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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Every 2022 release I’m still determined to read.

Howdy people.

It’s Finals week and you know what that means! It means I’m in the mood to read everything and anything, except the things I actually need to read for my classes. Woop!! It’s a tradition by this point that when I really need to do school work, I am instead overcome with the urge to read.

At this point I’m 2 finals down, 2 to go and I have less than a week to do them, plus pack my suitcase and chase people around campus to fill out forms which leaves little to no time to read. Hence why I am here today to talk about every 2022 release I’m still determined to read!

Gonna be honest, I did not read many new releases this year which is a shame because there’s so many I’m interested in and excited for. I try and give myself a grace period when it comes to new releases which is why I always post a recommendations list a couple months into the new year. To do that though, I’m gonna need to read a couple more books so here are the one’s I’ll be trying to pick up asap:

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These three I’m actually planning on reading for February. I wanna do like a whole week of reading 2022 F/F romances that I missed with these books taking centre stage. I would have done this sooner but I just haven’t had the time

• Never Ever getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales – I am determined to devour all of Sophoe Gonzeles books. The Taylor Swift title reference and the reality TV aspect also make me excited.
• I Kissed Share Wheeler by Casey McQuiston – This plot is giving me “Paper Towns” vibes which I dont like but I trust McQuiston and am excited to read their YA debut.
• She Gets the Girl by Rachel Lippincott & Alyson Derrick – I love the cover so much and I love that the two authors are married to each other even more!

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• Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson – Maybe I’ll save this one for Spooky Season. Maybe I’ll read it in preparation to recommend it because I have a feeling I’m gonna love it so damn much. I’ts an adult book about witches. How could I not?
• Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jennifer Reid – As soon as my bum is sat on that plan to Germany and I have 7+ uninterrupted hours to read, I will be devouring this book. Nothing can stop me.
• Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong – Chloe Gong is releasing books like they’re going out of style so I need to catch up before I fall too far behind. I actually have this on my desk to start … but I forgot about the book I need to read in its entirety for tomorrow’s classs 😦

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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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ARC Review: The Society For Soulless Girls by Laura Steven

Release Date: July 7th 2022

Ten years ago, four students lost their lives in the infamous North Tower murders at the elite Carvell College of Arts, forcing Carvell to close its doors.

Now Carvell is reopening, and fearless student Lottie is determined to find out what really happened. But when her roommate, Alice, stumbles upon a sinister soul-splitting ritual hidden in Carvell’s haunted library, the North Tower claims another victim.

Can Lottie uncover the truth before the North Tower strikes again? Can Alice reverse the ritual before her monstrous alter ego consumes her? And can they stop flirting for literally fifteen seconds in order to do this?

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The best ARCs I’ve ever been accepted for!

Do I have a lot of books to read? Yes. Am I literally currently-reading (and enjoying) three books right now? Also yes. Do I plan on spending my night tucked up in bed reading fanfics? You bet ya.

To do that though I need a fully charged phone so I’m killing some time by talking about ARCS.

I still think it’s absolutely insane that I get to read certain books in advance of their publication. I’ve been accepted for some of my most anticipated releases ever and still I get giddy every time I get the confirmation email.

Today I though I’d talk about the best ARCs I’ve ever been accepted for. These are going to be split into two categories: the books I was anticipating anyways, and the books I loved that took me by surprise!

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Most Anticipated!

Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong

I got accepted for an ARC of this book on my first day of university. Despite it being the first day of a big new chapter of my life, being accepted for an early copy of this book was the best thing that happened to me that week.

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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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ARC Review: A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee

*ARC courtesy of Netgalley*

Publication Date: February 22nd 2022 (UK version)

Felicity Morrow is back at Dalloway School.

Perched in the Catskill mountains, the centuries-old, ivy-covered campus was home until the tragic death of her girlfriend. Now, after a year away, she’s returned to graduate. She even has her old room in Godwin House, the exclusive dormitory rumored to be haunted by the spirits of five Dalloway students—girls some say were witches. The Dalloway Five all died mysteriously, one after another, right on Godwin grounds.

Witchcraft is woven into Dalloway’s history. The school doesn’t talk about it, but the students do. In secret rooms and shadowy corners, girls convene. And before her girlfriend died, Felicity was drawn to the dark. She’s determined to leave that behind her now; all Felicity wants is to focus on her senior thesis and graduate. But it’s hard when Dalloway’s occult history is everywhere. And when the new girl won’t let her forget.

It’s Ellis Haley’s first year at Dalloway, and she’s already amassed a loyal following. A prodigy novelist at seventeen, Ellis is a so-called “method writer.” She’s eccentric and brilliant, and Felicity can’t shake the pull she feels to her. So when Ellis asks Felicity for help researching the Dalloway Five for her second book, Felicity can’t say no. Given her history with the arcane, Felicity is the perfect resource.

And when history begins to repeat itself, Felicity will have to face the darkness in Dalloway–and in herself.

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Time to read all the romance!! // February TBR

Round of applause guys, we made it through the first month of 2022 👏👏 and now onto the second …

February is of course the month of Love™ despite there only being one designated day for it. Obviously I’m going to be milking this holiday for all it’s worth when it comes to content, starting with the books I plan to read this month.

I got off to a really good start in January and I’m already ahead of my reading goal. I’d like to keep up with that momentum but I’m not gonna put too much pressure on myself because I start back at Uni this month and am hoping to go visit my aunt and Godson.

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ARC Review: Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy

*ARC courtesy of Netgalley*

Publication Date: February 1st 2022

Mackenzie “Mac” Cabot is a people pleaser. Her demanding parents. Her prep school friends. Her long-time boyfriend. It’s exhausting, really, always following the rules. Unlike most twenty-year-olds, all she really wants to do is focus on growing her internet business, but first she must get a college degree at her parents’ insistence. That means moving to the beachside town of Avalon Bay, a community made up of locals and the wealthy students of Garnet College.

Mac’s had plenty of practice suppressing her wilder impulses, but when she meets local bad boy Cooper Hartley, that ability is suddenly tested. Cooper is rough around the edges. Raw. Candid. A threat to her ordered existence. Their friendship soon becomes the realest thing in her life.

Despite his disdain for the trust-fund kids he sees coming and going from his town, Cooper soon realizes Mac isn’t just another rich clone and falls for her. Hard. But as Mac finally starts feeling accepted by Cooper and his friends, the secret he’s been keeping from her threatens the only place she’s ever felt at home. 

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Please bear witness to my TBR and hold me accountable 😊

Hello and welcome to my blog 👋

My TBR has gotten a bit out of hand recently. I stand by the fact that buying books and actually reading those books are two completely separate hobbies.

The two contributing factors to my ever growing TBR are me being busy with school and now uni, and also my new found love of e-books, especially during the sales. These two things do not go hand in hand, hence my current problem.

Today I’m gonna share my current TBR as it stands now and then the plan is to cross them off this list one by one as I read them throughout the year. At least, that’s the plan in theory. I really do want to read all of these so fingers crossed (🤞) I get my shit sorted and actually read these!

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ARCs

• A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee
• All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody & Christine Lynn Herman
• Little Thieves by Margaret Owens
• The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglas
• The Monarchs by Danielle Paige & Kass Morgan
• Monstrous Design by Kat Dunn

• Josh & Gemma Make a Baby by Sarah Ready
• The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J Klune
• Under the Whispering Door by T.J Klune
• City of Shattered Light by Claire Winn
• Along for the Ride by Rachel Meinke
• Flash Fire by T.J Klune

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E-Books

• Women Don’t Owe You Pretty by Florence Given
• The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
• Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales
• Truly Madly Royally by Debbie Rigaud
• XOXO by Axie Cho
• Hani and Ishi’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar
• The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar

• Afterlove by Tanya Byrne
• Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan
• Rent a Boyfriend by Glore Chao
• Snowflake by Nia Forrester
• Geekerella Ashley Poston
• The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed
• The Afterlife of the Party by Marlene Perez

• Radio Silence by Alice Oseman
• Beyond the Black Door by A.M Strickland
• Paperweight by Meg Haston
• What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

• Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
• Jade City by Fonda Lee
• The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake
• Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco
• Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco
• The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Concrete Rose Angie Thomas https://app.asana.com/0/1135954362417873/1168658175790681/f

• The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe
• Ace of Spades by Faridah Abíké-Iyímídé
• Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
• Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
• With Malice by Eileen Cook
• Not Here to Be Liked by Michelle Quach

• I Think I Love You by Auriane Desombre
• Sheets by Brenna Thummler
• Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco
• Wraith by Mere Joyce
• The Ravens by Danielle Paige and Kas Morgan
• Cute Mutants by SJ Whitby

• Running With Lions by Julian Winters
• King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
• Descendant of the Crane by Joan He
• All Out Anthology
• The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin
• Dangerous Remedy by Kat Dunn

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Physical Books

• Loveless by Alice Oseman
• You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus
• House of Hollows by Krystal Sutherland
• Wildthorn by Jane Eagland

• Anna K by Jenny Lee
• In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan
• In Deep Waters by F.T Lukens
• Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake

• Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds
• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson
• A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
• The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnes

• A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
• Only Ashes Remain by Rebecca Schaeffer
• Sadie by Courtney Summers
• S.T.A.G.S by M.A Bennett

So that is my current TBR in it’s entirety. I’m really gonna try and keep myself under control this year and not go overboard with buying new books. I mean sure I’ll still buy new books, but just not as many, my main focus this year is to really read most of these.

Please keep your fingers crossed for me. If you’re a regular reader of my blog, feel free to yell at me if you notice I’m straying from this plan. The whole point of sharing this is to name and shame myself. Also because there’s something so satisfying about crossing things of lists. I’m hoping that in and of itself is a motivator.

Elli xx