My Weekly Book Haul: 16/05/2014

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Friday Finds is something that was started over on ShouldBeReading and Stacking the Shelves over at TyngaReviews, I am in love with all of these as I love finding other blogs to follow and books to read through these! So check them all out and see what you find, Stacking the Shelves has a lot of participants as well which is great. This is basically a way for me to show what books I have received, borrowed or bought each week. All book covers and their summary come from back of book or Goodreads.


This week wasn't too bad for me, don't remember half of it, but I'm sure it was good. I don't know, my memory is failing me lately. I feel more like a 90 year old than a 22 year old. But, I know I had some time off work where I didn't do to much, I read quite a bit and caught up on some TV. My butterflies are going mental atm, am really looking forward to being able to let them go on Sunday. I received some packages from Book Depository, and squealed in delight for them all. 
I had so much fun having a readalong with Amanda at Book Badger. We read Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas and I loved it, such an amazing read. My review will be up tomorrow so keep an eye out for that one. I've got so many amazing books to choose from now that it's getting hard to pick what to read next.





Breakable by Tamarra Webber

Breakable (Contours of the Heart, #2)He was lost and alone. Then he found her.
And the future seemed more fragile than ever.

As a child, Landon Lucas Maxfield believed his life was perfect and looked forward to a future filled with promise — until tragedy tore his family apart and made him doubt everything he ever believed.
All he wanted was to leave the past behind. When he met Jacqueline Wallace, his desire to be everything she needed came so easy…
As easy as it could be for a man who learned that the soul is breakable and that everything you hoped for could be ripped away in a heartbeat.
I quite enjoyed Easy, even if I did have some issues with it, and so I am excited to get to this book. I hope it doesn't disappoint me.


We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

We Were LiarsA beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.
 We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. 
Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

I LOVE THIS BOOK! You have to read it if you haven't read it yet, it's amazing. I reviewed an eARC and loved it so much that I had to buy my own copy. If you want to read my review then you can find it here, no spoilers I promise. 

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

Open Road SummerAfter breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own. Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence. This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking. A fresh new voice in contemporary romance, Emery Lord’s gorgeous writing hits all the right notes.
I am beyond excited to have this to read, can't wait to get to it. 


Split Second by Kasie West

Split Second (Pivot Point #2)Life can change in a split second.
Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She can’t believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is acting up. She’s always been able to Search the future when presented with a choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time, too . . . but not without a price.
When Addie’s dad invites her to spend her winter break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He’s a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden, Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she has an inexplicable desire to change that.
Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, has a secret of her own: she can restore Addie’s memories . . . once she learns how. But there are powerful people who don’t want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding bad boy from school—but he seems to be the only boy in the Compound immune to her charms. And the only one who can help her.
As Addie and Laila frantically attempt to retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot . . . and a future that could change everything.

I have Pivot Point and want to start it soon. I presume I'll love it so I bought this in advance just in case ;) 


Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

Love Letters to the DeadIt begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May did. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to people like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more; though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating new friendships, falling in love for the first time, learning to live with her splintering family. And, finally, about the abuse she suffered while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was; lovely and amazing and deeply flawed; can she begin to discover her own path.

Really like the look of this one, have seen mixed reviews but I am still excited. 



Silent Saturday by Helen Grant
Silent Saturday: Forbidden Spaces Trilogy: Book OneSeventeen-year-old Veerle is bored with life in suburban Brussels. But a chance encounter with a hidden society, whose members illegally break into unoccupied buildings around the city, soon opens up a whole new world of excitement - and danger.
When one of the society's founding members disappears, Veerle suspects foul play. But nothing can prepare her for the horror that is about to unfold when an old foe emerges from the shadows... No one is safe, and The Hunter will strike again...
Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles, #1)Born Wicked: Star Cursed
Born Wicked & Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood 

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.
If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.



Confesions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett
Confessions of an Angry Girl (Confessions, #1)Rose Zarelli, self-proclaimed word geek and angry girl, has someCONFESSIONS to make...
#1: I’m livid all the time. Why? My dad died. My mom barely talks. My brother abandoned us. I think I’m allowed to be irate, don’t you?
#2: I make people furious regularly. Want an example? I kissed gorgeous Jamie Forta, boyfriend of the coolest cheerleader in the school. Now she’s out for blood. Mine.
#3: But most of all high school might as well be Mars. My best friend has been replaced by an alien…and now it’s a case of survival of the coolest.
I do want to read this, but I feel like Rose will irritate the fuck out of me! 


The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

The Warrior HeirOne March day, Jack Swift, a high school student in a small college town, forgets to take the medicine he’s taken daily since he was an infant. There ensues a cascade of events that puts him in mortal danger.
Jack discovers he carries a secret within him that has made him a target of the ruthless wizards of the Red and White Rose. Jack is a Warrior Heir, the last of a dying breed, sought after by the Roses to fight in the tournaments that are used to allocate power among the Wizard Houses. Unknown to him, Jack has lived all his life surrounded by members of the Magical Guilds: wizards, enchanters, soothsayers, and sorcerers. They are determined to save him from the Roses.
With the aid of his aunt, a beautiful enchanter, Jack desperately tries to acquire the skills that might save his life. Jack and his friends, Will and Fitch, unearth a magical sword from a cemetery and fight off the wizards who would take it from them. Jack begins training with the dark and dangerous Leander Hastings, a wizard with a mysterious past.
Meanwhile, Jack is torn between his attraction to Ellen Stephenson, a new student at Trinity High School, and Leesha Middleton, his former girlfriend, who decides she wants him back.
Discovered and besieged by treachery at home, he flees to the Lake District of England. There he is confronted by the greatest challenge of all.

Tempted to start this series, so I picked up the first book and hope to get to it soon to see what I make of it. Have heard good things about the author. 

Spellcaster by Claudia Gray

SpellcasterA darkly enchanting series from New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray about a teenage witch who battles dark forces in her small town, perfect for fans of the Beautiful Creatures and Hex Hall series.
A boy cursed with visions that lead to madness. A girl granted the powers to save him.
As soon as Nadia arrives in Captive's Sound, she knows something is seriously wrong. The town is shrouded in dark magic, more powerful and complex than she has ever seen. Mateo has lived in Captive's Sound his entire life, trying to dodge the local legend that his family is "cursed" with insanity. When the mysterious girl he has been dreaming of every night appears (Nadia), he fears the curse may be true. But danger is coming, and Nadia and Mateo must work together to stop this unknown force before it destroys everything in its path.

Why did I pick this up? I don't even know now. 

Olivia Twisted by Vivi Barnes

Olivia TwistedOlivia
He tilts my chin up so my eyes meet his, his thumb brushing lightly across my lips. I close my eyes. I know Z is trouble. I know that being with him is going to get me into trouble. I don’t care.
At least at this moment, I don’t care.
Tossed from foster home to foster home, Olivia’s seen a lot in her sixteen years. She’s hardened, sure, though mostly just wants to fly under the radar until graduation. But her natural ability with computers catches the eye of Z, a mysterious guy at her new school. Soon, Z has brought Liv into his team of hacker elite—break into a few bank accounts, and voila, he drives a motorcycle. Follow his lead, and Olivia might even be able to escape from her oppressive foster parents. As Olivia and Z grow closer, though, so does the watchful eye of Bill Sykes, Z’s boss. And he’s got bigger plans for Liv…
Z
I can picture Liv’s face: wide-eyed, trusting. Her smooth lips that taste like strawberry Fanta.
It was just a kiss. That’s all. She’s just like any other girl.
Except that she’s not.
Thanks to Z, Olivia’s about to get twisted.


A weird sounding, modern retelling of Oliver Twist... I am intrigued! That cover is not good though. 


A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

A Monster CallsAt seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting — he’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. 
The monster in his backyard is different. It’s ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth. 
From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd — whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself — Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel of mischief, loss, and monsters both real and imagined.
I'm excited but scared to read this book! What if it doesn't live up to the hype? What if I cry like a baby? 



Kiss Kill Vanish by Jessica Martinez

Kiss Kill VanishValentina Cruz no longer exists.
One moment, she was wrapped in Emilio’s arms, melting into his kiss. The next, she was witnessing the unthinkable: a murder in cold blood, ordered by her father and carried out by her boyfriend. When Emilio pulled the trigger, Valentina disappeared. She made a split-second decision to shed her identity and flee her life of privilege, leaving the glittering parties and sultry nightlife of Miami far behind.
She doesn’t know how to explain to herself what she saw. All she knows now is that nothing she believed about her family, her heart, or Emilio’s love, was real.
She can change her name and deny her past, but Valentina can’t run from the truth. The lines between right and wrong, and trust and betrayal, will be blurred beyond recognition as she untangles the deceptions of the two men she once loved and races to find her own truth.
I went Edelweiss crazy but I can't help it. They all sound amazing!

Beware the Wild by Natalie C. Parker

Beware the WildIt's an oppressively hot and sticky morning in June when Sterling and her brother, Phin, have an argument that compels him to run into the town swamp -- the one that strikes fear in all the residents of Sticks, Louisiana. Phin doesn't return. Instead, a girl named Lenora May climbs out, and now Sterling is the only person in Sticks who remembers her brother ever existed.
Sterling needs to figure out what the swamp's done with her beloved brother and how Lenora May is connected to his disappearance -- and loner boy Heath Durham might be the only one who can help her. 
This debut novel is full of atmosphere, twists and turns, and a swoon-worthy romance.
This sounds freaky but I LOVE IT! Excited for this one. 


Stray by Elissa Sussman 

StrayPrincess Aislynn knows all about the curse. Its magic is a part of her, like her awkward nose and thin fingers. It’s also something she can’t control. And girls who can’t control their abilities have a tendency to disappear. So for her own protection, Aislynn is sworn into the Order of Fairy Godmothers where she must spend the rest of her life chaste and devoted to serving another royal family.
Tasked with tending to the sweet, but sheltered Princess Linnea, Aislynn also finds a reluctant friend in the palace gardener, Thackery, who makes no secret of his disdain for her former life. The more time they spend together, though, the more she begins to doubt the rules she has observed so obediently. As Aislynn’s feelings threaten to undo the sacred vows she has taken, she risks not only her own life but Linnea’s as well. With the princess engaged to a devoted follower of The Path, there are some who would do anything to keep Aislynn from straying.



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Boys Like You by Juliana Stone: Review
Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Wish I'd Put Down
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Five Friday Favourites: Not-So-Favourite Contemporaries 


25 comments:

  1. Awesome haul! So curious about Open Road Summer--I've heard nothing but amazing things about it. Split Second eeeep! Go read Pivot Point now! And all your review copies--so curious about them all. Happy reading! <3

    Aimee @ Deadly Darlings

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    1. Thanks so much! I hope I end up enjoying them all. Very excited to get to Open Road Summer, it looks so good.

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  2. Oooh, great haul, Charnell! I AM SO EXCITED FOR WE WERE LIARS! I actually just ordered myself a copy of this literally an hour ago. I haven't actually heard a lot about Open Road Summer, but I like the sound of the synopsis, so I can't wait to see wait you think of it. Also, PIVOT POINT AND SPLIT SECOND! I really enjoyed that trilogy, so can't wait to see what you think of this one also. I also can't wait to see what you think of Love Letters to the Dead, Born Wicked (I'm currently reading this one), Spellcaster (I have picked this one up in the shop soo often, but I always end up putting it down), and A Monster Calls. Thanks for sharing. :)

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    1. I HOPE YOU LOVE WE WERE LIARS!!!! Eeeep, I have far too much love for that book. I am very excited to start that series, it looks amazing. I'm nervous for A Monster Calls, I think it might make me cry.

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  3. Good news about the butterflies! I love seeing them fluttering around in the garden with all their colours and patterns. Good luck with the big release and enjoy your book haul!

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    1. Me too, they're so gorgeous. I'm hoping the weather is nice tomorrow as I am going to let mine go :)

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  4. Ooh, Olivia Twisted sounds quite interesting. Enjoy all these!

    My StS.

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  5. I hope you enjoy Love Letters to the Dead! x) I'm being quite fussy atm, so I'm sure you'll like it more then I did. XD Haha! I feel old these days too. *sigh* I can't even remember what I ate for lunch. And when I have free time, I spend most of it trying to remember what I've forgotten to do since I actually have time on my hands...I end up just watching Supernatural and ignoring reality. Awesomeness.

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    1. That is the definition of awesomeness ;) I hope I do, we shall see. But, I have seen more reviews that were let down and just thought it was another Perks, but we'll see.

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  6. Great haul!
    We Were Liars is really intriguing and totally not what I expected. I saw a copy of it in the bookstore this week and I was surprised to see how short it actually is - I read it on my Kindle as a review copy earlier in the year and never really thought I short it was - I was so pulled into the story that I just kept reading until I finished.
    Open Road Summer is the best book I've read so far in 2014 - it is wonderful and heartbreaking and touching and romantic and just wonderful in so many different ways. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. :)
    A Monster Calls is such a beautiful and touching read - I remember crying a lot while reading it!

    Have a good weekend and happy reading! :)

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    1. I know, I loved that book and it did not feel short when I was reading my review copy either. But once I got the hardback I was really surprised. I was so immersed in the story that I read it in one sitting as well.
      I'm really excited to read Open Road Summer so I am happy that you really enjoyed that one. Am a little nervous to get to A Monster Calls, feel it will make me sad.

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  7. I always love your book hauls! I want to read Open Road Summer and A Monster Calls. I loved Split Second but I did adore Pivot Point too. Great books.

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    1. Thanks, I am excited to start the Pivot Point series, it does look good.

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  8. Born Wicked and Star Cursed, I've heard such good things, and We Were Liars, you loved that, so I'm glad you have a copy! Split Second, oh man, I need that book, I loved Pivot Point! I've got A Monster Calls for Christmas, but that's aaaaaaaages away, which is a shame, because I'd love to read it! I loved the read-a-long, it was so much fun. Got any books that we both have on our shelves unread? I'd gladly do another read-a-long :D

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    1. Me too! I was so excited when it arrived but I was surprised by how short it was. I should have just got the paperback tbh. Haha, maybe... I don't really know what both of us have on our shelves lol

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  9. Great haul! So many of these are on my TBR list! I am dying to read Open Road Summer before summer is over with, I have plenty of time to read it hopefully!

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    1. Me too, that one looks so good so I am definitely looking forward to that one! :)

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  10. I loved The Warrior Heir. It's been a while since I read the first one, but I do rather enjoy that series. Cinda Williams Chima writes great books, her Demon King series is great too.

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    1. I have heard she writes great series so I am super tempted to try them this month.

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  11. Such good books! I'm envious of We Were Liars and Love Letters to the Dead. Really wanna read those two. Also, I want to hear your thoughts on Love Letters to the Dead whenever you get to finish reading it!

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    1. I am behind on my reading but I am really hoping to get to it as soon as I can. It looks AMAZING :)

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  12. I really enjoyed Split Second, I'm a big Kasie West fan! And Breakable was good, but not as good as Easy. But I did love reading Lucas's POV so it was worth it. I'm definitely reading We Were Liars, I'm so glad you loved it! I'll be curious to read your thoughts on Open Road Summer. Have fun reading! ~Pam

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    1. I am excited to read Breakable but my expectations aren't too high for that one. I am so excited for Open Road Summer, it looks so good.

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