Over 35 Books!: June & July 2018 Book Haul (minus Book Con): Part 2

Welcome back to another week of “Vicky-was-not-ready-to-write-5000-words-of-thank-you’s-in-one-post” with part 2 of my book haul from June & July!

If you haven’t read it already, check out the books I received in June in Part 1 here! This post is all about my July book haul & the cool swag I received…*wink wink*

This is probably the 80th time you’ve heard this from me, but

owning a lot of books =/= a good or bad bookish person

The number of books you own does not relate to how awesome of a bookish person you are, and I hope you all remember that! If this post isn’t good for your mental health, don’t push yourself to read it and go enjoy some puppy GIFs!

I’m leaving this disclaimer of sorts below which you should totally take advantage of! I’d like to balance out my book-hoarding with spreading more love in the community, so LINK THOSE POSTS UP.

If you are a blogger/bookish person who receives less than 20 physical books each month (20 includes books you buy yourself), link me a recent blog post you’d like some love on, an IG post you want comments on, a tweet you want boosted, etc.

Without further ado, let’s just dive right into it!

16. Renegades by Marissa Meyer

I love bargain priced books. And I have been waiting and waiting and waiting for Renegades to go bargain priced, and it finally did! I probably shouldn’t be buying more books when I have no space, but I consider this my consolation prize for taking all those AP exams and getting my scores back! So yay!

This is probably my least favorite of all of Meyer’s works, but she’s still one of my favorite authors and I’ll buy almost anything she writes. I’m still super excited for Archenemies, even though this premise just isn’t as appealing as Cinder‘s was for me.

17-19. Nimona by Noelle Stevenson (Paperback), My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton et al. (ARC), All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely (Paperback)

Did I mention I have such an awesome local library?! They have a program for teens where you get a free book every time you complete an activity sheet! Which is so cool, because I’ve ended up grabbing a LOT of books this summer from the program.

They have backlist ARCs (I wonder if I can track down a Cinder ARC???) and it’s really cool to participate in the program and see people show their love for their local library! I loved reading the first two and am so excited to read All American Boys because I’ve heard so many good things about that one!

20. Where She Fell by Kaitlin Ward (Signed ARC), Girl in a Bad Place by Kaitlin Ward (Paperback)

Thank you so much to Kaitlin Ward for hosting this giveaway! I am so excited to read Where She Fell and it was totally cool to be surprised with a copy of Ward’s earlier book, Girl in a Bad Place! Besides looking gorgeous together, I’m also really excited to read each of these because they look like such a delicious blend of dark and mysterious.

I mean, Where She Fell sounds like Honey I Shrunk the Kids, but darker, and Girl in a Bad Place hints at so many dark friendship themes I just CAN’T WAIT! So excited to be able to pick these up! Thanks so much again to Kaitlin Ward for hosting this giveaway!

22. Mortal Danger by Ann Aguirre (ARC), Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys (Paperback), We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

Yes, yes I did grab more books from the local library teen program SUE ME. I’ve probably come out with a dozen books from my hours of reading (you need 20 hours of reading to get 1 book) and have no regrets.

I loved Ann Aguirre and Rachel Caine’s Honor Among Thieves, and have very high hopes for Aguirre’s former novel! Plus, I loved reading both Between Shades of Grey and We Are Okay and it was so cool to finally be able to own a copy! Ruta Sepetys is a great writer and I hope she’ll be coming out with more novels. Plus, Nina LaCour’s novel is short yet subtle and sentimental.

25. Tradition by Brendan Kiely

Thank you so much to the Fantastic Flying Book Club & Simon & Schuster for sending me a hard copy of Tradition from the blog tour giveaway! I totally missed out on this blog tour because I was too busy judging the cover, but after reading the synopsis, I FELL IN LOVE.

The day this book arrived, you bet I binged the whole thing. I sat down and spent the next ~2 hours just DEVOURING this whole story. Although there were a few spots I wished were executed a little better, I did love the entire meaning and message which came through really clearly: TRADITION IS NOT AN EXCUSE.

Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a powerful read.

26. Lovely, Dark, and Deep by Justina Chen (ARC)

I feel so cool.

This is the first time ever I’ve gotten a package with the paper shreds in it, and not gonna lie, I feel pretty VIP, ahaha. Thank you so much to Justina Chen for putting so much time and effort into this package! I loved reading Lovely, Dark, and Deep (you can read my review here!) and definitely recommend you check this one out!

It revolves around a girl who becomes allergic to sunlight, which is really really cool. Plus, Justina sent the cutest tealight lantern ever and I am IN LOVE. I swear this tealight is my new favorite #bookstagram prop.

27. Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix by Julie C. Dao (Personalized ARC)

JOIN US FOR #PhoenixChat TO TALK Forest of a Thousand Lanterns and Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix!

If you follow Julie, you’ll get updates on when #PhoenixChat occurs, and I gotta say–it was really really cool to win the grand prize giveaway. Not only was I sent an ARC of Kingdom (which I was denied for on Edelweiss…) there was also a signed bookmark (my collection is growing!) and an awesome bookplate with gorgeous stamps.

You don’t have to read FoaTL to read Kingdom, but you’ll definitely want to after reading Kingdom! Julie is doing such an awesome job with this series and I’m so in love with this dark villain origin story and the Snow White retelling.

28. The Last Wish of Sasha Cade by Cheyenne Young (ARC)

Thank you so much KCP Loft & Eileen for hosting this giveaway! I am very excited to read The Last Wish of Sasha Cade because I’ve heard so many good things! I’m hoping for awesome friendship themes and crossing my finger this book pulls through!

This just looks like such a gorgeous book with a poignant story, and I’m very excited to dive in! (Also, it’s a weird middle between short and tall ARCs & the only one I have of its size!) I’m always down to read another debut for the #DebutAuthorChallenge!

29. Jane by April Lindner

O’ local library, o’ local library,
You have everything to satisfy the literary,
Such as the very hip teen program,
That sends a Jane Eyre retelling into my hands.

I delight in the books you foist upon me,
With your cart of books for teens’ scrutiny,
There is nothing more appealing than a Jane Eyre retelling,
Featuring a modern rock star and ghosts’ wailing.

Sincerely,
– a satisfied library frequenter

30-31. The Girl King by Mimi Yu (ARC) & Fresh Ink edited by Lamar Giles (ARC)

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to Kristen from Barnie Bookworm for sending me a copy of The Girl King! I am just stunned at the generosity of strangers because WOW SOMEONE WAS KIND ENOUGH TO SEND THIS TO ME & HELP AN #OWNVOICES REVIEWER READ THIS BOOK.

I am so excited to review this novel and this is just so moving for me. I am so indebted to both Kristen & Jen (@BookAvid) for connecting me & helping me get my hands on this. Because East Asian girls slaying in SFF is just my dream. I feel like SFF lacks diversity more than contemporary in YA, and seeing a rise of Asians in SFF is so gratifying.

Thank you thank you thank you so much to Kristen for parting with her copy and sending it my way! (And for throwing in a copy of Fresh Ink as well, which I very much enjoyed reading! Read my review here!)

32. The Diminished by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson

Thank you so much to Samira Ahmed for hosting this giveaway of The Diminished and sending me a finished copy! I really enjoyed reading this and am very excited for the sequel to come out next year!

Stories about twins are always so cool and I think Kaitlyn Sage Patterson did a really great job of just bringing this whole book together and making the plot twist and turn. There were definitely a lot of elements I wasn’t suspecting, and the way the writing kept me on the edge of my seat was SO MUCH FUN. Definitely excited to read book 2 next year!

33. These Vengeful Masks by Tarun Shanker & Kelly Zekas, Between the Spark and the Burn by April Genevieve Tucholke

I went on vacation if you noticed my hiatus of sorts, and these are some of the books I picked up at a really cool secondhand store in Miami! There weren’t as many secondhand stores as I was hoping, but it was very nice to find both of these in the same store!

I’ve heard so many great things about These Vengeful Masks and I loved reading April Genevieve Tucholke’s The Boneless Mercies, so I just had to pick both of these up. Now, as for when I’ll read them…well, let’s just say I have it available for when I’m read (aka expect me to read these in 2050).

But I am excited and hopeful that I’ll read them in a reasonable amount of time…right?

35. The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James

MWAHAHAH I am the best couponer of couponers.

Barnes and Noble had a 20% coupon that expired the day I used it. I also have a 10% membership discount. AND certain new releases were 20% off (but this promotion was actually supposed to start AFTER the coupon expired, but the Barnes and Noble I went to added the stickers early).

This means, I got 20%+20%+10% off this new release! (Which does not equal 50% off, but it was pretty gratifying to see around $8 chop off the $18 list price…). I buy books listed as full price once in a blue moon, and I’m happy the stars aligned to give me couponing heaven at Barnes and Noble.

So excited, because I really want to know about the giant plot twist nobody will tell me about!!! Everyone’s been so mum on that and I JUST NEED TO KNOW OKAY?

36. Bitterblue by Kristen Cashore

I found this at a Friends of the Library in Miami, and am so close to completing my Graceling collection, I can practically taste it. (Okay, well actually I have 2/3 of the books, which I consider very close.)

I’m waiting to get my hands on all 3 books before starting (am I being smart, or just procrastinating?) which means an endless search for the books across bargain websites and thrift stores. I’m almost there, I swear. I just need to find Fire.

But I’ve heard so many good things about this series, I am prepared for the epic strong-female fantasy that’s one of the ones that started it all!

Onyx & Ivory by Mindee Arnett Character Cards & Swag

Being on the Onyx & Ivory street team was so much fun! Plus, everyone got swag which was literally the coolest thing ever! I loved receiving the full set of character cards, a Relay sticker, bookplate, and Onyx & Ivory bookmark!

Swag is so much fun, especially things like character cards which are super enticing to collect! I love the set and I find the illustrations to be so gorgeous! (Plus, y’all know how thirsty I am for bookmarks in my collection…)

See All the Stars by Kit Frick Bookmark

*cough*I GOT ANOTHER SIGNED BOOKMARK*cough*

I love newsletters, and newsletters is what led me to getting a See All the Stars bookmark in the mail! This is such a gorgeous bookmark and I’m honestly stunned at how well the matte color and gold signature work together. IT’S JUST BEAUTIFUL OKAY? HAVE YOU SEEN THAT BOOK COVER?

Read my review here!

The Dark Beneath the Ice by Amelinda Berube Enamel Pin + Swag

Another case of i’m-addicted-to-reading-newsletters-itis. I sent in a question for Amelinda, and surprisingly, mine was one of the ones she chose! Which meant the most gorgeous of gorgeous enamel pins was sent my way, plus a signed bookmark (yasss), sticker, and letter. *swoons*

This paranormal horror ghost story was just SO MUCH FUN. I hate horror with a burning passion, but this gave me the perfect type of chills that my hair stood up, but I wasn’t running away screaming. Definitely recommend you check it out! (Review here!)

An Ember in the Ashes Swag

Ahhh yes. My visit to see Sabaa Tahir in Miami (different from my vacation in Miami, mind you). It was so so cool to meet her (especially after I missed out on her tickets at BookCon) and I GOT ALL THREE POSTERS YASS. I now have both Elias, Helene, AND Laia which is just the best thing ever.

That is the smell of a full set there. Plus, the 4+ hour drive was killer but so worth it because Sabaa was so sweet in person & she handed out a Torch sticker that I’m too scared to use anywhere! But it’s really cute, and I’m very excited (and scared) to read Reaper!

Mask of Shadows & Ruin of Stars by Linsey Miller Bookmarks

Thank you so much to Linsey Miller for sending these gorgeous bookmarks to me! I lust daily over bookmarks and I just love all three of them that found their way to me? They have all very non-standard widths but I love them and they’re so aesthetic (like her book covers!)

This is such a cool series about a genderfluid assassin so like…go read it? What are you waiting for? Book 1 was so awesome? You can read my review here?

The Way You Make Me Feel KoBra Enamel Pin + Swag

Thank you so so much to Maurene Goo for being the sweetest and sending an entire The Way You Make Me Feel swag pack with a bookplate and an awesome bookmark and THE KOBRA PIN AHHH.

Apparently crying publicly daily is a good way to convince authors to offer to send you swag? (I don’t recommend it unless you’re a fan of publicly embarrassing yourself) bUT APPARENTLY ME SOBBING OVER THE KOBRA PIN AMOUNTED TO GOOD THINGS MY WAY?

I hate/love preorders because I can never do them, but *holds hands up reverently* THE SWAG!!! So it’s always really really sweet and tear-jerking when people send me the preorder stuff because wow I love this book so much YOU ALL HAVE TO READ THIS IF YOU LOVED TO ALL THE BOYS I SWEAR.

Seriously, all of Maurene Goo’s works are so heartwarming and fun and sweet and just hope-filling when you see Asian girls get happily ever afters. I love it so so much & am so excited for her future books!

To Be Honest Button + Swag

Thank you so much to Maggie Ann Martin for sending me a button, bookplate, and bookmark from her upcoming novel, To Be Honest! I cannot wait for this book to come out and this is just such a cute button (that’s such a mood tbh).

If you’re looking for a book featuring body positivity and all sorts of cute romance and personal struggles, I definitely recommend you pick up To Be Honest! You can read my review here!

A Reaper at the Gates Swag

Thanks so much to Sabaa Tahir and Penguin teen for the box of A Reaper at the Gates swag! Different from the An Ember in the Ashes swag I mentioned before, this was the preorder swag I received after sending in my postcard! Cool–right?

I’m so in love with the drawstring bag because it’s the perfect size for my larger books, and the button & pen are so high quality I just can’t even. This was such a great preorder swag set and I am totally in love!

Our Year of Maybe Dandelion Enamel Pin + Swag

AHHHH thank you so much to the fantabulous Rachel Lynn Solomon for the gorgeous Our Year of Maybe dandelion enamel pin (so cute!!!) and the bookmarks! I love new bookmarks for my collection!

I don’t know if you’ve seen but Rachel HUNG UP MY QUOTE ART ON HER WALL and I just–wow??? That was honestly such a highlight of my summer AND SHE ALSO SENT SWAG. The pin is currently on my backpack and I love it (so gorgeous!) along with my bookmarks (duplicates may show up in other places…).

Her debut, You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone was so wonderful and I’m so excited for her sophomore novel! You can read my review of YMMWIG here!

Phew! I’m kinda really glad that’s over (these things are so stressful bc people are wonderful and they send me nice things and I just have no words?)

Are you anticipating any of these books? Have you loved any of them? Hated any?