Overwhelmed by my ARC shelf // Book Haul

I had a lecture today all about “literary blogs” and I just sat there in silence while my lecturer explained what an ARC is and what benefit they have etc.

When it comes to juggling this blog, I like to be organised so I make myself a rough blogging schedule each month. For that reason, it’s pretty apt that today’s lecture involved a conversation about ARCs because I’m here today to talk to you about my the state of my ARC shelf.

To sum it up: I’m overwhelmed. I’m not gonna sit here and say “how did it get like this?” because I know the answer to that question. I requested books I really wanted to read, not thinking I’d actually be accepted, and then BAM I was infact accepted for these books.

I have nine new ARCs to talk about today but know that there are many more than that currently waiting for me on my ARC shelf. I’m literally drowning and just trying to keep my head above water at this point.

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City of Nightmares by Rebecca Schaeffer – Nevemind the fact that I haven’t yet continued on with the Market of Monster trilogy, I am super excited about this new series that in a Gotham like city where “dreaming means waking up as your worst nightmare”. I love a story where the setting, in this case the city, is almost like a secondary character so I’m excited for this one.

Seven Faceless Saints by M.K Lobb – I’m finding myself super into fantasy books with religious undertones at the mintue which is what got me excited about this book in the first place as it’s set in a city where saints and their desciples rule. I’ve already read this book, I was part of the blog tour which you can check out here and I really enjoyed this book.

Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker – A couple of months back I took to Goodreads to say “dear publishers, i would sell my soul for an ARC of this book”. Guys. I think I may or may not have sold my soul because LOOK WHAT I HAVE!! I legit screamed when I got the email for this one. I don’t know much about this one, I don’t want to know much. I am excited about magic, murder and mystery all set against the backdrop of New Orleans . Once I finish my current reads I’ll be picking this up.

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I bought these books last year!!

Hi and hello, happy Friday!!

Today I am bringing you a bookhaul. Not my first book haul of the year (that’ll come in due course don’t you worry), but actually my last bookhaul of 2022.

These books are either books I bought in New York … or books I bought to stop me crying when I got stranded in Germany. After not sleeping in 24 hours, not eating in 8 hours I missed my connecting flight due to delays. I cried like a baby because the next flight wasn’t until the next day and all I wanted was to be at home. What’s the solution to crying literally non-stop? Retail therapy!!!

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Some say “when in Rome” I say “when in the USA” because of course I had to buy myself some books from Barnes & Nobel of all places!!

Did I read the books I hauled last year?

It’s that time of year again ladies and gentlemen where I hold myself accountable for my own actions, or should I say purchases. Today I’m gonna be looking back at all the books I hauled in 2022 and seeing if I actually got around to reading them!

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January

• Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy
• Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl by Joya Goffney
• Breathe and Count Back From Ten by Natalia Sylvester
• Only a Monster by Vanessa Len 
• A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee
• Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth
• In Deep Waters by F.T Lukens
• XOXO by Axie Oh
• The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin
• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• The Fine Print by Lauren Asher
• Kingdom of the Curse by Kerri Maniscalco
• You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus
• Women Don’t Owe You Pretty by Florence

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A book haul because I’ve been productive

I have been so productive this week. Honestly, I’m riding the high of being a busy bitch which is a very good thing because, as you’re reading this, it’s the start of Thanksgiving Break, I’m off to New York for a couple of days (agh!) and when I get back, I’ve got like two weeks before I leave to go back home.

Doing all of this work means I can stress less about uni and focus my anxiety on what is probably going to end up being a 24h travel day next month.

To carry on riding this wave of productivity I come to you today with a very over due bookhaul. This is definitely going to be my final haul of the year (besides from the two books I’m adament on buying when I go to the mythical land of Barnes & Nobel). A lot of these I impluse bought on my Kindle for cheap quite a while ago so I’m actually shocked I haven’t gotten around to hauling them yet but here we are!

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Let’s kick off with the books I’ve already read …

• Wolfsong by TJ Klune – I always find it so funny when I recieve an ARC for a book that’s been out for a while and that was the case with Wolfsong as it’s set to be re-released in the UK. This is actually a current read. I’m really enjoying it so far. I’m so swamped with school work at the minute though that it’s taking me forever to make any progress. I absolutely love Ox so far though and am excited to read on.
• Hex Appeal by Kate Johnson – Halloween has come and gone but either extend the spooky season a little or add this to next years TBR immediatley because this withcy romance was so much freaking fun. I’m so glad I recieved an ARC because it became one of my favourite reads of last month.
• The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – The trilogy is over. I’m sad. I really loved all three books and this third instalment was a lot of fun. I’m not totally heartbroken about finishing this trilogy though because there’s going to be a spin-off/continuation series following the Hawthrone Brothers coming out next year so I’ve got that to look forward to.

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I’m stressed. Buying books is my therapy // Book Haul

I’m stressed. Turns out studying abroad half way across the world for three months is something that will keep a person up at night. While I finally have my VISA appointment for this week, I legit only just got the expedited appointment and was sure everything was going to fall through. (Even now I’m still convinced things are going to go wrong)

Because of this I’ve been finding happiness in various places: chocolate, binge-watching, the occasional beer and, of course, books.

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: e-books are going to be my downfall. How am I meant to pass up books for less then £5? In the last few weeks though, buying too many e-books has probably actually prevented my downfall and spiral so we’re going to take a look at those now.

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I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

I had no intentions of buying this book anytime soon because I’m not in a country that handly sells the physical copy and the e-book was too much for my bank account to handle. But then it’s like the universe heard my tight-arse and put this book on sale for 99p!!

This book is giving Paper Town vibes as it follows a girl who kissed Shara Wheeler the day before Shara Wheeler goes missing. I’m honestly less interested in the actual plot of this book, and more interested in seeing what a YA novel from McQuiston looks like since I loved their two adult books so much.

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Gifts to myself for surviving my first year of uni // Book Haul

Hey and howdy 🤠

I’m finally back home in Spain and I’m getting my last round of assignment marks back which means I’ve officially finished with my first year of university.

Looking back the hardest part about being at uni was cooking for myself. If anyone is heading off to Uni for the first time in September please start learning to cook now. Not even learning to cook, I mean I can do the basics, but get thinking about meals you can make quickly and for cheap because it’s a nightmare. Pasta and wraps are going to make up the majority of your diet, believe me.

I’m very happy with myself for making it this far. Not to toot my own horn or anything but I am actually proud of myself, not even necessarily for the academic side of things, but for the social aspect of living away from home. I was very surprised by the lack of spiralling like I expected.

Obviously because of all this I’ve had to treat myself over the last couple of weeks with some new e-books. How can I not when e-books are so cheap and I’ve been so stressed?

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Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman – My friend got me this as a going away present since I’m going to America in August and won’t be seeing them til January. I’ve already read it. I made the most of my train journey back from the Connan Gray concert to demolish this.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry – I’m jumping on the Emily Henry train this summer, starting with Beach Read and following up with this here newest release. I bought this because it was 99p and how am I meant to say no to that?

She Gets the Girl by Rachel Lippincott & Alysson Derrick – Rachel Lippincott is one of the authors of Five Feet Apart which I enjoyed but this book she wrote with her wife which is so cute. Again this was 99p and it’s a book I actually have had my eye on for a while so I’m excited to pick this up.

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New bookmarks to go with new books!!

Howdy.

You know that specific kind of frustration that comes when you have work that really needs to get done but your brain is just no co-operating?? Yeah that’s me right now and if I don’t distract myself for a bit, we’re gonna spiral and nobody wants that.

And so here I am to talk not only about the books I got recently, but the bookmarks too!!

LaurelMaeArt // PeachPandaStudio // serenmaddison

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Me: no more buying books. Also me: BOOK HAUL TIME!! 🥳

Guess who’s back (with a book haul). Back again!

I know I said I wasn’t buying any more books until I read a decent amount of my already owned TBR and that’s still true! Besides from one minor slip up, which I’ve already forgiven myself for, these were all purchased, requested or gifted to me before Christmas.

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*I didn’t realise quite how many ARCs I’d requested until I got accepted for them all in the same short span of time 😬*

Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy

I got the email that I was approved for an ARC of Good Girl Complex this morning and I freaked. I’ve wanted to read this since I saw it last it.

And even before that I was in desperate need for more books by Elle Kennedy.

I read Off Campus last year, the entire series in almost on week. It was addictive and I’m hoping this book has that same quality,

I don’t know much about this book besides there being a bad-boy/good-girl dynamic. I’m thinking of reading it in my 3 weeks off uni!

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Books I’m asking santa (aka my mum) for this christmas.

Hi. I’m currently sad. I just realised a book I was really looking forward to and was going to ask for for Christmas doesn’t come out til February. Fricking February! I would talk about this said book, but it’s a bit niche and nobody’s here to listen to me waffle on about my weird interests.

Instead I thought I’d talk a bit about the books I’m going to be asking my mum to buy me (and some I’m going to buy myself) instead.

you know it’s Christmas season when I break this bad boy out

I’d say “my parents” but let’s be real, my dad’s just as surprised as I am when I open my gifts on Christmas day. My mums actually been nagging me for a list of some books for a few weeks now so I’m also crossing something off my to-do list with this post. Three cheers for multi-tasking!

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Books I’m asking Mother Christmas for:

More Than Maybe and Never Saw You Coming by Erin Hahn

Yes I’ve read these books and raved about them ever since, but I don’t yet own a copy of either. There’s very few times I receive an ARC and then purchase a physical copy. I’m a poor student, I can’t afford to buy books I’ve already read, but I’m making an exception for Hanh’s books.

A bit of a book haul :)

Hello 👋

My new favourite thing is being cosy. Sure I was always a fan of being cosy anyways but drinking a nice cup of tea while wrapped in a blanket hits different when the temperature drops below 10*C.

Reading while being nice and cosy also hits different and I’m prepared for all the freezing cold and rainy days because I’ve acquired some more books. My last haul was two months ago and I’ve read 2 of those 12 books. I stand by my stance that buying books is a totally different hobby to actually reading them. Either way here are my new books :))

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I was so excited about all the f/f romances coming out in 2021 and I Think I Love You by Auriane Desombre was one of them. Sadly I’ve barely made a dint in my anticipated releases but I’m adamant to fix that.

I got an e-book copy of this for pretty cheap and it’s actually pretty cheap. I’m enjoying carrying around a bunch of books in my back pocket without actually lugging around a bunch of books

Fingers crossed I can read this sooner rather then later.

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