September Book Haul.

“Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them.” – Lemony Snicket.

In total this month I have bought/received a total of seven books. After buying only four books last month (one of which was for a friend), my stack of books to read on my bedside table isn’t suffering (nor my purse). However, it felt strange not having lots of newly purchased books. Also, I haven’t been out very much this month; I don’t think I’ve bought a single one of these books in person, the majority were ordered online.

My book haul started well this month because by the end of September 1st I already had my first three books. The first book was actually a gift from my best friend and her mother and the next two I bought myself. These books are:

• Happyslapped by a Jellyfish: The Words of Karl Pilkington by Karl Pilkington
• Dark Places by Gillian Flynn.
• Submarine by Joe Dunthorne.

Happyslapped by a Jellyfish by Karl Pilkington:

This is the book my best friend and her mum bought me. As a result of this I read it quickly early in the month, plus it’s rather short so I managed to finish it in one evening.

This book is written in many different locations around the world and is rather funny. If you don’t like Pilkington’s sense of humour (basically if you don’t like An Idiot Abroad or The Moaning of Life) then perhaps this book is not for you, but if you are intrigued then I encourage you to check out my review of this book here.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn:

Another Gillian Flynn book! I’ve read and loved Flynn’s other two books, Gone Girl and Sharp Places and really hope I enjoy this one too which similarly is a crime book. I am actually currently reading this, so shall hopefully be able to review it soon, but in the meantime here is what Goodreads says about it:

Libby Day was just seven years old when her evidence put her fifteen-year-old brother behind bars.

Since then, she has been drifting. But when she is contacted by a group who are convinced of Ben’s innocence, Libby starts to ask questions she never dared to before. Was the voice she heard her borther’s? Ben was a misfit in their small town, but was he capable of murder? Are there secrets to uncover at the family farm or is Libby deluding herself because she wants her brother back?

She begins to realise that everyone in her family had something to hide that day… especially Ben. Now, twenty-four years later, the truth is going to be even harder to find.

Who did massacre the Day family?

Submarine by Joe Dunthorne:

My best friend has been pestering me for a little while now to buy and read this book because I refuse to watch the film before having read the book and the film is one of her favourites. As a result I finally succumbed at the beginning of this month and my friend is very eager for me to read it especially now that I own it.

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:

At once a self-styled social scientist, a spy in the baffling adult world, and a budding, hormone-driven emotional explorer, Oliver Tate is stealthily nosing his way forward through the murky and uniquely perilous waters of adolescence. His objectives? Uncovering the secrets behind his parents’ teetering marriage, unraveling the mystery that is his alluring and equally quirky classmate Jordana Bevan, and understanding where he fits in among the mystifying beings in his orbit. Struggling to buoy his parents’ wedded bliss, deep-six his own virginity, and sound the depths of heartache, happiness, and the business of being human, what’s a lad to do? Poised precariously on the cusp of innocence and experience, Oliver Tate aims to damn the torpedoes and take the plunge.

The next new book from this month was one received after winning a giveaway on Goodreads. This book was The Sisters by Claire Douglas. I was ever so excited when this arrived early this week because I never win anything, so this really brightened up my day and I am very excited to get around to reading it.

The Sisters by Claire Douglas:

One lied. One died.

When one sister dies, the other must go to desperate lengths to survive. Haunted by her twin sister’s death, Abi is making a fresh start in Bath. But when she meets twins Bea and Ben, she is quickly drawn into their privileged and unsettling circle.

When one sister lies, she must protect her secret at all costs. As Abi tries to keep up with the demands of her fickle friends, strange things start to happen – precious letters go missing and threatening messages are left in her room. Is this the work of the beautiful and capricious Bea? Or is Abi willing to go to any lengths to get attention? When the truth outs, will either sister survive?

The final three books are a part of a much talked about series. Due to the excitement surrounding these books and the recent release of another in this series, I have seen it everywhere and it has given me high hopes that I will enjoy it too, so I took a risk by buying the first three books. These books are:

• Throne of Glass
• Crown of Midnight
• Heir of Fire, all by Sarah J. Maas.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas:

Since I haven’t read any of these books and this is the first in the Throne of Glass series, I have decided that I am just going to talk about this book, rather than all of them. Throne of Glass is a fantasy and young adult series and those are two of my favourite genres, so I am very excited to begin this series!

The Goodreads synopsis:

In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake: she got caught.

Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament—fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin’s heart be melted?

Have you read any of these books and what were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below! Additionally, what books did you buy this month?

-driftinglexi