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My Weekly Book Haul: 22/11/2014

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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 took two weeks off from the blog because my every day life was getting in the way. It has a habit of doing that. If only I could sit at home all day and just read books and blog. But apparently I have to do this thing called 'work', so I can pay bills and buy Christmas presents. Le sigh.
               I've actually really missed blogging and it feels nice to finally be back. I spent a lot of my time away at work, or with family, or reading. And then spent most nights until the early hours of the morning watching The Blacklist, which I am now addicted to. It's AMAZING!




It's quite good to be known as the girl who loves reading. It means that people you barely know will gift you books for no apparent reason. This week some kind person bought these beauties in for me at work. 

Switched (Trylle Trilogy, #1) Torn (The Trylle Trilogy, #2) Ascend (Trylle, #3)
Switched, Torn and Ascend by Amanda Hocking
Wendy Everly knew she was different the day her mother tried to kill her and accused her of having been switched at birth. Although certain she's not the monster her mother claimed she is, she does feel that she doesn't quite fit in. The new girl in High School, Wendy is bored and frustrated by her small-town life -- and then there's her secret, her mysterious ability -- she can influence people's decisions, without knowing how, or why ...When the intense and darkly handsome newcomer Finn suddenly turns up at her bedroom window one night, her world is turned upside down. He holds the key to her past, the answers to her strange powers and is the doorway to a place she never imagined could exist: Forening, the home of the Trylle. Among the Trylle she is not just different, but special. But what marks her out as chosen for greatness in this world also places her in grave danger. With everything around her changing, Finn is the only person she can trust. But dark forces are conspiring -- not only to separate them, but to see the downfall of everything that Wendy cares about...
I actually already own this trilogy, so I'm trying to work out what to do with the spare set. 

Wake (Watersong, #1) Lullaby (Watersong, #2) Tidal (Watersong, #3) Elegy (Watersong, #4)
Wake, Lullaby, Tidal and Elegy by Amanda Hocking
Gorgeous. Fearless. Dangerous. They're the kind of girls you envy; the kind of girls you want to hate. Strangers in town for the summer, Penn, Lexi and Thea have caught everyone's attention—but it’s Gemma who’s attracted theirs. She’s the one they’ve chosen to be part of their group.Gemma seems to have it all—she’s carefree, pretty, and falling in love with Alex, the boy next door. He’s always been just a friend, but this summer they’ve taken their relationship to the next level, and now there’s no going back. Then one night, Gemma’s ordinary life changes forever. She’s taking a late night swim under the stars when she finds Penn, Lexi and Thea partying on the cove. They invite her to join them, and the next morning she wakes up on the beach feeling groggy and sick, knowing something is different.Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. But her new powers come with a terrifying price. And as she uncovers the truth, she’s is forced to choose between staying with those she loves—or entering a new world brimming with dark hungers and unimaginable secrets. 

Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black
Dance of Shadows (Dance of Shadows, #1)Vanessa doesn’t believe that her sister is a runaway. She wouldn’t leave her family behind without saying a word. The only way Vanessa can discover the truth behind her mysterious disappearance is to follow in Margaret’s footsteps, but to do so she risks her sanity and maybe even her life . . .Vanessa Adler is one of the talented few to get a place at the acclaimed New York Ballet Academy. Between backbreaking rehearsals for the school’s production of The Firebird she desperately tries to find out what happened to her sister before she vanished. There are rumors that the pressure of performing the lead role, the same role Vanessa is now rehearsing for, drove her mad. Other girls have gone missing too. Can the role be cursed? Vanessa’s new relationship with leading-man Zep only seems to complicate things further. What is he hiding from her and can she really trust him?
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
I Capture the Castle Cassandra Mortmain is no ordinary teenager. She belongs to an extraordinary family including a father suffering from writer's block and a lute-playing stepmother, Topaz, who communes with nature near the wild, tumble-down castle that is their home. Cassandra's diary reveals how their lives are changed forever two American brothers arrive to lay claim, not only to their home, but also their hearts. 
I've heard so many amazing things about this book, so I was quite excited to receive this one.

After by Anna Todd
After (The After Series, #1)There was the time before Tessa met Hardin, and then there's everything AFTER...Life will never be the same. Tessa is a good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. She's got direction, ambition, and a mother who's intent on keeping her that way. But she's barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. With his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, tattoos, and lip ring, Hardin is undeniably hot! But he's also rude - to the point of cruelty, even. For all his attitude, Tessa should hate Hardin. And she does - until she finds herself alone with him in his room. Something about his dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss it ignites within her a passion she's never known before. He'll call her beautiful, then insist he isn't the one for her and disappear again and again. Despite the reckless way he treats her, Tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real Hardin beneath all his lies. He pushes her away again and again, yet every time she pushes back, he only pulls her in deeper. Tessa already has the perfect boyfriend. So why is she trying so hard to overcome her own hurt pride and Hardin's prejudice about nice girls like her? Unless...could this be love? 
This one I'd heard literally nothing about until I looked it up on Goodreads for this post. I'm nervous now, haha!


Help for the Haunted by John Searles
Help for the HauntedIt begins with a call in the middle of snowy February evening. Lying in her bed, young Sylvie Mason overhears her parents on the phone across the hall. This is not the first late-night call they have received, since her mother and father have an uncommon occupation, helping "haunted souls" find peace. And yet, something in Sylvie senses that this call is different than the rest, especially when they are lured to the old church on the outskirts of town. Once there, her parents disappear, one after the other, behind the church's red door, leaving Sylvie alone in the car. Not long after, she drifts off to sleep only to wake to the sound of gunfire.Nearly a year later, we meet Sylvie again struggling with the loss of her parents, and living in the care of her older sister, who may be to blame for what happened the previous winter.As the story moves back and forth in time, through the years leading up to the crime and the months following, the ever inquisitive and tender-hearted Sylvie pursues the mystery, moving closer to the knowledge of what occurred that night, as she comes to terms with her family's past and uncovers secrets that have haunted them for years. 
Watching Gone Girl really put me in the mood to read some more adult fiction thrillers.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Ready Player OneIt's the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets. And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune — and remarkable power — to whoever can unlock them. For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday's riddles are based in the pop culture he loved — that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday's icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes's oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig. And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle. Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt — among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life — and love — in the real world he's always been so desperate to escape. A world at stake. A quest for the ultimate prize. Are you ready?
I have been hearing so much about this book and now I'm really desperate to read it.

Sweet Evil (The Sweet Trilogy, #1) Sweet Peril (The Sweet Trilogy, #2)
Sweet Evil and Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins
Embrace the ForbiddenWhat if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns? 

I'm curious about this series but, seriously, those covers. They are hideous and should be destroyed.

The Rosie Project The Rosie Effect
The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simson
An international sensation, this hilarious, feel-good novel is narrated by an oddly charming and socially challenged genetics professor on an unusual quest: to find out if he is capable of true love.Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty with social rituals has convinced him that he is simply not wired for romance. So when an acquaintance informs him that he would make a “wonderful” husband, his first reaction is shock. Yet he must concede to the statistical probability that there is someone for everyone, and he embarks upon The Wife Project. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which he approaches all things, Don sets out to find the perfect partner. She will be punctual and logical—most definitely not a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker, or a late-arriver.Yet Rosie Jarman is all these things. She is also beguiling, fiery, intelligent—and on a quest of her own. She is looking for her biological father, a search that a certain DNA expert might be able to help her with. Don's Wife Project takes a back burner to the Father Project and an unlikely relationship blooms, forcing the scientifically minded geneticist to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie—and the realization that love is not always what looks good on paper.
The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgewick
The Ghosts of HeavenThe spiral has existed as long as time has existed.It's there when a girl walks through the forest, the moist green air clinging to her skin. There centuries later in a pleasant greendale, hiding the treacherous waters of Golden Beck that take Anna, who they call a witch. There on the other side of the world as a mad poet watches the waves and knows the horrors the hide, and far into the future as Keir Bowman realises his destiny.Each takes their next step in life. None will ever go back to the same place. And so, their journeys begin...
Borrowed this before seeing reviews for it. I am really convinced I'm not going to like it, so it's going straight back. 


Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman
Prisoner of Night and FogIn 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her "uncle" Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet.Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler. And Gretchen follows his every command.Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?
Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottoline
After picking up his sixteen-year-old son, Ryan, from the cinema one evening, Jake Buckman decides to let him practice driving home along a seemingly quiet street. It is a decision that will alter the lives of their family for ever, as Ryan hits a jogger, who does not survive. What follows is not a clear-cut hit and run, but a split-second decision by a father who will do anything to protect his son. But just how much can a parent sacrifice to protect their own child? And how will Ryan cope with the consequences of his actions?

Half Wild by Sally Green
Half Wild (The Half Bad Trilogy, #2)In a modern-day England where two warring factions of witches live amongst humans, seventeen-year-old Nathan is an abomination, the illegitimate son of the world's most powerful and violent witch. Nathan is hunted from all sides: nowhere is safe and no one can be trusted. Now, Nathan has come into his own unique magical Gift, and he's on the run--but the Hunters are close behind, and they will stop at nothing until they have captured Nathan and destroyed his father.
Golden Son by Pierce Brown
Golden Son (Red Rising Trilogy, #2)With shades of The Hunger Games, Ender’s Game, and Game of Thrones,debut author Pierce Brown’s genre-defying epic Red Rising hit the ground running and wasted no time becoming a sensation. Golden Son continues the stunning saga of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom from the overlords of a brutal elitist future built on lies. Now fully embedded among the Gold ruling class, Darrow continues his work to bring down Society from within. A life-or-death tale of vengeance with an unforgettable hero at its heart, Golden Songuarantees Pierce Brown’s continuing status as one of fiction’s most exciting new voices. 
YAY!


Book Blogger Problems #2: Co-Blogging or Going Solo?
Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios: 2/5 Review
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins: 3/5 Review
Five Friday Favourites: Favourite Cover Changes


42 comments:

  1. The Blacklist is so good!! I haven't enjoyed the second season quite as much as the first but it's still such a good show. I totally agree about the Sweet Evil covers. The books are good though haha.

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    1. I'm glad the books are good, despite the hideous covers! I have only watched season 1, but I plan to get to 2 very soon.

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  2. Awesome haul! I loved Amanda Hocking's Trylle series but I haven't managed to get to her Watersong series yet. The Sweet Trilogy is amazing. Hope you enjoy all your new reads.

    My STS @ Marilyn's Mystery Blog

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  3. So many books! I really enjoyed both the Trylle Trilogy and the Watersong series, and there are some characters I loved in Watersong.

    I've seen so many good things about Prisoner of Night and Fog and I'm desperate to read it. Half Wild also looks great (although I still need to get round to reading the first book at some point). Enjoy your books!

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    1. I still need to read the first book too, oops! I do plan to do that very soon though!

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  4. The Blacklist is one of the many TV series that I want to watch but haven't had the chance to get started on. With so many books to read I have to sacrifice my TV time sadly! I will get round to things like that eventually! Enjoy your book haul!

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  5. Real life likes to get in the way, doesn't it? I'm finding it so hard to balance as well. BUT CHRISTMAS SHOPPING IS SO MUCH FUN! I bought Dance of Shadows on a whim a couple of months back but have been too scared to give it a go. Hopefully it's good...Oh...After. I got the sequel unsolicitedly and I don't think I'm going to go :/// You've got some great books though! Enjoy and hopefully life balances out a tad more! PS. THE BLACKLIST IS SO, SO GOOD, ISN'T IT?

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    1. There's a sequel? Ahhh! I didn't have a clue what it was about, but now that I do it really puts me off. It doesn't really sound like something I am going to love. IT IS! I AM OBSESSED! OBSESSED!

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  6. OOOoh very nice haul!! I still need to read Amanda's Trylle trilogy! Hope you enjoy your reads!

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

    Have a GREAT day!

    Old Follower :)

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  7. Bless, I did think of you when I saw Golden Son for review, aww, you're all happy! I think you could probably sell the other copies by Amanda Hocking if they're in condition, offer them around Twitter, see if anyone will take them! You're doing great hun, really, it's easy to be stressed, if I was planned ahead, Book Badger would be pretty dead, just, not feeling it right now.. anyway, great little collection of books, lots of books to come too, ooo ;)

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    1. I know, Christmas can't get here soon enough. I just can't wait to see what I will be getting from my parents and James book wise!

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  8. Congrats on all the great books that is awesome! I hope you had a nice blogging break even if it was filled with work. ;)
    I love discovering new tv series, especially ones that are a season or two in. It is fun to do marathon tv binges even if it does cut into our reading time. :)

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    1. Tv binges are my favourite, I hate having to wait a week to get the next episode.

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  9. Awesome, awesome haul! I keep seeing After on people's StSs and I've almost bought it at least 5 times. I'm sure I'll give in soon. I really need to read the Amanda Hocking books. I own most of them but haven't read any yet. I've heard so many good things about them. Sometimes it's nice to take a little break, I'm glad you got to read and relax a bit. Enjoy your books!

    Michelle @ Michelle's Minions

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    1. I don't think I would have bought it for myself and I'm nervous to read it, hopefully it's okay though. We shall see!

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  10. What? No! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! That's crazy! I started reading Ready Player One two days ago! I stumbled across it at a library and thought... it's been on my TBR for like two years so why not. It's so deliciously geeky I can't help but love it (1/3 of the way in.)

    Otherwise, I am jealous of your awesome haul. I'm unsure whether to continue with Sally Green, because I feel like the story was unnecessarily stretched into a trilogy. Thanks for posting! I always love seeing your bookish goodies, somehow it helps to pacify my own bookmonster cravings. O_O Did I mention I'm on a book buying ban...? e_e

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    1. I can never manage to stick to a book buying ban! Although I'll be so poor next year that I won't really have a choice, so there is that.

      I am really hoping that I love Ready Player One, it seems so geeky!

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  11. It's always nice for people to buy you books! You must have a good community going there at work if everyone is as kind as said person :3

    I haven't read any books by Amanda Hocking, but I hope to soon. The first book in both series are on my TBR. I love the cover to Dance of Shadows <3 But I doubt I will pick that one up...

    I am curious to see what you think of Sweet Evil! And I really need to read Ready Player One at some point. This week I bought The Rosie Project at a book fair, so it looks pretty cool ^^ I gotta start the Half Bad series as well, everyone seems to love it!

    You have an amazing book haul here xD Seeing posts like this makes me wonder whether I should start doing my own book hauls... but then I think not xD

    http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/2014/11/carrier-review.html

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    1. I'm not sure if they bought them or they were just ones they didn't want anymore and thought I would like.

      Book hauls can be a lot of fun, I like discovering new books that way.

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  12. Glad you're happy to be back to blogging, Charnell! It sounds as though this week was busy for you, but also an enjoyable week. :) You got some great books, as always!

    I've been wanting to read the Trylle trilogy by Amanda Hocking for years now, and although they were ALWAYS at my local department stores for a few years, I sadly never picked up a copy of the trilogy...definitely will have to add them to my list of books to buy otherwise I'm afraid I'll forget about them.

    I want Dance of Shadows for that cover...I remember I stumbled across it on Goodreads a few months back, and while there were a few mixed reviews, I'm still really curious about that one.

    I can't wait to see what you think of Ready Player One, that's one I've been meaning to get out from the library for a while now. I read Sweet Evil after hearing how much Amanda loved the series earlier this year and it was a pretty good read...I keep forgetting to pick up Sweet Peril however...and yes, those covers are terrible. At least the entire trilogy matches though...

    I also can't wait to see what you think of The Rosie Project and Prisoner of Night and Fog.

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    1. I read and enjoyed book one, so it's about time I finished the series. Dance of Shadows looks interesting, but I am a little nervous.

      Ready Player One looks so good, I am very excited to get to that one,

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  13. wow now I'm impressed... so many books for you! I hope you'll enjoy them. Happy reading!

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  14. *curses real life creeping in on fun right along with you* lol My saving grace is I can't just sit and watch a movie or tv. I have to be doing something else and that's usually blogging. lol Happy reading this week!

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    1. I can't either any more, I usually watch movies and tv whilst I blog - even if it drives my boyfriend crazy!

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  15. I can't wait to read Golden Son, The Ghosts Of Heaven and The Rosie Effect! Enjoy all of your books and have a great week!
    -Jon from Bookish Antics!

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  16. Heaps of awesome new books for you and welcome back lovely! How exciting you've got Half Wild already, I wonder how that one would be? No doubt it'd be highly complex. I do like the Sweet Evil book but haven't had the chance to continue the series, so I hope you'll enjoy them and the rest of your books!

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  17. First off, super jealous of Half Wild! *has envious face on*
    Secondly, Ready Player One and The Rosie Project = <3 <3 <3 You'll absolutely love both!
    Unfortunately I'm the black sheep when it comes to Sweet Evil. It was alright, but I really don't see how everyone thinks it's pure gold. *confused face*
    I have all over Hocking's Wave series, but have yet to read it. As per usual. I read Switched years ago and wasn't impressed, but you know how it is.
    Great haul this week.
    Happy reading!
    Brittany @ This is the Story of My(Reading) Life

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    1. I know, Half Wild was one I didn't even need to request. Not sure why I have auto-approval but I am not going to complain. Sweet Evil doesn't seem like something I am going to love, but I;m mostly basing that on the hideous covers!

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  18. These books are all great! I don't know where to start commenting lol. I read a few Amanda Hocking books and I really enjoy her writing. Happy reading!

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  19. Golden Son!!!! So excited for that one. Have fun reading! ~Pam

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  20. Wow, what a lovely haul! I totally agree with you about the Sweet Evil covers. Ha! And I am bummed about all the "meh" reviews on The Ghosts of Heaven. I had wanted to read it so, so bad, requested it, got declined (and I was sad) and then heard some not so great things, so now I don't even know if I want to be bothered.

    And seriously, we should at least get a few days a week where we get to sit around and read and blog, right? It doesn't quite seem fair. Hope you enjoy all the lovely additions :)

    Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight

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    1. I took it straight back, it just doesn't sound like something that would work for me. I know, I think there should be at least one day a week that is dedicated to reading and blogging.

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  21. Project Rosie and The Rosie Effect have been on my radar for a while, I can't wait to see what you think of them!
    And I'm totally jealous about Golden Son! I've been trying everywhere to get a hold of it - I loved Red Rising so much.
    I hope you're having a fantastic week, Charnell! Happy reading.

    Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews

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    1. I went to Netgalley for it! :) Maybe you could try there if you haven't already.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to comment, it always makes my day! Because of time restraints, this is now an award free zone but thanks so much for considering me! Feel free to leave a link to your own blog and I will come visit.