February Payday Book Haul!

Whilst on my exciting week off which you can read about here, I found myself looking at my bookshelf and decided it was looking rather bare. I then decided that I'd treat myself when it came to my next payday. Of course, as it came to spending money, I lived up to this promise to myself.

I wandered into Waterstones, purposely looking for The Hourglass Factory by Lucy Ribchester, and instead walked out with 5 completely different books.

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

"Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up."

I've already watched the film and really enjoyed it (not just because Percy Jackson and Hermione were in it). A few friends have recommended the book to me so I think it's about time I see what the fuss is about.

A Murder Most Unladylike: A Wells and Wong Mystery by Robin Stevens

"When Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong set up their very own deadly secret detective agency at Deepdean School for Girls, they struggle to find any truly exciting mysteries to investigate. (Unless you count the case of Lavinia’s missing tie. Which they don’t, really.)

But then Hazel discovers the Science Mistress, Miss Bell, lying dead in the Gym. She thinks it must all have been a terrible accident – but when she and Daisy return five minutes later, the body has disappeared. Now the girls know a murder must have taken place . . . and there’s more than one person at Deepdean with a motive.

Now Hazel and Daisy not only have a murder to solve: they have to prove a murder happened in the first place. Determined to get to the bottom of the crime before the killer strikes again (and before the police can get there first, naturally), Hazel and Daisy must hunt for evidence, spy on their suspects and use all the cunning, scheming and intuition they can muster. But will they succeed? And can their friendship stand the test?"

I was stood in Waterstones looking at this and a lady who worked there recommended it. And also sneakily included the fact that I could get this and the sequel for £10. Bargain.

Arsenic for tea: A Wells and Wong Mystery by Robin Stevens

"Schoolgirl detectives Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are at Daisy's home, Fallingford, for the holidays. Daisy's glamorous mother is throwing a tea party for Daisy's birthday, and the whole family is invited, from eccentric Aunt Saskia to dashing Uncle Felix. But it soon becomes clear that this party isn't really about Daisy at all. Naturally, Daisy is furious.

Then one of their party falls seriously, mysteriously ill - and everything points to poison.

With wild storms preventing anyone from leaving, or the police from arriving, Fallingford suddenly feels like a very dangerous place to be. Not a single person present is what they seem - and everyone has a secret or two. And when someone very close to Daisy looks suspicious, the Detective Society must do everything they can to reveal the truth . . . no matter the consequences."

As I said earlier, there was a decent deal for this book and it's prequel. I quite like murder mysteries so I'm looking forward to reading both of these.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

"This is Susie Salmon. Watching from heaven, Susie sees her happy, suburban family devastated by her death, isolated even from one another as they each try to cope with their terrible loss alone. Over the years, her friends and siblings grow up, fall in love, do all the things she never had the chance to do herself. But life is not quite finished with Susie yet . . . The Lovely Bones is a luminous and astonishing novel about life and death, forgiveness and vengeance, memory and forgetting - but, above all, about finding light in the darkest of places."

I started to read this a while ago and for some reason (I can't remember why) I got sidetracked. My Mum keeps telling me how much better it is than the film (which I also haven't seen yet), and I quite fancy actually finishing it this time.

The Humans by Matt Haig

"After an 'incident' one wet Friday night where Professor Andrew Martin is found walking naked through the streets of Cambridge, he is not feeling quite himself. Food sickens him. Clothes confound him. Even his loving wife and teenage son are repulsive to him. He feels lost amongst a crazy alien species and hates everyone on the planet. Everyone, that is, except Newton, and he's a dog.

What could possibly make someone change their mind about the human race. . . ?"

I loved reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon, and this is said to be along the same lines.

I think I have plenty to be getting on with for now!

My Top 5 Books.

Well, funny thing is, I don't have a top 5.

I love to read. Sometimes it's good to sit in a quiet room and take yourself off to another world like Panem or Hogwarts. Although I haven't read a massive array of books, (unless you count the likes of Jacqueline Wilson and Louise Rennison when I was younger) recently I've morphed into somewhat of a bookworm.

At the moment I'm reading Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. Jurassic Park is definitely my most favourite film franchise (I can assure you that no one else is more excited for JP4 this summer). It was only a few months ago that I realised the movies were developed from a novel, even though it says it at the end of the film and i've watched the film 2784018 times (that is not accurate). I'm absolutely loving it so far despite having dinosaur nightmares after reading it before I go to bed!

Speaking of film franchises coming from books, the Harry Potter series is a very close second to Jurassic Park. I read the Harry Potter books as I was growing up and from the second I picked up The Philosopher's Stone, I absolutely fell in love with the wizarding world that J.K. Rowling created. My favourite book of the series has to be The Order Of The Phoenix. I read them a long time ago so I can't really remember why, I just remember enjoying that one the most, and the fact that my Mum bought me it the day it was released. That always felt pretty special to me.

Further down the age line I was introduced to the world of Panem by one of my very close friends. Reading The Hunger Games was the first time I couldn't put a book down. So naturally, I finished Catching Fire and Mockingjay a matter of weeks after starting the first one.

Then in the past year I moved onto the likes of The Fault In Our Stars by John Green (I cried), Wonder by R.J. Palacio (I cried), The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne (I cried) and The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime by Mark Haddon (I didn't cry). I also read more of John Green's books such as Will Grayson, Will Grayson and An Abundance Of Katherines.

Sat on my bookshelf waiting to be read are The Lost World (obviously), Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, Tales of Beedle The Bard, and I plan to read the Harry Potter series again because I'm such a Potterhead.

PS. I totes copied the idea for this post from my very best friend Tom. And you can read his ramblings here.