Tuesday 14 July 2015

The Last Ten Books That Came Into My Possession


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke & The Bookish. To join in simply click on the link and look at the upcoming topics!

This week we're looking at the last ten books that have come into our possession. I feel incredibly lucky as nine of these ten have been sent to me either through Netgalley or as physical copies from the publishers. (I've noted the source for each of them.) So here you have the last ten books that have landed on my bookcase!

The Prince & I by Karen Hawkins
Release Date: August 25th 2015
Meet the Princes of Oxenburg... Fairytales with a sizzling, Scottish, and delightfully sparkling twist.
Gregori Romanovin, Oxenburg's warrior prince, is escorting his grandmother to a ball deep in the Scottish Highlands when he and his entourage are robbed at sword point by a group of ruffians. Led by a man dubbed the Scottish Robin Hood, battle-savvy Gregori senses that something's amiss - that 'he' is really a 'she'.
Lady Murian is a young, beautiful widow seeking revenge against the powerful earl who murdered her husband and stole his birthright. Living in the woods, she and her banished band of men rob wealthy nobles visiting the evil earl.
But when Murian ambushes the Prince's golden coach, she gets far more than she bargained for. And she's left fearing that he is the real thief...of her heart.

I love my historical romances in the summer. It is the perfect time to kick back with some balls, feisty heroines and gallant rakes. You know there's going to end up being a happily ever after, but it won't be smooth sailing all the way there, and they are my ideal read for a sunny afternoon. I haven't read any Karen Hawkins in a long time, but I loved her writing the last time I tried it so I'm looking forward to getting stuck in. Thanks to Netgalley for sending me a copy.

Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson
Release Date: September 24th 2015

In Let's Pretend This Never Happened, Jenny Lawson regaled readers with uproarious stories of her bizarre childhood. In her new book, Furiously Happy, she explores her lifelong battle with mental illness. A hysterical, ridiculous book about crippling depression and anxiety? That sounds like a terrible idea. And terrible ideas are what Jenny does best.
As Jenny says: 'You can't experience pain without also experiencing the baffling and ridiculous moments of being fiercely, unapologetically, intensely and (above all) furiously happy.' It's a philosophy that has - quite literally - saved her life.
Jenny's first book, Let's Pretend This Never Happened, was ostensibly about family, but deep down it was about celebrating your own weirdness. Furiously Happy is a book about mental illness, but under the surface it's about embracing joy in fantastic and outrageous ways. And who doesn't need a bit more of that?

I absolutely adored Jenny's first book, a mostly true memoir entitled 'Let's Pretend This Never Happened', a book that caused me to garner several odd looks and an offer of help I was laughing so hard whilst reading it in public. Jenny is very open about her battle with depression and fights to make people more aware of mental illness, and this book combines her brilliant humour and her determination to raise awareness about mental illness and the fact that 'depression lies'. I cannot wait to read this one. Thanks to Netgalley for sending me a copy.

The Next Together by Lauren James
Release Date: September 3rd 2015
A powerful and epic debut novel about fate and the timelessness of first love. Katherine and Matthew are destined to be born again and again. Each time their presence changes history for the better, and each time, they fall hopelessly in love, only to be tragically separated. How many times can you lose the person you love? For Matthew and Katherine it is again and again, over and over, century after century. But why do they keep coming back? How many times must they die to save the world? What else must they achieve before they can be left to live and love in peace? Maybe the next together will be different.

Lauren's debut novel has been on my radar thanks to that gorgeous cover and brilliant blurb since the start of the year, and thanks to the wonderful Sean at Walker Books, I am insanely lucky to have received an early copy to review. I have heard nothing but good things about this book (including from my mother who received it first before passing it on to me and decided to "just see what it was like". She read it in a matter of hours.)

Night Owls by Jenn Bennett
Release Date: August 13th 2015
'Earth to Beatrix: This was the night bus, not a Journey song. Two strangers were not on a midnight train going anywhere. I was going home, and he was probably going to knock over a liquor store.'
Meeting Jack on the Owl - San Francisco's night bus - turns Beatrice's world upside down. Jack is charming, wildly attractive . . . and possibly one of San Francisco's most notorious graffiti artists. 
On midnight rides and city rooftops, Beatrix begins to see who this enigmatic boy really is. But Jack is hiding much more - and can she uncover the truth that leaves him so wounded?
A unique and profoundly moving novel, Night Owls will linger in your memory long after the final page.


The cover, the title and the blurb all combined to make this an absolute want to read now book, and I was thrilled to be sent a copy through Netgalley. I'm enjoying reading more YA contemporary fiction now than I ever have before, and there seem to be a few books hitting the shelves this year that feature graffiti artists, so I'm looking forward to seeing how they compare and how graffiti is being brought into YA fiction.

Darkmere by Helen Maslin
Release Date: August 6th 2015
A castle. A curse. A dangerous summer. Leo has invited Kate and a few friends to spend the summer at his inheritance, Darkmere Castle: as wild and remote as it is beautiful. Kate thinks it will be the perfect place for her and Leo to get together - but instead, she's drawn into the dark story of a young nineteenth-century bride who haunts the tunnels and towers of the house. And whose curse now hangs over them all. 

Chicken House are having a book blogger brunch to kickstart the YALC celebrations and Helen Maslin is going to be there! Which is awesome news because this novel is one I'm really excited to get stuck into. I also can't wait to meet Helen and hear her talk about the novel, next weekend cannot come fast enough! Huge thanks to Chicken House for sending me a copy!
Crow Mountain by Lucy Inglis
Release Date: September 3rd 2015

While on holiday in Montana, Hope meets local boy Cal Crow, a ranch hand. Caught in a freak accident, the two of them take shelter in a mountain cabin where Hope makes a strange discovery. More than a hundred years earlier, another English girl met a similar fate. Her rescuer: a horse-trader called Nate.
In this wild place, both girls learn what it means to survive and to fall in love, neither knowing that their fates are intimately entwined.
 


Lucy is also going to be at the Chicken House book blogger brunch, so this is another wonderful piece of book post from Chicken House with the added excitement of hearing Lucy talk about Crow Mountain and meeting her next weekend. Plus the book sounds like it's going to be awesome and I'm a little bit in love with that cover...

Paperweight by Meg Haston

Release Date: July 7th 2015
Seventeen-year-old Stevie is trapped. In her life. In her body. And now in an eating-disorder treatment center on the dusty outskirts of the New Mexico desert.
Life in the center is regimented and intrusive, a nightmare come true. Nurses and therapists watch Stevie at mealtime, accompany her to the bathroom, and challenge her to eat the foods she’s worked so hard to avoid.
Her dad has signed her up for sixty days of treatment. But what no one knows is that Stevie doesn't plan to stay that long. There are only twenty-seven days until the anniversary of her brother Josh’s death—the death she caused. And if Stevie gets her way, there are only twenty-seven days until she too will end her life.
In this emotionally haunting and beautifully written young adult debut, Meg Haston delves into the devastating impact of trauma and loss, while posing the question: Why are some consumed by their illness while others embark on a path toward recovery?


I love the cover for this one. It cropped up a few times through other book bloggers and so when Hot Key Books offered me a chance to read and review it, I jumped at it. It sounds like it's going to be a tough book to read but an interesting one as it deals with eating disorders among other things and I'm always trying to find more books that deal with tough, rarely discussed issues, well.

The Lost & the Found by Cat Clarke
Release Date: July 2nd 2015

LOST. 
When six-year-old Laurel Logan was abducted, the only witness was her younger sister. Faith’s childhood was dominated by Laurel’s disappearance – from her parents’ broken marriage and the constant media attention to dealing with so-called friends who only ever wanted to talk about her sister. 
FOUND.
Thirteen years later, a young woman is found in the garden of the Logans’ old house, disorientated and clutching the teddy bear Laurel was last seen with. Laurel is home at last, safe and sound. Faith always dreamed of getting her sister back, without ever truly believing it would happen. But a disturbing series of events leaves Faith increasingly isolated and paranoid, and before long she begins to wonder if everything that’s lost can be found again…


Bookish Brits are reading this one together, and Quercus have very kindly provided each of us with copies to review. I've loved Cat's other books. Dark, brilliantly written and full of topics that you don't normally seen handled in YA fiction, I'm really excited to get stuck into this one. It's also going to be the second book about kidnap victims returning home that I've read in the last few weeks, although I don't think it's going to have the lightness that was present in 'Emmy & Oliver'!

A Thousand Nights by E K Johnston
Release Date: October 20th 2015
Lo-Melkhin killed three hundred girls before he came to her village, looking for a wife. When she sees the dust cloud on the horizon, she knows he has arrived. She knows he will want the loveliest girl: her sister. She vows she will not let her be next.
And so she is taken in her sister’s place, and she believes death will soon follow. Lo-Melkhiin’s court is a dangerous palace filled with pretty things: intricate statues with wretched eyes, exquisite threads to weave the most beautiful garments. She sees everything as if for the last time. But the first sun rises and sets, and she is not dead. Night after night, Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, and day after day she is awoken by the sunrise. Exploring the palace, she begins to unlock years of fear that have tormented and silenced a kingdom. Lo-Melkhiin was not always a cruel ruler. Something went wrong.
Far away, in their village, her sister is mourning. Through her pain, she calls upon the desert winds, conjuring a subtle unseen magic, and something besides death stirs the air.
Back at the palace, the words she speaks to Lo-Melkhiin every night are given a strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. With each tale she spins, her power grows. Soon she dreams of bigger, more terrible magic: power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to the rule of a monster.


There seems to be a trend that several books tackling the same fairytale or retelling come along at once! We've already had 'The Wrath & the Dawn' this year, but I love this story so much that I'm just excited to have another author take on the 1001 nights tale! Huge thanks to Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy of this beautiful book!

The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan
Release Date: April 7th 2015
"I might be Cinderella today, but I dread who they'll think I am tomorrow. I guess it depends on what I do next." 
American Rebecca Porter was never one for fairy tales. Her twin sister, Lacey, has always been the romantic who fantasized about glamour and royalty, fame and fortune. Yet it's Bex who seeks adventure at Oxford and finds herself living down the hall from Prince Nicholas, Great Britain's future king. And when Bex can't resist falling for Nick, the person behind the prince, it propels her into a world she did not expect to inhabit, under a spotlight she is not prepared to face.
Dating Nick immerses Bex in ritzy society, dazzling ski trips, and dinners at Kensington Palace with him and his charming, troublesome brother, Freddie. But the relationship also comes with unimaginable baggage: hysterical tabloids, Nick's sparkling and far more suitable ex-girlfriends, and a royal family whose private life is much thornier and more tragic than anyone on the outside knows. The pressures are almost too much to bear, as Bex struggles to reconcile the man she loves with the monarch he's fated to become.
Which is how she gets into trouble.
Now, on the eve of the wedding of the century, Bex is faced with whether everything she's sacrificed for love-her career, her home, her family, maybe even herself-will have been for nothing.


It's summer and the blurb appeals hugely. Add to that the good things I've heard from people so far about this one and I' looking forward to reading and finding a bit of escapism for a few hours. Plus, that cover! I've held out for as long as I can, but I couldn't resist treating myself to this one!

There you have the last ten books I got my sticky mitts on, now it's over to you! Link me to your lists and tell me about the last ten books that you got your hands on in the comments below!

46 comments:

  1. Ahhh Rosy! I'm soooo jealous right now! I really want to read The Next Together and Darkmere and I hadn't heard of Crow Mountain but with a cover like that! I NEED IT... like NOW! I received a copy of A Thousand Nights from Netgalley too so will be good to compare notes :) Have you read The Wrath and the Dawn? I hear they're supposed to be really similar.

    Happy Reading
    Rachel @ Paein-and-Ms4tune.co.uk

    P.s. That Raccoon is hilarious!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I couldn't believe it when they arrived, I may have sat and stroked them for some time in awe... THE COVERS! Serious cover love is happening this year, there are so many incredible ones and I want to take pictures of all of them! I hadn't heard of either Crow Moon or Darkmere until the publisher sent them to me, and now I am ridiculously excited to get stuck into them! Ooo! Can't wait to hear what you think of A Thousand Nights! I'm very excited to read it! I have read The Wrath & The Dawn, and it was one of my favourite books so far this year, I loved it! And I love that we're getting two 1001 nights re-tellings in one year, we're being spoiled! And yes, the raccoon is possibly my favourite, second only to Jenny's first book cover featuring a taxidermy mouse dressed up as Hamlet with a skull...

      Delete
  2. I haven't read any of these but there a few I really want to get to - Paperweight, The Next Together and Furiously Happy (love that cover so much). Hope you enjoy them all!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just finished Paperweight yesterday and it is a very good book but incredibly tough to read. I'm really looking forward to hearing what more people think about it. Jenny's books are fantastic, I really recommend picking up her first book 'Let's Pretend this Never Happened' if you like the look of Furiously Happy. I am swooning a little over The Next Together, and I can't wait to get reading! Thanks so much for stopping by!

      Delete
  3. Great list. I am so jealous that you have Paperweight. I am dying to read that one! Furiously Happy looks really interesting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I finished Paperweight yesterday and it is such a good book, but an incredibly tough read. I really hope that you enjoy it when you read it! Furiously Happy should be another one that is tough, but Jenny balances out the hard parts with some incredible humour, so I'm curious to see how it works out. Thanks so much for reading!

      Delete
  4. The Next Together, Night Owls, Crow Mountain, and Paperweight have lovely book covers! And yay, The Royal We is also on my list this week *high-fives* Been hearing good things about it to that yeah, I eventually caved in and picked up a copy, haha. Happy reading! :)

    My TTT

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hopefully it will live up to all our expectations! I have high hopes :) So many gorgeous covers this year, we're being spoiled! Thanks so much for stopping by!

      Delete
  5. Furiously Happy sounds excellent! Considering mental health seems to be at the forefront of a lot of social issues right now (and something that everyone needs to work on), this book sounds so relevant and enjoyable. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There have been some really good books on the shelves this year to do with mental health, and Jenny Lawson is such a fantastic writer that I think this one will be the best by far. I really hope you enjoy it too!

      Delete
  6. I can't believe I don't know any of these! Off to Goodreads to find out more. Thanks for sharing. :) My TTT

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My mission is to add to everyone's TBR piles :) I hope you enjoy any that you pick up! Thanks so much for reading!

      Delete
  7. Crow Mountain looks really interesting and I am so jealous you have a copy of Furiously Happy - I loved her first book. Night Owls also caught my attention. Enjoy your books!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so excited to read all of them, I really hope you enjoy them when you read them too! Thanks so much for stopping by!

      Delete
  8. I'm so looking forward to reading The Next Together, it sounds amazing! Night Owls sounds amazing too, I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for it as well. Hope you enjoy all of these!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so excited to get stuck into them. Night Owls was a random find, but I'm so excited to read it. Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you enjoy them!

      Delete
  9. The Royal We sounds so cute! I really want to read The Next Together and Paperweight. Gorgeous list, great selection!

    Michelle @ Michelle's Minions

    My TTT

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've heard so many good things about it, I can't wait to get reading! Paperweight is a tough book to read, but really good and so important. I'm saving The Next Together and I cannot wait to get to it! I hope you enjoy them when you get them :)

      Delete
  10. Oh lucky you… these titles sound great! Check out how different our lists are at My
    Top Ten Tuesday
    and I'm so jealous of you having A Thousand Nights.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am so insanely excited to read A Thousand Nights, I was so thrilled when it came through the post. Thanks so much for reading!

      Delete
  11. I haven't heard of any of these! Furiously Happy looks awesome though! I'm definitely going to have to check that one out! The cover is hilarious!

    Here are my Top Ten!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Both of Jenny's book covers are insanely brilliant! I cannot wait to get stuck into it! Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you enjoy any you pick up!

      Delete
  12. The cover of Furiously Happy is art, on par with Mona Lisa even lol but The Next Together's cover though. A++ to the design team behind that, it's like a movie poster. I just got Paperweight as an ebook recently and I can't wait to see what exactly is the mystery behind Stevie's brother's death. We can never have enough book surrounding serious issues as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's genius! I adore the cover! And yes, the art for The Next Together is stunning, a really incredible cover! Paperweight is a really tough read, very good and a really important book, but still really tough. I hope you enjoy it!

      Delete
  13. I'm so jealous that you have The Next Together! I want to read that book so badly. I requested a copy, so my fingers are crossed!
    Krystianna @ Downright Dystopian

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have everything crossed you get a copy! I couldn't believe it when a copy came through, it's one of my most anticipated reads of the year! Thanks so much for reading.

      Delete
  14. Lots of gorgeous books! The Next Together sounds great, and the cover of Crow Mountain is so eye-catching! Eager to read your reviews of these!
    Thanks for stopping by the The Local Muse

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I cannot wait to get stuck into them, I'm smitten with the blurbs and covers! Thanks so much for reading!

      Delete
  15. I love Cat Clarke :-) I can't wait to read her latest book! Thank you for stopping by my blog earlier.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's so good! I started it yesterday and got completely sucked in and finished it very quickly. I really hope you enjoy it!

      Delete
  16. I'm curious about Paperweight. Eating disorder books are really hit and miss with me. Looks like you've gotten a lot of cool books recently!! Thanks for stopping by my list!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's a tough book to read, very triggering. It's very character driven rather than plot, and Stevie is not the most likeable of characters so it will definitely be a bit of a marmite book for readers. That said it was very good, and a very important read. I look forward to hearing what you think of it if you do pick it up.

      Delete
  17. I haven't read any of the list, but A Thousand Night sounds so good! I haven't read The Wrath and the Dawn yet.. but the hype is everywhere! Great picks Rosy! Thanks for stopping by my Blog. :) **Virtually sending hugs and Kisses** :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw thank you! Definitely recommend The Wrath and the Dawn, I'll be reviewing it on Friday and it is fantastic, one of the best books I've read this year. And it's made me excited for A Thousand Nights too! Thanks so much for stopping by!

      Delete
  18. The Royal We looks really intriguing to me!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've just started it and I am officially hooked, definitely a good one so far!

      Delete
  19. The Royal We is SO good! I've heard some talk about Paperweight but never bothered to read the blurb before now, but it sounds REALLY interesting, and I'll be adding it to my TBR now!

    -Cristina @ Girl in the Pages

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've just started it and am LOVING it so far! Paperweight is a very tough read but a really good book and a really important one too. I think enjoy is probably the wrong word, but I hope that you find it to be a good/interesting read. Thanks so much for reading!

      Delete
  20. I haven't read any of these, but The Next Together and The Royal We are on my TBR. I'm intrigued by The Prince & I, mainly because it's set in Scotland and I never see enough books set here. And Oh My God! That cover for Furiously Happy is brilliant! Didn't not expect that when I scrolled down.

    Lauren @ myexpandingbookshelf.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't it the BEST cover?! I cannot wait to get stuck into it. It's a kindle copy but I think I need to buy it in hardback just for the genius of that raccoon! I've heard really good things about The Prince and I so far, and it's so good to see a book set in Scotland! I hope you enjoy them all!

      Delete
  21. You are seriously bad for my TBR list. Adding The Royal We, the new Karen Hawkens, The Next Together, and possibly Furiously Happy to my reading wish list. The Thousand Nights is already on it; I've got a request in for an ARC. Enjoy all those lovely new books!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha! My work here is done :D I hope you enjoy them too, there are some truly fab ones in here (I've been devouring them all week and LOVING them all so far!) Thanks so much for reading!

      Delete
  22. Great post! Looks like you've picked up some great books :D I hope you enjoy them. Thank you for visiting my blog.
    Have a great day,
    Amy x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So far they're fantastic! Thanks so much for stopping by!

      Delete
  23. OMG the Furiously Happy cover!!! *dying* Also, Crow Mountain has such a pretty cover, AND I'm intrigued to pick it up once it comes out! Nice list, my fellow Rosy ;D
    Rosie // www.rosiereads.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't it the best?! I love it so much! I think it might be my favourite cover of the year! Thank you so much for reading awesome name twin Rosie ;)

      Delete