Quarantine Book Haul

He-eyyyy, remember that time I talked about how much I love More Than Words and how they’re still (safely) shipping books right now despite the world being crazy? Well I bought myself a lot of books from them online right around when I knew I’d be home for the foreseeable future. Thanks, past-me!

And really, it’s not like I didn’t already have enough books (current unread count on my physical shelves alone: 23?). But hey, now we can raise that tally to 30, then bring it back down to 28! Because yes, I already read two of these. 😁 Can’t hold me back!!

Books I had read before: One More Thing, a tiny bit of Pathfinder

Books I had seen before: Tell Me Three Things

Books I had never heard of: City of Brass, City of Saints and Thieves, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, Love & Gelato

Most excited to least:

1. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
2. City of Brass
3. Pathfinder
4. City of Saints and Thieves
5. Love & Gelato
6. Tell Me Three Things
   (Already read One More Thing so it’s not on this list, but I did love it!)

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The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

This one enticed me with it’s promise of magic in places I’ve never been before (Cairo, Egypt). Combined with djinn and new systems of culturally-influenced magic and it was a no-brainer for me!

City of Saints & Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson

Again I’m drawn in by a place I’ve never been, this time Sangui City, Kenya (fake city, real country). This one sounds like a lot of elements all smashed together, but somehow in a way that seems awesome. There’s the murder mystery, the dirty money, the master thief, the revenge plot, the coming of age… I can’t wait for all of it.

Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card

I read the first chapter or two of this at some point and LOVED IT. Of course, it’s OSC, so it’s almost guaranteed that I will love it. I think this story requires the feel of weight in my hands, so I’m excited to have a physical copy to finally dive into.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Simply, the word “unbecoming” is what made me stop at this one. It’s a fascinating word, and could have a few different meanings. Combined with the dark cover that I had to squint to find the details, and the hint of paranormal, and I AM IN, BABY.

Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum

There are waffles on the cover and a girl maybe falling in love. That’s really all it takes for me, sometimes. A simple lighthearted that is woven with moments of true grief and pain. It wasn’t until after I started reading it that I realized I’ve read by this author before! This was also one of the books I already finished, because I figured it would be a quick read at a time I needed an escape, and it was. See the review here!

One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories by BJ Novak

Yes, it’s the douchey guy from The Office! I have actually read this collection before, but I really loved it and wanted a copy. I don’t often read collections of shorter works, so this was a risk for me. And I admit that since it was “Ryan”, I had to see if the real guy could actually write and bring that delicious ironic awareness to Ryan’s character for me.

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Love and gelato are two of my favorite things. I don’t see how combining them could go wrong! This was the other book I already read, and both happened to be “dead mom” books to some degree. No review for this yet, but it was basically a sweet but mostly forgettable read. Good for a beach or a stressful day when you need to relax.

PS – I’m disappointed in you, spellcheck. How can you not know what ‘gelato’ is and think it’s not a real word!?