Book Haul: May 2022

Writing a book haul post has never occurred to me until now. I don’t buy a lot of books very often, however, I thought it would be nice to share what I got when I do. Obviously, I have recently brought a few books otherwise I wouldn’t be writing this post. So instead of boring you with my needless ramblings here are the books I brought in May.

Malibu Rising by Tayor Jenkins Reid

After finishing Daisy Jones and the Six I’ve been desperate to read another of Taylor’s books. I did also buy The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo fairly recently but I can’t remember if it was in May or not.

I won’t lie and say I know a whole lot about this book, I picked it up purely because I loved Daisy Jones so much. This does, however, look like a great summer read. Hopefully, I can get around to it in the next few months.

Goodreads synopsis: Malibu: August, 1983. It’s the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together, the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over—especially as the offspring of the legendary singer, Mick Riva.

The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud—because it is long past time to confess something to the brother from whom he’s been inseparable since birth.

Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can’t stop thinking about promised she’ll be there.

And Kit has a couple secrets of her own—including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.

By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family’s generations will all come bubbling to the surface.

She Get’s The Girl by Rachel Lippincott and Alyson Derrick

Ever since the cover reveal for this I have been super excited for its release. I did, however, forget just how beautiful the other cover is and now I’m feeling quite sad about not having it – don’t get me wrong this one is stunning too, but damn.

Rachel Lippincott has become a firm favourite of mine both because I love her books but also because I’ve had several interactions with her over the last year and she’s so lovely.

Goodreads synopsis: Alex Blackwood is a little bit headstrong, with a dash of chaos and a whole lot of flirt. She knows how to get the girl. Keeping her on the other hand…not so much. Molly Parker has everything in her life totally in control, except for her complete awkwardness with just about anyone besides her mom. She knows she’s in love with the impossibly cool Cora Myers. She just…hasn’t actually talked to her yet.

Alex and Molly don’t belong on the same planet, let alone the same college campus. But when Alex, fresh off a bad (but hopefully not permanent) breakup, discovers Molly’s hidden crush as their paths cross the night before classes start, they realize they might have a common interest after all. Because maybe if Alex volunteers to help Molly learn how to get her dream girl to fall for her, she can prove to her ex that she’s not a selfish flirt. That she’s ready for an actual commitment. And while Alex is the last person Molly would ever think she could trust, she can’t deny Alex knows what she’s doing with girls, unlike her.

As the two embark on their five-step plans to get their girls to fall for them, though, they both begin to wonder if maybe they’re the ones falling…for each other.

Song’s In Ursa Major by Emma Brodie

I have a good feeling this will have major Daisy Jones and The Six vibes, something that I hope comes true as it’s one of my favourites. I’m really interested in music-themed books at the moment and when I saw this in Waterstones I couldn’t walk out without it.

I think I remember seeing a lot of people talking about this on Twitter when it came out and I’m fairly certain everything I saw was positive. Just like Malibu Rising this will be a great summer read and I’m excited to start it soon.

Goodreads synopsis: The year is 1969, and the Bayleen Island Folk Fest is abuzz with one name: Jesse Reid. Tall and soft-spoken, with eyes blue as stone-washed denim, Jesse Reid’s intricate guitar riffs and supple baritone are poised to tip from fame to legend with this one headlining performance. That is, until his motorcycle crashes on the way to the show.

Jane Quinn is a Bayleen Island local whose music flows as naturally as her long blond hair. When she and her bandmates are asked to play in Jesse Reid’s place at the festival, it almost doesn’t seem real. But Jane plants her bare feet on the Main Stage and delivers the performance of a lifetime, stopping Jesse’s disappointed fans in their tracks: A star is born.

Jesse stays on the island to recover from his near-fatal accident and he strikes up a friendship with Jane, coaching her through the production of her first record. As Jane contends with the music industry’s sexism, Jesse becomes her advocate, and what starts as a shared calling soon becomes a passionate love affair. On tour with Jesse, Jane is so captivated by the giant stadiums, the late nights, the wild parties, and the media attention, that she is blind-sided when she stumbles on the dark secret beneath Jesse’s music. With nowhere to turn, Jane must reckon with the shadows of her own past; what follows is the birth of one of most iconic albums of all time.

Twin Crowns (Twin Crowns #1) by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber

I see a Charlie Bowater cover, I want the book. It’s really as simple as that. Honestly, she’s my favourite artist and I can never resist having her covers sitting on my shelf. Obviously, this book interests me as I wouldn’t have spent money on it, I’m not that shallow.

Sadly I don’t know anything about these authors but I’m excited to read my first book from them.

Goodreads synopsis: Wren Greenrock has always known that one day she would steal her sister’s place in the palace. Trained from birth to return to the place of her parents’ murder and usurp the only survivor, she will do anything to rise to power and protect the community of witches she loves. Or she would, if only a certain palace guard wasn’t quite so distractingly attractive, and if her reckless magic didn’t have a habit of causing trouble…

Princess Rose Valhart knows that with power comes responsibility. Marriage into a brutal kingdom awaits, and she will not let a small matter like waking up in the middle of the desert in the company of an extremely impertinent (and handsome) kidnapper get in the way of her royal duty. But life outside the palace walls is wilder and more beautiful than she ever imagined, and the witches she has long feared might turn out to be the family she never knew she was missing.

Two sisters separated at birth and raised into entirely different worlds are about to get to know each other’s lives a whole lot better. But as coronation day looms closer and they each strive to claim their birthright, the sinister Kingsbreath, Willem Rathborne, becomes increasingly determined that neither will succeed. Who will ultimately rise to power and wear the crown?