been hearing a lot of good things about it. This my current read and I’m loving it!

The Name of All Things
Jenn Lyons

This is the sequel to the BIG fantasy that was released earlier this year: The Ruin of Kings. I read an advanced copy of book one and struggled through it but came out absolutely loving it. I thought perhaps the wisest decision would be to continue the series via audiobook, especially as this series has a cast of narrators instead of just one. Fingers crossed I like this as much as the first!

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That’s a wrap!

Have you read any of these? What did you think!

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~~ Kirstie ~~

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