April 2016 Book Haul
I finished reading a book over my lunch hour today, and I figured I would write a review on it for today’s Book Review Tuesday. Then I realized I would be missing an opportunity to do something really fun. Something I probably won’t be able to do very often. A book haul. (Also, it’s good to let a finished book sit for a little so I can better collect my thoughts on it.)
Last week my brother and I went to Omaha for a concert and the next day we went bookstore hopping. I thought it might be interesting to share what books I got and why I chose them! I will be doing reviews of all (I hope!) of these in the future.
First we went to Barnes and Nobel where I got three books.
By: Marissa Meyer
This was the first book I picked off the shelf. I remember when this book first came out and thinking that it looked interesting. It wasn’t until recently that several of my friends told me that I needed to read it—and it was like three people in a weekend.
Why did I pick it up this trip? It’s available everywhere, so why now? Honestly, nothing else was catching my eye (you know how it is, sometimes you feel like you have to buy all the books and sometimes you just don’t) and then I saw a pretty display of Marissa Meyer’s books and I knew it was the day to pick it up.
By: Mac Barnett
Illustrated by: Jon Klassen
I love this book. It’s one I read while still working at the school before we put it out on the shelf. I read it several times. I found excuses to read it to different kids—I brought it home and read it to my 21-year-old brother and his fiancé. I read it to anyone I could get to listen to. So when I saw it at Barnes and Noble I quickly tucked it against my side and knew it was coming home with me.
By: Peter Brown
This was a last minute choice. I was passing by a table on my way to check out and saw this cutie. I’d read a picture book by Peter Brown called Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, which I loved (had I seen it, it would have also been tucked against my side). I trust the author to write a cute and compelling story and the cover art was adorable. So this was my impulse buy. (Really though, aren’t they all?)
Then we went to Parable Christian Stores. When Mom and I would go to Omaha for my Spine Center appointments, we always stopped at this bookstore. My brother was never with us, so he never got to go to this shop. On a whim, I decided we were going. It was a weird trip down memory lane, recollecting all the time Mom and I spent in this part of Omaha. Now I know why Mom always limited out time in this store. Holy moly. I went a little crazy.
By: Mesu Andrews
Honestly, the story of Moses and Egyptian culture has always intrigued me. It’s one my favorite Old Testament stories, for a lot of reasons that I won’t get into here. So when I saw this book, it was like I was meant to buy it.
The Healer’s Apprentice
By: Melanie Dickerson
This book was on sale in the Young Adult section. It reminded me some other Christian fiction I had read as a high school student and thought the premise of the story looked interesting. I’m also a sucker for sale prices on books.
The Secret of Pembrooke Park
By: Julie Klassen
I’ve read several of Julie Klassen’s books and not been disappointed yet. So this one was more about choosing which of books I wanted to buy that I hadn’t read yet, and while they all looked good, this one won me over with Jane Austen vibes. (I’m sure I’ll get the others eventually.)
Esther: Royal Beauty
By: Angela Hunt
I’ve seen books by Angela Hunt before, but haven’t actually picked one up yet. This one caught my eye because it is about one of my favorite Bible heroines. (I have lots of favorites, okay?) It was also on sale. And while things weren’t catching my eye at Barnes and Noble, they definitely were at Parable.
The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings us Back to the Garden
By: Kevin Deyoung
Illustrated by: Don Clark
I found this one in the kid’s section. I could have brought home a lot more books from this section, but I landed on this one and decided the others could wait. I love the idea of illustrated Bibles for kids. This isn’t a Bible per se, but it certainly takes the reader through the journey of the Gospel with beautiful illustrations. Yeah, the artwork of this one really got me. I’m glad it’s in my collection. I’m really excited about this one. Really excited.
On the Shoulders of Hobbits
By: Louis Markos
I love The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. I love making connections to my faith in these books and I love reading how other people have done this. The real miracle is how I only walked out with one of these books. They had an entire aisle devoted to books by and about Tolkien and Lewis. I could have bought so many more, but this one won a trip home with me.
Then we went to Half Priced Books where you can buy books very little guilt. I hadn’t planned to buy anything after my major splurge at Parable…but I walked out with a few.
By: Eoin Colfer
I think the biggest question here is, how is it that I didn’t already own this book? I’m not sure, but this one that my brother read in late elementary and told me several times to read it. He found a copy in the Young Adult section and so it was added to my pile. He’s got good taste. I should have listened to him when I was still a kid.
Black
By: Ted Dekker
I’ve heard a lot about this book from a lot of different people. My brother convinced me to get it this time. I probably wont read it right away because I generally think that Ted Dekker writes a little darker than I like to read, but I will give it a shot. Eventually. When I’m feeling brave.
Days of Blood and Starlight
By: Laini Taylor
This is the sequel to Daughter of Smoke and Bone, which I’ve already reviewed. They had it on display and reminded me that I needed to buy it, so I did. I’m looking forward to reading it, though I’ve got quite a few in the queue.
Inkheart
By: Cornelia Funke
I saw the movie first and loved it. I borrowed a copy of the book from a friend and loved it. And then I recommended it to a lot of kids at school. They had a copy of it in hardcover so I had to get it.
Inkspell
By: Cornelia Funke
I have not read this one, but I want to. And they also had it in hardcover and made to the same scale. One of my fears of buying books in a series is that I won’t be able to get them in the same scale and they won’t match. I knew this would match.
Inkdeath
By: Cornelia Funke
Same reason as why I bought Inkspell. It was a heavy choice, but a good one.
There you have it, a lot of different books in a lot of different genres. I’m excited about all of them and can’t wait to share my full reviews with you! As I get them read, I will be linking the review here.
Which one do you think I should read first? I’m open to suggestions!
Happy Reading!
