August Book Haul….Kinda

Hi it’s me, Katie, the horrible book blogger who has forgotten to do a book haul since basically March. I mentioned a TON of books in that last haul that I got from March through May, and this is pretty much just going to be books I’ve gotten since then, but I may not get them all because I’m horrible at tracking that. Also I realize that it’s already halfway through September, but better late than never, right?? As always, click the book cover to go to the Goodreads page!

Teeth in the Mist by Dawn Kurtagich

Sixteen-year-old photography enthusiast Zoey has been fascinated by the haunted, burnt-out ruins of Medwyn Mill House for as long as she can remember–so she and her best friend, Poulton, run away from home to explore them. But are they really alone in the house? And who will know if something goes wrong?

In 1851, seventeen-year-old Roan arrives at the Mill House as a ward–one of three, all with something to hide from their new guardian. When Roan learns that she is connected to an ancient secret, she must escape the house before she is trapped forever.

1583. Hermione, a new young bride, accompanies her husband to the wilds of North Wales where he plans to build the largest water mill and mansion in the area. But rumors of unholy rituals lead to a tragic occurrence and she will need all her strength to defeat it.

I asked for recommendations on Twitter for some reads that had a creepy atmosphere similar to the vibe I got from The Diviners, and this was one of the books recommended to me! I had seen this one around before, and then when I heard it had that same creepy vibe I knew I wanted to see what it was all about.

The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich

Twenty-five years ago, Elmbridge High burned down. Three people were killed and one pupil, Carly Johnson, disappeared. Now a diary has been found in the ruins of the school. The diary belongs to Kaitlyn Johnson, Carly’s identical twin sister. But Carly didn’t have a twin . . .

Re-opened police records, psychiatric reports, transcripts of video footage and fragments of diary reveal a web of deceit and intrigue, violence and murder, raising a whole lot more questions than it answers.

While I was looking at Teeth in the Mist, this one popped up too and I thought that not only is the cover intriguing, but the idea sounds interesting too. There is just something about books that have a tragic event in the past that the characters need to investigate that really makes me excited, it’s one of my favorite things in thrillers!

The Creeping by Alexandra Sirowy

Eleven years ago, Stella and Jeanie disappeared. Only Stella came back.

Now all she wants is a summer full of cove days, friends, and her gorgeous crush – until a fresh corpse leads Stella down a path of ancient evil and secrets.

Stella believes remembering what happened to Jeanie will save her. It won’t.

She used to know better than to believe in what slinks through the shadows. Not anymore.

This was another book recommended to me in that twitter thread. What can I say? You were all very convincing! The synopsis on this one is pretty vague so I don’t feel bad that I actually read this one. It sounds perfect for fall reading, and if I can get out of this slump I hope it lives up to my expectations!

Here There Are Monsters by Amelinda Berube

Sixteen-year-old Skye is done playing the knight in shining armor for her insufferable younger sister, Deirdre. Moving across the country seems like the perfect chance to start over.

In their isolated new neighborhood, Skye manages to fit in, but Deirdre withdraws from everyone, becoming fixated on the swampy woods behind their house and building monstrous sculptures out of sticks and bones.

Then Deirdre disappears.

And when something awful comes scratching at Skye’s window in the middle of the night, claiming she’s the only one who can save Deirdre, Skye knows she will stop at nothing to bring her sister home.

Not only was this another recommendation, but it was also a cover buy! Until this moment, I didn’t read a synopsis on this one and the first line is enough to make me stop to experience it without knowing too much: The Blair Witch Project meets Imaginary Girls. This sounds so dark and creepy!

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead. So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. They follow legends and local lore, destroy the murderous dead, and keep pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

Searching for a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas expects the usual: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

Yet she spares Cas’s life.

I absolutely love Three Dark Crowns, and I had completely forgotten that Kendare Blake had another duology out that fits the fall vibe I was going for. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this book also sounds dark and creepy and I’m so excited to read it!

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A Craig

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?

This one came in my August OwlCrate! To be honest, I think if it hadn’t have come in my OwlCrate I wouldn’t have gotten this one myself because while I think the whole twelve dancing princesses retelling thing sounds interesting, I’ve heard some mixed reviews about the book. But since I have it, I’ll certainly give it a go! Plus the exclusive OwlCrate edition is just gorgeous!

Jade City by Fonda Lee

The Kaul family is one of two crime syndicates that control the island of Kekon. It’s the only place in the world that produces rare magical jade, which grants those with the right training and heritage superhuman abilities.

The Green Bone clans of honorable jade-wearing warriors once protected the island from foreign invasion–but nowadays, in a bustling post-war metropolis full of fast cars and foreign money, Green Bone families like the Kauls are primarily involved in commerce, construction, and the everyday upkeep of the districts under their protection.

When the simmering tension between the Kauls and their greatest rivals erupts into open violence in the streets, the outcome of this clan war will determine the fate of all Green Bones and the future of Kekon itself.

So many people have been talking about this series and a lot of people whose reviews I trust have been raving about it, so when I saw a hardcover copy for fairly cheap I jumped at the chance to buy it and give it a go! I need more non-European fantasy in my life and I think that this one will be an amazing addition to my growing collection.

Mageborn by Stephen Aryan

It’s been ten years since the battlemage war, where thousands died as mages sundered the earth and split the sky.
Habreel believes eradicating magic is the only way to ensure a lasting peace. He will do anything to achieve his goal, even if it means murdering every child born with the ability.
As deaths involving magic increase and the seat of magical learning – the Red Tower – falls under suspicion, two students and one lawbringer must do everything they can to combat Habreel and his followers, before magic disappears from the world for good.

I’ve seen a few other reviewers mention this book on their blogs and on twitter, but I didn’t know much about it other than it’s clearly an adult fantasy. When I saw it for cheap on BookOutlet I was super excited and added it to my cart! Now that I’ve had a chance to actually read the synopsis, it sounds like something that I’ll really enjoy! (And yes, I realize that I should probably be a little more selective with the books that I bring in, but I honestly can’t help myself!)

Sword and Verse by Kathy MacMillan

Raisa was only a child when she was kidnapped and enslaved in Qilara. Forced to serve in the palace of the King, she’s endured hunger, abuse, and the harrowing fear of discovery. Everyone knows that Raisa is Arnath, but not that she is a Learned One, a part of an Arnath group educated in higher order symbols. In Qilara, this language is so fiercely protected that only the King, the Prince, and Tutors are allowed to know it. So when the current Tutor-in-training is executed for sharing the guarded language with slaves and Raisa is chosen to replace her, Raisa knows that, although she may have a privileged position among slaves, any slipup could mean death.

That would be challenging enough, but training alongside Prince Mati could be her real undoing. And when a romance blossoms between them, she’s suddenly filled with a dangerous hope for something she never before thought possible: more. Then she’s approached by the Resistance—an underground army of slaves—to help liberate the Arnath people. Joining the Resistance could mean freeing her people…but she’d also be aiding in the war against her beloved, an honorable man she knows wants to help the slaves.

This was another BookOutlet buy, and the cover was super intrigued me so I figured why not pick it up for like, $4 and see what this is all about? It sounds like it’s gonna be a YA fantasy romance (which is what it’s labeled as on Goodreads) and it’s been a while since I’ve read a fantasy romance so I’m excited to have this in my hands!

Sea Witch Rising by Sarah Henning

Runa will not let her twin sister die. Alia traded her voice to the Sea Witch for a shot at happiness with a prince who doesn’t love her. And his rejection will literally kill her—unless Runa intervenes.

Under the sea, Evie craves her own freedom—but liberation from her role as Sea Witch will require an exchange she may not be willing to make. With their hearts’ desires at odds, what will Runa and Evie be willing to sacrifice to save their worlds?

Guys, this was my first ever finished hardcover from a publisher and I’m so grateful to have received this! I listened to Sea Witch on audio, and I really enjoyed the twists that book gave to the little mermaid. I’m curious and excited to see where this second book goes, from the synopsis it sounds like it will be another retelling of the little mermaid but more in line with the actual story than a origin story for the sea witch.

There Will Come A Darkness by Katy Rose Pool

For generations, the Seven Prophets guided humanity. Using their visions of the future, they ended wars and united nations―until the day, one hundred years ago, when the Prophets disappeared.

All they left behind was one final, secret prophecy, foretelling an Age of Darkness and the birth of a new Prophet who could be the world’s salvation . . . or the cause of its destruction. As chaos takes hold, five souls are set on a collision course:

A prince exiled from his kingdom.
A ruthless killer known as the Pale Hand.
A once-faithful leader torn between his duty and his heart.
A reckless gambler with the power to find anything or anyone.
And a dying girl on the verge of giving up.

One of them―or all of them―could break the world. Will they be savior or destroyer?

This one was on my radar before, but I wasn’t 100% going to buy it until I saw the Madison Mary from Princess of Paperback read it in a reading vlog and was talking about how good it was! She also was someone who loved The Merciful Crow and then I loved it too so I feel like our tastes in YA fantasy are fairly similar so I bought it when it came out.

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.

Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou’s, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.

The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou’s most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.

And love makes fools of us all.

I am a sucker for a good witchy read, and I’ve had this one on my list of want to buy books for what feels like forever. Combine the witches with a hate to love romance and I am so sold on this book! I’ve read a few pages so far and I also really love the french influences.

Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson

Where ash falls from the sky, and mist dominates the night, evil cloaks the land and stifles all life. Criminal mastermind Kelsier teaches Allomancy, the magic of metals, to another Mistborn, urchin Vin 16. The unlikely heroine is distracted by rich Venture heir Elend. Can Kelsier’s thieving crew take on the tyrant Lord Ruler and bring back colour to their world?

“But Katie, don’t you already own a full set of the Mistborn series?” The answer to that is yes. BUT they are mass market paperbacks and I feel like that’s part of the reason I haven’t read past book 1, so I now have a set of the normal sized paperbacks! Yay me!

What books have you bought recently? Do you think I’ll ever get my life together and track my books coming in better? The world may never know….