Book Haul #1

As a Back-to-School treat, my sister and I went to Vromans Bookstore and spent probably more money than we should have.

 

1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Amazon description:

Anna can’t wait for her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a good job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she’s not too thrilled when her father unexpectedly ships her off to boarding school in Paris – until she meets Etienne St. Clair, the perfect boy. The only problem? He’s taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her crush back home. Will a year of romantic near-misses end in the French kiss Anna awaits?

I’ve seen a lot of excited review for the third book in this series, Isla and the Happily Ever After. I needed more Chicklit to look forward to, so I decided to buy book one.

2. Half a King by Joe Abercrombie

Amazon description:

“I swore an oath to avenge the death of my father. I may be half a man, but I swore a whole oath.”
 
Prince Yarvi has vowed to regain a throne he never wanted. But first he must survive cruelty, chains, and the bitter waters of the Shattered Sea. And he must do it all with only one good hand.

The deceived will become the deceiver.
 
Born a weakling in the eyes of his father, Yarvi is alone in a world where a strong arm and a cold heart rule. He cannot grip a shield or swing an axe, so he must sharpen his mind to a deadly edge.

The betrayed will become the betrayer.
 
Gathering a strange fellowship of the outcast and the lost, he finds they can do more to help him become the man he needs to be than any court of nobles could.

Will the usurped become the usurper?
 
But even with loyal friends at his side, Yarvi finds that his path may end as it began—in twists, and traps, and tragedy.

This book reminds me of The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner. I like this brand of not-really-historical-fiction-not-really-fantasy, and I want to read more. The title is interesting as well.

3. The Ring and the Crown by Melissa de la Cruz

Amazon description:

Magic is power, and power is magic… Once they were inseparable, just two little girls playing games in a mighty castle. Now Princess Marie-Victoria, heir to the mightiest empire in the world, and Aelwyn Myrddyn, a bastard mage, face vastly different futures. Quiet and gentle, Marie has never lived up to the ambitions of her mother, Queen Eleanor the Second. With the help of her Merlin, Eleanor has maintained a stranglehold on the world’s only source of magic. While the enchanters faithfully serve the crown, the sun will never set on the Franco-British Empire. As the annual London Season begins, the great and noble families across the globe flaunt their wealth and magic at parties, teas, and, of course, the lavish Bal du Drap d’Or, the Ball of the Gold Cloth. But the talk of the season is Ronan Astor, a social-climbing American with only her dazzling beauty to recommend her. Ronan is determined to make a good match to save her family’s position. But when she falls for a handsome rogue on the voyage over, her lofty plans are imperiled by her desires. Meanwhile, Isabelle of Orleans, daughter of the displaced French royal family, finds herself cast aside by Leopold, heir to the Prussian crown, in favor of a political marriage to Marie-Victoria. Isabelle arrives in the city bent on reclaiming what is hers. But Marie doesn’t even want Leopold—she has lost her heart to a boy the future queen would never be allowed to marry. When Marie comes to Aelwyn, desperate to escape a life without love, the girls form a perilous plan that endangers not only the entire kingdom but the fate of the monarchy.

Honestly, I haven’t really looked at this book yet. My sister read the first few pages and fell in love, so I’m sure it will be good.

4. The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

Amazon description:

In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia’s life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn’t—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met.

On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love.

I also read a very positive review for this book. The premise of this book sounds amazing and it’s a genre of books I haven’t read much of, so that will be interesting.

5. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

I don’t think you guys need an amazon description for this one.

I’ve always love this story, but I’ve never read the book. I meant to read it over summer but I just didn’t get around to it. I got it off of PaperbackSwap.com (a website you guys should definitely check out).

 

The seventh Stephanie Plum book should arrive soon as well. I’m currently reading Insanity by Susan Vaught, which is creepy as hell.

 
Follow my blog with Bloglovin