Book Haul #70

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Welcome to the first book haul of 2020!

Over the course of the past few months I’ve received, bought and been given a lovely pile of books (thanks to publishers sending me books in exchange for reviews, and also Christmas and my birthday). Being a book dragon (cooler than a book worm) makes me one of the easiest people to buy gifts for; if you don’t want to get me a book for fear that I already have it, anything book related will do me just fine! I’m talking bookmarks, book quote prints, mugs with bookish things on them, Harry Potter anything, Funko Pop figures of bookish characters (granted they’re mostly based on the movie versions, but I’ll still take it!), pins, magnets … basically anything bookish and you’d have done very well.

Christmas was a mash of many of these things, as was my birthday. Here’s what I got over the southern hemisphere summer!

Once & Future, by Amy Rose Capetta

I’ve been chased my whole life. As a fugitive refugee in the territory controlled by the tyrannical Mercer corporation, I’ve always had to hide who I am. Until I found Excalibur.

Now I’m done hiding. My name is Ari Helix. I have a magic sword, a cranky wizard, and a revolution to start.

A retelling of the Arthurian legend, with a leading lady? Brilliant! I’m really looking forward to reading this one. My sister gave it to me for Christmas (I may have made a list of books so people wouldn’t get me anything I already had), and while I realise I’ve now had it for over a month, I haven’t picked it up yet. Give me time and then I’ll be back with a review for you!

The Dark Vault, by V.E. Schwab

Back in 2013, Victoria ‘V.E.’ Schwab published the book, The Archived, a story about a place where the dead rest on shelves like books. This was followed up by its sequel, The Unbound in 2014. I’m a big fan of Schwab, but the Archived series isn’t one that I’ve read yet. Over the summer I bought The Vault which was released in 2018, and is a bind up of both the books in The Archived series. I can’t wait to get into these stories! If anyone has read them, let me know what you thought!

The Toll, by Neal Shusterman

The final of the Arc of the Scythe series was released in November of 2019. The first in this series, Scythe, was one of my favourite books in 2018, and got me hooked on the series. It’s one of the most thought-provoking series I’ve read in a long time (perhaps ever!) and I highly recommend checking it out if you haven’t already. Thank you to Walker Books Australia and Harper Collins NZ for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

The Fowl Twins, by Eoin Colfer

Growing up the Artemis Fowl series was one of my all time favourite, but at some point along the release track I never actually managed to read the last two books in the series. I don’t quite know what happened, but now there’s a new set of stories out by Colfer which feature Artemis’ twin brothers. Needless to say, I need to read this book. But I also feel like I need to catch up on the last two that I missed before I get to this one. Thanks to Auckland Libraries, I now have book seven in my possession, ready to read! Stay tuned for the (eventual) review of The Fowl Twins in the next few months. Harper Collins NZ sent me this one.

Infinity Son, by Adam Silvera

Silvera’s first fantasy novel is set in New York and involves phoenixes; say what? I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that had so many phoenixes in it, but it was a really creative way to bring a form of magic into the world. While I didn’t end up loving this book as much as I thought I thought, it was still a fun read and I’ll be checking out the second book when it is published. Thank you to Harper Collins NZ for this review copy.

Highfire, by Eoin Colfer

Another recent release by Colfer. This is ‘a hilarious and high-octane adult novel about a vodka-drinking, Flashdance-loving dragon who lives an isolated life in the bayous of Louisiana—and the raucous adventures that ensue when he crosses paths with a fifteen-year-old troublemaker on the run from a crooked sheriff.’ I am so ready for this book! It sounds amazing and I can’t wait to dive in. Thank you to Hachette NZ for this review copy!

If you could pick just one of these books to read, which one would it be and why?