Book Haul: April 2023

I’ve been getting nothing but bargains lately when it comes to books and my absolute best steal has been an ebook for 81p. Once again the Kindle monthly deals have come in clutch and actually, I’ve been in need of more books on my Kindle. Surprisingly, I’ve almost read everything on it (not including all of the weird free books I downloaded when I first got it – we all did this right?)

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

I think Margaret Rogerson may win the prize for having the most beautiful book covers. I’m a big fan of her books and this looked right up my street. She’s great at creating incredible fantasy worlds and every book of hers has had intense but amazing worldbuilding.

Synopsis: The dead of Loraille do not rest.

Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise, they will rise as spirits with a ravenous hunger for the living. She would rather deal with the dead than the living, who trade whispers about her scarred hands and troubled past.

When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artemisia defends it by awakening an ancient spirit bound to a saint’s relic. It is a revenant, a malevolent being that threatens to possess her the moment she drops her guard. Wielding its extraordinary power almost consumes her—but death has come to Loraille, and only a vespertine, a priestess trained to wield a high relic, has any chance of stopping it. With all knowledge of vespertines lost to time, Artemisia turns to the last remaining expert for help: the revenant itself.

As she unravels a sinister mystery of saints, secrets, and dark magic, her bond with the revenant grows. And when a hidden evil begins to surface, she discovers that facing this enemy might require her to betray everything she has been taught to believe—if the revenant doesn’t betray her first.

Hollow City (Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children #2) by Ramsom Riggs

I really never thought I’d continue this series as I read the first book in 2016 and didn’t continue for some reason. Recently, I read the graphic novel and I actually feel like it was detailed enough for me to be able to keep reading the series. Also, this is the book that was only like 81p in the Kindle deals, so I couldn’t deny it.

Synopsis: September 3, 1940. Ten peculiar children flee an army of deadly monsters. And only one person can help them – but she’s trapped in the body of a bird. The extraordinary journey that began in “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” continues as Jacob Portman and his newfound friends journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. There, they hope to find a cure for their beloved headmistress, Miss Peregrine.

But in this war-torn city, hideous surprises lurk around every corner. And before Jacob can deliver the peculiar children to safety, he must make an important decision about his love for Emma Bloom.

Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey

I’m actually yet to finish a book by Tessa Bailey as I started reading It Happened One Summer last year but had to put it down due to other commitments. Well, this was super cheap in The Works (love them) so I thought I’d give it a go.

Synopsis: Georgette Castle’s family runs the best home renovation business in town, but she picked balloons instead of blueprints and they haven’t taken her seriously since. Frankly, she’s over it. Georgie loves planning children’s birthday parties and making people laugh, just not at her own expense. She’s determined to fix herself up into a Woman of the World… whatever that means.

Phase one: new framework for her business (a website from this decade, perhaps?)

Phase two: a gut-reno on her wardrobe (fyi, leggings are pants.)

Phase three: updates to her exterior (do people still wax?)

Phase four: put herself on the market (and stop crushing on Travis Ford!)

Living her best life means facing the truth: Georgie hasn’t been on a date since, well, ever. Nobody’s asking the town clown out for a night of hot sex, that’s for sure. Maybe if people think she’s having a steamy love affair, they’ll acknowledge she’s not just the “little sister” who paints faces for a living. And who better to help demolish that image than the resident sports star and tabloid favourite?

Travis Ford was major league baseball’s hottest rookie when an injury ended his career. Now he’s flipping houses to keep busy and trying to forget his glory days. But he can’t even cross the street without someone recapping his greatest hits. Or making a joke about his… bat. And then there’s Georgie, his best friend’s sister, who is not a kid anymore. When she proposes a wild scheme—that they pretend to date, to shock her family and help him land a new job—he agrees. What’s the harm? It’s not like it’s real. But the girl Travis used to tease is now a funny, full-of-life woman and there’s nothing fake about how much he wants her…