My first haul of 2017!


Hi everyone!

How has your week been? 

Mine has been quite relaxed, thankfully! I'm nearly done with all my coursework and then I start on all my revision for my exams in May/June. I was feeling pretttyyyy stressed yesterday but then after calculating the amount of time I'll have to complete all the past papers and forming something of a revision timetable, I'm feeling much better about it!

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I also realised I haven't done a book haul this year! WHAT?! I ALWAYS DO BOOKHAULS. I was quite scared to gather all the books I've acquired this year as I thought there would be TONNSSSSS, but there aren't as many as I was expecting there to be and I'm quite proud of myself. Maybe this year I'll actually possess self-control when it comes to books. I doubt it, but miracles do happen.


The BreadwinnerFirst GirlJourney To Jo'burg (Essential Modern Classics)When Hitler Stole Pink RabbitHope Was Here
Where the Mountain Meets the MoonI Rode a Horse of Milk White JadeWhen You Reach MeThe Jesus I Never KnewPersepolis: The Story of a Childhood (Persepolis, #1)This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity, #1)

I'M LITERALLY SO EXCITED FOR THESE. They're mostly all diverse, they're not the usual YA books I read, they're set in different time periods and most of them are set in countries other than the USA/UK. I AM EXCITED. I found all these wonderful titles (and many more) on the Sonlight website (a literature-based homeschooling program that I did for a year) so I decided to see if my library had any of them in AND THEY DID! Well, the libraries in my surrounding area had them and I had to order them in and it was torture waiting for them to arrive but they finally arrived after 3 weeks and I'm so excited to read them!

I'm currently reading The Jesus I Never Knew and it's quite interesting. I think we all have this picture of Jesus in our heads, a kind, gentle guy with a beard wearing a robe who performed miracles and it's fascinating reading about the history behind Jesus and seeing him come to life - being able to realise he was human and he was passionate and so full of life and emotion.

I'm SO excited for Journey to Jo'burg (MY SOUTH AFRICA, I MISS YOUUUU), First Girl sounds fascinating and quite heartbreaking too and The Breadwinner sounds utterly riveting (a girl has to disguise herself as a boy in order to leave her house to get food for her family because her father and brother have been captured and due to the Taliban's rule, girls can't leave the house without a male so if she doesn't go out and get her family food, they'll starve)! 

Hope Was Here sounds like a cute contemporary, When You Reach Me sounds VERY intriguing (it's been on my wishlist since I was 12 so I AM READY TO GET MAH READ ON), When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit is going to break my heart (war books always do). 

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon looks SO GOOD!!! Chinese folklore - yes, please! I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade is set in Mongolia and it sounds quite similar to Mulan. I FREAKING LOVE MULAN. I'M SO AMPED TO READ THIS. Persepolis also sounds incredibly interesting and I know nothing about Iran's Islamic Revolution so I'm looking forward to being enlightened on that event. Also, it's a graphic novel! I NEVER read graphic novels so I'm EXCITED!

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When I saw This Savage Song innocently sitting there, directly as I walked into the teen section, I snatched it up. I've heard great things. I've heard the hype and I shall embrace the hype. I BETTER LOVE THIS.
Remember that book buying ban I was on? Ha. Haha. Hahahaha. I bought books and I NEED TO STOP, GOSH.


Living on the Devil's Doorstep: International AdventuresThe Bible Jesus ReadThree Dark CrownsThe Universe in Your Hand: A Journey Through Space, Time and BeyondEvery Soul a StarH.I.V.E.: Higher Institute of Villainous Education (H.I.V.E., #1)

In my defense, they were all really well-priced! I couldn't say no. I've heard quite mixed reviews for Three Dark Crowns but I was incredibly intrigued when it first came out and despite the negative reviews, I'm hoping I might love it. I also bought The Universe in Your Hand as I've been wanting to own more physics books because although my local library has a fantastic selection, I like having my own copies as I can tab all the parts I want to reread or find very interesting! I also bought a copy of H.I.V.E. which I'd never heard of prior to my friend's recommendation but as it's one of his favourite series, I thought I'd give it a go! Every Soul a Star was quite an impulsive buy as I'd never heard of it before and I wasn't planning on buying books (besides one I really, really, really wanted) but after reading the synopsis (ASTRONOMY EVENTS, THREE CHARACTERS THAT VARY FROM COMET-HUNTING, SPACE OBSESSED GIRLS TO POPULAR, GORGEOUS GIRLS WHO ARE HIDING DARK THINGS TO AWKWARD, LONELY BOYS) I knew I needed it! If the synposis wasn't enough to convince me that I needed the book, the glowing reviews finally made me cave!
I'm so blessed to have received such wonderful review books lately! I'm so excited to read these! 

UnconventionalDone Dirt CheapWindfallWintersongReality Is Not What It Seems: The Journey to Quantum GravityUniversal: A Guide to the CosmosJust Call Me Spaghetti-Hoop BoyA Boy Called HopeGeekerellaWait for Me

EEEK!!! When I was offered a copy of Unconventional I nearly died I was so happy. It was such a cute read and I loved it! Maggie Harcourt is fast becoming one of my new favourite authors.

When my copy of Done Dirt Cheap came in the post I screamed. A strong female friendship and motorcycle clubs?? I LOVE MOTORCYCLE CLUB BOOKS. Which is funny as I'd never get on a motorbike ever but I like reading about it! 
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I also received a copy of Windfall and GUYS, I read it in a few hours and IT'S INCREDIBLE. A lot of the books I've read lately have been so meh so I wasn't feeling very positive about it but IT'S INCREDIBLE. The characters and the storyline and the writing and the love interests - IT'S GIVEN ME 4875 EMOTIONS. It's coming out in May - you have to make sure you get to it!

Then I was offered a copy of Wintersong and I screamed so loud I'm pretty sure the neighbors heard. Whenever I've spoken about 2017 releases I'm super excited about, Wintersong has always been on the top of those lists! I'M SO HAPPY. It looks amazing and I can't wait to read it! 

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THEN, Penguin so kindly sent me a copy of these two physics books and IT MADE MY LIFE. I absolutely adored Carlo Rovelli's Seven Brief Lessons in Physics and I love Brian Cox's books so I'm so excited to read them! 

I absolutely adored The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair so I am SO excited to read Lara Williamson's other novels!

When Wait for Me arrived in the post I literally was so happy because I've been dying to read it since I first heard about it!

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I'm so grateful for all of these books! Now I just need to get around to reading them! 

Netgalley:
Blacklist (Beautiful Idols #2)Goodbye DaysIf Birds Fly BackAntisocialSee You in the Cosmos, Carl Sagan

I try to stay off Netgalley but when I saw these books I had to request them - and I got accepted! Super stoked to read them! I LOVEEEEDDDD Unrivalled by Alyson Noel and once I had finished it I NEEDED the next book so I'm so happy that after months and months and months, I finally have the sequel in my hands! 

I loved The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner but it still causes me actual pain whenever I think about it because IT WAS SO HEARTBREAKING. I know I'm going to love it when I read it but I don't know if I'm ready to have my feelings destroyed again.

Antisocial isn't a book I'd generally read but after reading the synopsis I was utterly intrigued - hacking, secrets and social media? I need to read that.

When I got accepted for If Birds Fly Back I squealed super loud as I had requested a physical copy from the publisher but they had all been sent out so I was super excited to be able to get a copy! IT HAS AN ASPIRING ASTROPHYSICIST IN IT. I am an aspiring astrophysicist. I AM EXCITED.

See You in the Cosmos, Carl Sagan looks SO CUTE and it also has a space-obsessed main character! I know I'm going to love it.

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(DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT WAS TO FIT ALL OF THESE INTO THE PICTURE??)

That's my haul for 2017 so far! As of today, I'm on a strict book-buying/library ban. I really want to whittle down that TBR - I AM MUCHLY DETERMINED.

Have you read any of these? What did you think? Which book should I get to as soon as possible? LET ME KNOW!