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My Weekly Book Haul: 24/05/2014

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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.


I have actually had the greatest week! My cousin finally had her baby on Wednesday and I was beyond excited for her. It's the closest I'll be getting to a niece or nephew for quite some time. She had a girl, like I knew she would, and she ended up naming her Teaira, Tia for short, which is just lovely. She's a little cutie but my cousin doesn't like the idea of pics of the baby being online so I won't post any.
I've been working a lot and getting pretty fed up. It's just a bit slow at work at the minute and I wish there was more going on. I love being kept busy and having a lot to do. I need more responsibilities or something as I am going a little crazy. 
A bad week reading wise, didn't get much reading done. I did start the Lunar Chronicles finally and really enjoyed it. The hype ruined it a bit as I was expecting to be blown away and I wasn't. I love the writing and the characters but it just didn't wow me for some reason. I think my expectations were too high or something. Can't wait to continue the series though. 



Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy, #3)Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead (Vampire Academy #3)

It’s springtime at St. Vladimir’s Academy and Rose is close to graduation, but since making her first Strigoi kills, things haven’t felt quite right. She’s having dark thoughts, behaving erratically, and worst of all... might be seeing ghosts.
Consumed by her forbidden love with her tutor Dimitri and protecting her best friend, the Moroi princess Lissa, Rose is in no state to see the deadly threat that will change her entire world—and make her choose between the two people she loves most.


Determined to start this series as soon as I can so I purchased book 3 to try and give myself the push I need to get to it. 

The Assassins Blade by Sarah J. Maas
The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass, #0.1-0.5)Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas - together in one edition for the first time - Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn's orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out.

Help! Do you read that before or after book 1?

The Runaway King (The Ascendance Trilogy #2) The Shadow Throne (Ascendances Trilogy, #3)
The Runaway King & The Shadow Throne by Jennifer A. Nielson (Ascendance Trilogy #2 & #3)

GAMES OF THRONES for a younger audience. If you like the danger and sword-fighting of MERLIN, you'll love this! Jaron is now in his rightful place as king, but he knows that with traitors in his castle, and enemies at the borders, he is far from safe. He must go on a journey to discover the truth behind his family's murder. The trick will be coming back alive.


How to Keep a Boy as a Pet by Diane Messidoro
How to Keep a Boy as a Pet (Circe Shaw, #1)The Official Truth about dating the male human species!
Can taming a gorgeous boy really be as easy as walking a dog?
Circe Shaw is on a mission. She must transform into a fabulously sophisticated journalist and discover the amazing scientific truth about boys. Urgently.
But life is beyond complicated. Circe has to deal with a poisonous rival, her mum’s annoying ‘just friends’ men and her own Dark Past.
Can Circe’s daring investigation really teach her the facts of love? 
Will it help her finally get a boyfriend? 
Or will it break her heart…?
Taken by David Massey
TakenA young crew of five are toughing it out together, sailing around the world on a gruelling charity challenge. They are used to being pushed to the limit, but nothing could have prepared them for being kidnapped.
When they are taken hostage by a notorious warlord and his band of child soldiers, the trip of a lifetime turns into a one-way journey into the heart of the African jungle.
When hope is all you have, survival is all you can fight for...


I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

I'll Give You the SunJude and her brother, Noah, are incredibly close twins. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude surfs and cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and divisive ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as an unpredictable new mentor. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.  
This radiant, fully alive, sometimes very funny novel from the critically acclaimed author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once. 

I absolutely loved The Sky is Everywhere so I was beyond


Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios

Exquisite Captive (Dark Caravan Cycle #1)Forced to obey her master.
Compelled to help her enemy.
Determined to free herself. 
Nalia is a jinni of tremendous ancient power, the only survivor of a coup that killed nearly everyone she loved. Stuffed into a bottle and sold by a slave trader, she’s now in hiding on the dark caravan, the lucrative jinni slave trade between Arjinna and Earth, where jinn are forced to grant wishes and obey their human masters’ every command. She’d give almost anything to be free of the golden shackles that bind her to Malek, her handsome, cruel master, and his lavish Hollywood lifestyle.
Enter Raif, the enigmatic leader of Arjinna’s revolution and Nalia’s sworn enemy. He promises to free Nalia from her master so that she can return to her ravaged homeland and free her imprisoned brother—all for an unbearably high price. Nalia’s not sure she can trust him, but Raif’s her only hope of escape. With her enemies on the hunt, Earth has become more perilous than ever for Nalia. There’s just one catch: for Raif’s unbinding magic to work, Nalia must gain possession of her bottle…and convince the dangerously persuasive Malek that she truly loves him. Battling a dark past and harboring a terrible secret, Nalia soon realizes her freedom may come at a price too terrible to pay: but how far is she willing to go for it?
Inspired by Arabian Nights, EXQUISITE CAPTIVE brings to life a deliciously seductive world where a wish can be a curse and shadows are sometimes safer than the light.

Love the cover and the premise too. 

Forbidden by Kimberley Griffiths Little

ForbiddenA sweeping, epic saga of romance and hardship, set against the dramatic backdrop of ancient Mesopotamia—perfect for fans of Cleopatra's Moon or the adult bestseller The Red Tent.
In the unforgiving Mesopotamian desert where Jayden’s tribe lives, betrothal celebrations abound, and tonight it is Jayden’s turn to be honored. But while this union with Horeb, the son of her tribe’s leader, will bring a life of riches and restore her family’s position within the tribe, it will come at the price of Jayden’s heart.
Then a shadowy boy from the Southern Lands appears. Handsome and mysterious, Kadesh fills Jayden’s heart with a passion she never knew possible. But with Horeb’s increasingly violent threats haunting Jayden’s every move, she knows she must find a way to escape—or die trying.
With a forbidden romance blossoming in her heart and her family’s survival on the line, Jayden must embark on a deadly journey to save the ones she loves—and find a true love for herself.
Set against the brilliant backdrop of the sprawling desert, the story of Jayden and Kadesh will leave readers absolutely breathless as they defy the odds and risk it all to be together.

I went a little crazy on EW! 



One chance to win a Kindle Fire HDX, to enter go here.

You can also enter my 1,000 Bloglovin followers giveaway below. For full details go here.





Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas: Review 5/5
Discussion: Sharing is Caring - Blogger Love
Top Ten Tuesday: Books About Friendship
The Distance Between Us by Kasie West: Review 5/5
Films for Thoughts on Thursday: How I Live Now Movie Review
Five Friday Favourites: Not-So-Favourite Dystopians 



47 comments:

  1. A great haul :-) I can't wait to read I'll Give You The Sun. I'm expecting amazing things! I haven't read anything by Sarah J Maas, but I hope to change that soon. Congratulations to your cousin and I hope you have a great week!

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    1. Me too, I am really hoping it's just as good as her other book! :)

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  2. Nice big book haul for you this week...enjoy!

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  3. Awesome haul! I've been hearing a ton about I'll Give You the Sun and Exquisite Captive. Can't wait to read them! Enjoy all the books! :)

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  4. Well I read Throne of Glass when it came out, but when I went back to re-read it in preparation for Crown of Midnight, I read the novellas then Throne of Glass. The novellas kind of help you understand Celaena better but I think I liked learning about the world from Throne of Glass first and then getting to know her better from the novellas. If that makes sense. Hope you enjoy these. VA is one of my favourite series ever so I hope you start that one soon!

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    1. I think I will stick to reading Throne of Glass first then and read the novellas next! I really hope I love that series, keep hearing amazing things.

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  5. I felt the same way when my cousin had her baby. We are like sisters and we have always had just each other. I know that is a wonderful joy for you!
    Exquisite Captive looks good. Enjoy all of your awesome looking books...and that baby! :)
    New follower.
    Our Stacking the Shelves

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    1. I know, they are my closest family and I adore them all so much! I will not be letting that baby go whenever I see her, my cousin will have to pry her off me ;)

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  6. Ooooooooh YOU GOT I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN!!! I can't wait to hear what you think of it! The Sky Is Everywhere is definitely one of my favourite YA books ever. God, I can't wait till I'll Give You the Sun is released.

    Forbidden looks so good! I really want to read that book. Hope you enjoy it! (:

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    1. Thanks! I am very excited to start I'll Give You The Sun, I really hope it's as amazing as her first book.

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  7. Several of my cousins already have kids as well and I love all of them so much - I only have one sibling and it will probably take a LONG time before there's a possibility for nephews and nieces from him, so now I just treat my cousins' children that way.
    Great haul - I hope you enjoy these all :)

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    1. Thank you! I know, I have a lot of other second cousins but I'm not very close to those cousins so I don't really see or know their kids. I am going to love and spoil this kid like crazy! :)

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  8. The Assassins Blade is high on my list of books I hope to find at my library one day. Won't be waiting anxious since I am buried in current reads! I asked for Forbidden last week, and will read it closer to release day. Have a great weekend!

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  9. You are killing me here!!! Vampire Academy! The Assassin's Blade! Two of some of my favorite series ever! And I need to look up that Ascendance trilogy - it sounds like my kind of book!

    I can't wait to read I'll Give You The Sun and Exquisite Captive - I am crossing my fingers I get approved on EW/NG too!

    Happy Reading!
    Nicole @ The Quiet Concert

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    1. I hope they approve you for those! :) I requested IGYTS on both and was so sad when NG didn't approve me. Thankfully EW did!!!

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  10. I literally JUST finished The Assassin's Blade. I absolutely 100% recommend reading Throne of Glass first. I don't think The Assassin's Blade will mean so much without ToG first. (Just my two sense, though). Sorry the Lunar Chronicles didn't live up to the hype for you. :| I do get that. I mean, who ISN'T raving about them these days?! It's hard when the hypes are huuuuge, I reckon.
    How to Keep A Boy As a Pet??? 'Scuse me while I giggle....
    My StS!

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    1. I am definitely going to start Throne of Glass first and get to AB after. I KNOW!!! I giggled like crazy and picked it up on a whim. Now rethinking it as it doesn't really sound like something I'm going to really love all that much.

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  11. Great haul! The Lunar Chronicles is Cinder, isn't it? I started that one an couldn't get into it, but I plan to try again soon. I'm probably one of the only people that hated Throne of Glass too... XD

    I hope you enjoy all your new books! :D

    Under The Mountain

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    1. Haha! I am totally worried I am going to hate Throne of Glass too, at least if I do then I have someone I can talk to ;)

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  12. OOh niiiiiice!! Sounds like good things this week!! Hope you enjoy Vampire Academy! I'd recommend buying book 4 though, because book 3 had a doozie of a cliffhanger!! Of course from there on out they all do! Happy Reading!

    My STS will be up tomorrow, so be sure to stop by then!

    Have a GREAT weekend!

    Old Follower :)

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    1. I will probably go out and buy it straight away if I end up loving the first book! :)

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  13. Nice stack this week. The Jennifer Nielsen series looks fantastic. Those covers scream " read me". enjoy your weekend.

    Grace @ Books of Love

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  14. Ok, I'm a little jealous that you got I'll Give You the Sun…I loved The Sky is Everywhere!

    Yes, you need to read Vampire Academy. To be honest, I wasn't impressed with the first book, so keep that in mind and just keep reading. It gets so much better.

    Too bad the hype got you on the Lunar Chronicles, I hate that.

    And I think the novellas for Throne of Glass were released after the first book. So I would probably read them then. That's what I did and it was fine. It made you understand more of the backstory that's mentioned some in the first book.

    Have fun reading all of your great books! ~Pam

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    1. I really hope I love I'll Give You The Sun, I'm very excited for it. I'm happy to hear that with VA, will definitely try book two if I am not that impressed with book 1. I will be reading AB after Throne of Glass, that seems to be the general consensus! :)

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  15. COngrats to your whole family on the new baby, I adore babies and am so excited for your cousin!!

    I love the Vampire Academy series, so much fun and The Throne of Glass is one on my most favorite series ever! You read the novella before book one but I ended up reading them all after book one and it was just fine. All of them (I think there are four prequels and then two short stories later on) have so much insight into Caleana and her life before she was imprisoned that they really are must reads. I absolutely loved Sam!

    So excited you are reading this series!!

    Congrats to you on all your great reads this week!

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    1. I know, she did so well and the baby is gorgeous! I love that little cutie already.

      I am really looking forward to starting both of those, I hope I love them too. I think I will read the novellas after book one. Thanks, I hope I love them all :)

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  16. Everyone should be jealous that I've seen little Tia, she's an absolutely gorgeous little baby and I feel honoured to have seen pictures! You got some crackers off EW! I think I need to reborrow Vampire Academy so I can see what everyone thinks of it, and Everyone loves Throne of Glass, can't wait to read it with you! :D Great post, yipeee for baby! :)

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    1. Awww, thank you Amanda! :) I am very excited to be able to read Throne of Glass with you, need to hurry up and get through Lunar Chronicles.

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  17. I would read throne of glass first, I know the novellas take place before it, but I really think if you read the novellas after throne of glass it enhances your appreciation of the characters. read crown of midnight last.

    Great haul! Congrats on the new cousin/niece!

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    1. Thank you! :) I have decided to read Throne of Glass first, seems to make the most sense :)

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  18. Aws congrats on the not quite but almost a niece baby cousin! Tia is a darlin' nickname :)

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  19. Congrats on the new baby in your family!

    I hope I''ll Give You the Sun is a wonderful read, I too loved TSiE!

    Mands @ The Bookish Manicurist

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  20. Woo, looks like a great haul! I hope you enjoy. And congrats on being sort-of an aunt!

    My StS.

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  21. I also have Exquisite Captive and Forbidden! I cannot wait to read them both :D

    Have a fabulous weekend! :)

    Check out my STS post!

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  22. You have some great titles. I need to read Rachel's book.

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  23. I read How to Keep a Boy as a Pet last year and it's fun, hope you like it.

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  24. Nice haul! I hope you enjoy your new books! LOVE VA series!

    Come and check out OUT's STS

    And dont forget to enter the giveaway!

    Leydy from OUAT & RCE

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  25. I'm super excited about I'll Give You The Sun, too! Will be keeping my eyes open for your review! :)

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