Haul | YALC 2018

Between January and June 2018, I acquired a total of 29 books. Between July 27th and July 29th 2018, I acquired a total of 23 books! I knew I would get a lot of books during YALC, so much so that I took a small extra suitcase with me to bring them all home in, but I didn't quite expect to get almost as many books as I had acquired in the first 6 months of the year. I suppose I better get on with hauling them or we'll be here all day.

The Crash by Lisa Drakeford - A car crashes into a house and everyone involved has to deal with the aftermath. One of the lovely people on the Chicken House stand recommended this to me and I was so intrigued.

The Baby by Lisa Drakeford - A girl, who didn't know she was pregnant, gives birth at her friends birthday party. Again, this was recommended to me by the same lovely person on the Chicken House stand and it seemed like my kind of book.

Freshers by Tom Ellen & Lucy Ivison - Following a boy and girl as they start university. I've been wanting to read more uni books recently, specifically set in UK university, and I've heard this is hilarious.

Penguin 2018/2019 Yearbook - This is Penguin's book of extracts from their 2018/2019 releases. I was so excited to get my hands on this as it includes extracts from some of my most anticipated upcoming releases.

The Truth About Lies by Tracy Darnton - A girl with an incredible memory remembers everything, including who killed her roommate. I heard Tracy Darnton talk about this book on a panel and was completely sold, so I had to go and buy a copy and get it signed.

Close Your Eyes by Nicci Cloke - This is the story of a school shooting. After reading Toxic by Nicci Cloke, I knew I wanted to read more from her. This sounds like my kind of books so I made sure to pick it up.

Clean by Juno Dawson - It's basically described as Gossip Girl goes to rehab. I have been wanting to read something from Juno Dawson for a while now and this just sounds amazing.

Tell Me No Lies by AV Geiger - This is the sequel to Follow Me Back, a thriller about fan obsession and trolling, which I just recently picked up on ibooks. This was available for free with another purchase so I decided grab it and binge the series.

I Stop Somewhere by TE Carter - A hard-hitting contemporary about sexual assault. I have heard so many amazing things about this book.

Nowhere Else But Here by Rachel Cotton - I don't know anything about this book but Ink Road publish some of my favourite books so I really wanted to support them and this was one of the only books on the stand I didn't already own. Also, this was written by a seventeen year old!!

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stane: Scots Edition by JK Rowling and Matthew Fitt - Harry Potter translated into Scots, I just had to. Even as a Scot myself, I think I'll struggle with this one.

My Heart Goes Bang by Keris Stainton - This is another uni story and one I have had my eye on for a while. I decided to pick it up at YALC so that I could go and get it signed, which was a great idea as Keris Stainton turned out to be one of my favourite people that I met the whole weekend!

One Small Thing by Erin Watt - A forbidden romance between and girl and the boy involved in the death of her sister. This is another one I have been desperate to get my hands on since before it was even published.

Sweetfreak by Sophie McKenzie - Another book about trolling and online hate. Sophie McKenzie wrote one of my favourite books when I was younger, Girl, Missing, so I'm interested to see how I feel about her writing now.

The Last Summer Of The Garrett Girls by Jessica Spotswood - I'll be honest, I picked this up because of the cover and the fact it has the word 'summer' in the title. All I know is it takes place during the summer.

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson - A girl interested in true crime tries to solve a cold case involving her new school. I heard Emma from emmmabooks talk about this book on her channel and she raved about it so much I have to read it.

All These Beautiful Strangers by Elizabeth Klehfoth - I heard Elizabeth Klehfoth talk about this book during her panel and had to pick it up. She described it as for anyone who loved thrillers and boarding school, which is definitely me.

My (Secret) Youtube Life by Charlotte Seager - The My Kinda Book stand were selling mystery books, where the books are wrapped so you don't know which book you're getting, so of course I had to get involved. This was the book I got, which I know nothing at all about.

Izzy & Tristan by Shannon Dunlap - A modern-day retelling of Tristan and Iseult. This is one of the few ARCs I managed to pick up and it is one that I am very excited about.

Giant Days by Non Pratt - A novel based on the graphic-novel series, and one of my most anticipated releases of the year. Early copies were available at YALC and you even got a free reusable coffee cup.

Easy Prey by Catherine Lo - Another ARC and another book with online aspects. A teacher's inappropriate pictures get leaked and there are only three student's who could have done it. This is one I am incredibly excited for.

If You're Lucky by Yvonne Prinz - This is another mystery/thriller, I believe, and one I don't know much about. I picked this up for free with another purchase but I'm interested to give it a go.

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp - Another book about a school shooting. I have been desperate to read this since it was first published but haven't been able to find it anywhere in the UK. As soon as I saw it on a stand, I grabbed it and even let out a little squeal of excitement.

Those are the 23 books I picked up at YALC. I think it might take me a little while to get through all of these but I will be well stocked up for a while. If you were at YALC, what did you pick up that you're most excited about? Which of these books would you recommend I pick up first?

Sophie :)

Wrap Up | July 2018

The one thing I hate about doing monthly wrap ups is that moment when you realise another month has come and gone already! July was a bit of a mixed month for me. I started out well and was totally in the mood to get all my pre-YALC reading done. However, after my first book of the month I hit my major slump that usually happens about once a year and I ended up reading a bit less than I have been reading the past couple of months. Luckily for me, YALC is pretty much the best cure for a reading slump so I'm hoping I'm now back on track. I ended up reading 5 books in July, four of which were in preparations for YALC and one that I picked up while there.

Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard -

I've had this on my shelf for ages but finally picked it up as Sara Barnard was one of the authors at YALC. I bought this before I had heard anyone talking about it, but after hearing some mentions of unlikeable characters, I sort of put it to one side. I don't tend to love books with unlikeable characters and so I went into this with lowered expectations. This books was a complete surprise, I absolutely loved it. It follows two childhood best friends and the new girl, and focuses a lot on the changes in friendship dynamic when the new girl joins the friend group. It is definitely not light and fluffy, there are a lot of serious topics discussed and it does get very dark, which I enjoyed. I loved how friendship focused it was rather than usual romance and, despite my worries, I loved the characters and how complex they were. I also thought it was written incredibly well, so I can't wait to pick up more of Sara Barnard's work.

Rating: 4/5 | Review To Come

Toxic by Nicci Cloke -

Again, this book was one I read in preparation for YALC. I would describe Toxic as a contemporary with mystery/thriller aspects. It follow a group of guy friends and one girl who go on a lads holiday and that holiday kind of changes everything for them. Though the synopsis suggests the main plot of the book revolves around the mystery of what happened to Hope after she wakes up on the beach after a drunken night out, there is a lot more to it. This book focuses on toxic friendships and deals with important topics, such as homophobia, sexual assault and mental health. I thought it was incredibly clever and well-written, with the mystery keeping the reader intrigued and turning the page while at the same time focusing on some very important topics. I will definitely be picking up more of Nicci Cloke's books.

Rating: 4/5 | Review To Come

Solitaire by Alice Oseman -

Once again, more YALC preparation. I have heard nothing but amazing things about this book for years now but just never got around to it. I finally made it a priority and, I will admit, my expectations were pretty high. That may have been my downfall here as I just didn't get it. This book was not for me. I liked the writing, but I couldn't stand the characters and I didn't really understand the point of the story. I thought the plot was fine, it was intriguing enough, but I'm still not sure I could accurately explain what the book it about. Like I said, I enjoyed the writing so I would like to read more from Alice Oseman, her newest release looks like something I would enjoy, but this book just wasn't for me.

Rating: 2.5/5 | Review To Come

Everything All At Once by Steve Camden -

I wanted YALC to encourage me to pick up something new and outwith my comfort zone. One thing I don't read at all is poetry, so I thought that would be a good place to start. Everything All At Once is Steve Camden's newest release; a poetry collection following a week in a secondary school. I enjoyed this more than I expected I would. I thought it was very clever to follow a week of school and loved that the poetry told an overall story. I really enjoyed the poetry itself more than I thought I would, as it is not something I have really appreciated much in the past. I do think I need to give this a second read, perhaps slower this time, to fully appreciate it.

Rating: 3/5 | Review To Come

The Baby by Lisa Drakeford -

On the last day of YALC I was wondering around the stands looking to take advantage of some of the end of weekend offers available. I noticed that Chicken House had one book I was desperate to read, but in order to take advantage of their 3 for £10 offer, I needed some suggestions. One of the lovely people on the stand told me about this book and explained that it was about a girl who gives birth at her best friend's birthday party because she didn't know she was pregnant. I was instantly sold! This was the first book I picked up post-YALC and I really enjoyed it. I will definitely be asking for recommendations again. This was a really interesting story about the complexities of friendship, the consequences of your mistakes, and forgiveness. I enjoyed the characters and that the way it was written allowed the reader to see everyone's perspective and understand the story from all angles. I had never heard about this book before but I would definitely recommend it.

Rating: 3.5/5 | Review To Come

I read a lot of UKYA in July and I didn't even notice until now! Though I am disappointed to have not read as much as I have done in previous months, reading more UKYA has been a goal of mine for the past year and a bit, so that does make me pretty happy. Hopefully that can continue over the rest of the year.

Did you have a good reading month in July? What was the best book you read?

Sophie :)

TBR | YALC 2018

Something crazy exciting is happening this year; I'm going to YALC!! For anyone who doesn't know, YALC is the Young Adult Literature Convention held in London at the end of July. I've wanted to go for the past couple of years but it has never worked out. I'm so excited to finally be able to go this year and experience the excitement for myself, especially as there are some really great authors attending. 

As there are several authors attending YALC whose books I have not yet read, I have made myself a TBR list of the books I most want to get to. I have already made a start to my YALC reading so a couple of the books that were on my TBR, such as I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman and Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman, I have already managed to tick off. As of right now I have a somewhat ambitious TBR of 10 books that I really hope to get to in the next two months. I'm not entirely sure that will happen but I'll try my hardest.

1. Eve Of Man by Tom & Giovanna Fletcher - This was one of the author announcements I was most excited about. I love Tom & Gi and was thrilled when they announced their first novel together, Eve Of Man. This is the first book in a dystopian series about the first girl born in 50 years. I am currently reading this and enjoying it so far, I can't wait to see where the story goes.

2. Super Awkward by Beth Garrod - I hadn't heard anything about this book or author until the YALC announcements but as soon as I read the synopsis I was interested. This book just sounds hilarious. It follows a teenage girl who is very awkward and geeky and is trying to navigate life and love. I'm expecting this to be a really fun read.

3. The Truth And Lies Of Ella Black by Emily Barr  - To be quite honest, I don't have a clue what this book is about. I read the first chapter and still was none the wiser but I'm pretty sure this is one of those books that you go into knowing very little. I haven't heard too many great things about this book but I want to give it a go.

4. Solitaire by Alice Oseman - I've had this book on my shelf for a few years now and never picked it up. Now, though, YALC has given me a reason to finally give it a go. This is another one that I know nothing about but I have heard so many amazing things about this book, and this author in general, so I'm excited for this one.

5. Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard - Again, I have owned this for years and not yet gotten around to reading it. Sara Barnard is another author I have heard great things about, I don't know why I haven't read any of her books yet. All I know of this book is that it is about friendship and follows two best friends as a new girl at school joins their friendship group.

6. Toxic by Nicci Cloke - This one isn't actually being published until the weekend of YALC but I was lucky enough to be accepted for an ARC of it from Netgalley and I can't wait to read it. It is about a girl who is tagging along on a boys holiday, with a group that includes her ex-boyfriend, when things turn toxic. This definitely sounds like my kind of book.

7. The Art Of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson - Yet another book I have had on my shelf for years and haven't picked up. This book follows a boy who wants to be a girl and a boy who wants to be invisible. I haven't read any books with transgender protagonists so I'm looking forward to finally getting around to this one.

8. The Summer Of Us by Cecelia Vinesse - This is another one I was lucky enough to get an ARC of and I'm so excited to read it as it involves travelling around mainland Europe! This book follows five friends as they spend ten days together travelling around Europe and, I assume, trying to work out all of their complicated relationships.

9. Big Bones by Laura Dockrill - I picked this one up on a whim without realising that Laura Dockrill was going to be at YALC, so now I guess I just have to read it before then. I've heard great things about this book, but all I really know about it is that the main characters is overweight. I have heard that this is a very refreshing, positive book so I am excited to see what I think.

10. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon - I know absolutely nothing about this book but it is available through my library audiobook service so I would like to try and give it a go if I have the time. This is probably the book I'm least likely to get to, but I have heard some really great things about it so I would definitely like to read it eventually.

Those are the books at the top of my YALC TBR. I doubt I'll get to all of them but I'll make a good effort. If anyone has been to YALC before, please leave me some top tips as I am a first timer so don't really know what to expect.

Which of these books should I make my top priorities? If you're going to YALC this year, what books are at the top of your TBR?

Sophie :)