Pre-Final-Exams Book Haul, where I regret nothing.

Recently I was invited to a Dymocks VIP event for Dymocks members. Not only was there wine and cheese involved, but there were also some enticing books I caved in and purchased. Here is my pre-final-exams book haul.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Plath’s notoriety precedes her. In one of my introductory units we were given an essay on Plath’s life and its resemblance to The Bell Jar, which I now see was a ruse to get us to read Plath. After a year of picking up this beautiful book at every bookstore I entered, I found a hardcopy version I didn’t have the heart to replace on its shelf. It now graces my bookshelf besides my hold and white version of Gatsby. I am looking forward to reading this scandalous tale.

Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot

The Princess Diaries saw me all through my adolescence. Book 10 was one of the greatest finale books ever. Though I am a little skeptical of this book as being the publisher’s last grab at my expendable income, I will admit I am excited to revisit some old friends and laugh at the antics of Mia’s life.

Ariel by Sylvia Plath

In the spirit of discovering classics, I also picked up a copy of Ariel. Plath’s writing style beautifully lends itself to heart-wrenching poems. I am excited to read this in a darkened coffee-shop like the literary nerd I am.

I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

I have heard nothing but praise for this contemporary YA. It sounds like the perfect summer read, complete with romance, coming of age, humour, and a hopeful ending.

With that, let the holiday reading commence!

Christmas Book Haul

Happy New Year to you lovely folk. We are well into 2015 and I still haven’t posted a Christmas book haul. I got a lot of books both given to me and purchased by me so I wanted to share my nerdy excitement here!

1.       Scarlet and Cress by Marissa Meyer

My sister heard me cry out and came running to my room, asking me what was wrong. I said, “Cinder finished. And I don’t’ have the second one.” She bought me both sequels. My sister is the greatest. (Read my Cinder book review here.)

2.       I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb

Sometimes the world is horrid. I am saving this book for when I need to know how to survive human cruelty. Malala is a young woman standing up against the Taliban by going to school and speaking out on behalf of oppressed young women. At 17, she is possibly the greatest human alive with a Nobel Peace Prize under her belt and a survivor of brutal gun attacks. I already know this is going to be a massive book for me particularly as feminist literature.

4.       Landline by Rainbow Rowell

If you haven’t yet picked up a Rainbow Rowell book I really don’t know what you’re doing. I am seriously excited to start this one. This author has taken the young adult and adult contemporary genre by storm, particularly in 2014. Her novel Eleanor and Park remains my favourite youth fiction romance ever. Fangirl –omg Fangirl-  is incredible. Go read Rainbow Rowell.

5.       Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

A fantastic new addition to my bookshelf (one that I bought myself) in the form of a teen urban fantasy-suspense. I remember reading Westerfeld’s Uglies series in my early teens and being enchanted by his world-building and plot driven storyline. This is one book to watch.

6.       Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

I purchased this by suggestion of a friend who promised me a mighty heroine and a premise which would blow my mind. I’m hesitantly excited but I trust Richelle Mead – author of Bloodlines which I love - with my fragile fangirl life. I am always excited to start new series.

As always, you can follow the links of the books you like the sound of to Goodreads. Now the only question is: where to begin? Ciao.

BookFest Haul

A few weeks ago I went to Brisbane Bookfest (a massive charity book rummage in the Convention Center) and got a few bargains. Just a few.

1. Balance of Power by Paul Paler.
The President of the USA dies from suspicious causes and the First Lady finds herself suddenly privy to many secrets and at the heart of the mystery. I picked up this book as I'm interested in the US democratic model -which is very different to Australia's- and like strong female characters. It's a little out of my comfort zones as far as genre but am interested enough to give it a shot.

2. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.
Confession: I have not seen the movie. I do not know what happens at the end. I know I am in for a wild ride, this is a novel which has been highly recommended by friends and their parents.

3. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding.
A modern, gritty retelling of Pride and Prejudice is all I needed to know. I have since read the book and thought it was very different from the movie. The tone was there but the overall characters and plot wasn't. Thoughts anyone?

4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
Not any people believe me when I say that this is a hilarious book. It really is! The family dynamic is so life-like and fantastic. And let's not even mention Darcy. As far as I'm concerned, this is the original chick-lit novel.

5. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding.
Ahh the excitement of continuing the series!

6. The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper.
I am largely uneducated about American literature and seeing as this is one of the most popular novels from literature courses, I want to add it to my repertoire. Once again, I have little to no idea what it is about apart from the French and Indian war.

7. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling.
A repurchase because my other copy- which I also purchased second hand- did not have THE FIRST CHAPTER! What even? I had to correct this horror immediately.

8. Imperium by Robert Harris.
From the author of Pompeii comes the historical fiction of Cicero, the young Roman lawyer and orator who wanted to attain supreme power in the state. I have a huge interest in ancient Rome so this sounded like my kind of story.

9. Refuse to Choose: What Do I Do When I Want to Do Everything? by Barbara Sher.
The perfect book for me.

10. Heist Society by Ally Carter.
This is one of the books that got me into writing. The ending was just amazing! The ending! Am I right?! This tells the story of Kat who was born into a family of thieves and left the family business. She must find and return the painting that her father was accused of stealing with the help of her cousins, a rich kid and a wildcard.


Those are the books I bought at Bookfest for the grand total of $15. Am I not the most dedicated book addict and bargain hunter?  Let me know if you have read any of these in the comments. If any of them sound interesting all the titles are linked to Goodreads. Ciao.