BOOK HAUL #1

My father's plane safety arrived yesterday and he was met with a lot of hugging and kissing from me and my mom. My baby sister, Nora, was a bit hesitant and clung to her hero older sister (me) but she's warming up to him, oh so adorably! After the pleasantries were done, my father gave me the keys and my second favorite part of his visits began- the UNPACKING!!!

It's an unspoken rule that I am the one who must do the honors. Or else.

Now, these are the stages of my book unpacking

• Find luggage with books
• Carefully take them out
• Admire covers
• Stack them up on any available surface
• Count to make sure that no one got left behind (or was kidnapped by amazon or those sneaky people in the airport- Security? DON'T YOU MEAN BOOK THIEVES??)
• Lastly, take my time to carefully examine each book:  looking through the pages, the dust jacket, the hardback , any bookmarks or coupons, reading comments and sneaking a peek inside to read the dedications and a few first sentences.

Since it's been a long since I last saw these books, I don't remember the plot of any of them but I trust Past Nadine to have done a good job picking them. I'm going to try something new with these books and NOT read the blurb. You gotta live life dangerously sometimes.

What I discovered half way through the last stage of my unpacking is that ALMOST ALL MY BOOKS HAVE ILLUSTRATIONS IN THEM. But since I didn't wanna ruin the fun for myself when I actually READ the books, I didn't look TOO thoroughly plus Nora was getting threateningly close to my pile so I had to relocate.

MOVING ON TO THE ACTUAL HAUL

 The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place- The Hidden Gallery

You probably already guessed it: THIS IS THE SECOND BOOK IN THE INCORRIGIBLE SERIES!! I'm so exited!! It's satisfyingly 100 pages thicker than the first book and has a lovely texture that lures me in. I have just started reading this. So far so good. From my little understanding Penelope and the children (along with lady Constance, lord Fredrick, and the staff) all move to London until the repairs for the house is finished. There Penelope discovers more about the children's past and how it *DUN DUN DOON* ties into her's. We also get to meet Ms. Mortimer! 

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place- The Unseen Guest

And, of course, I got the third book also. I DON'T REMEMBER DOING THIS  BUT I JUST HAVE SO MUCH FAITH IN THESE CHARACTERS.

No regrets. It was painful waiting for book 2 to come so just in case to prevent future injures I got the 3rd book as well.

BUT APPARENTLY I'M NOT SAFE SINCE ITS A 6 BOOK SERIES!!

Behind the Bookcase 

I just finished this book today, review pending- I have A LOT to say about this one. My first impression is that its a horror story. It's FULL of illustration (the kinds that are on the corners or taking up half the page) that are all creepy like and, after my re-read of The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls (my review here) I've been craving creepy which is what influenced me to buy this book

About a girl whose family moves into her grandma's to renovate it. There she discovers a passage to another world behind her bookcase and meets all these creepy interesting characters like the king of the cats and a boy with half his face.  

Doll Bones

*not sure if the tittle is one or two words?*

*probably two, I'm just being stupid.*

THIS COVER IS SO PRETTY. I love looking at it and feeling it. This is also illustrated every few chapters I think (only flipped through it). My creepy cravings also lead me to buy this. The quotes on the back talk about it being scary so I'm waiting to be in the right mood- perhaps during the first few days of school; where I need to be reminded that there are fates worse than homework- to read it. But Holly Black let me down hard when I read 'Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles' but I'm willing to give her another chance.

What I remember is that 3 friends go on a quest to return a doll that may or may not be made of human bones and it involves some sort of curse.

Fly Trap

Favorite author? Frances Hardinge- YOU HAVE BEEN SUMMONED. After reading Fly by Night I exchanged a few emails with her and just fell in love even more! Oh how lovely it is when you discover an amazing book accompanied by a charming author! When I pulled it out of the luggage I was taken back by how LARGE it is. I mean, Fly by night was BIG, but this? Whoa. Planning to read it somewhere near the middle of the school year where I need something to liven up the midterm mood that ends with me feeling like BLAH. 

Yes, yes I DO have books assigned to different positions in the year. I need a pinch of awesome during the hard parts of my school life

About an orphan who travels with a con man and gets into mysteries while she tries to keep the con man out of trouble. (I'm BARLEY containing myself. It's ether this one sentence summary or an essay length one.)

Well Witched

Did I not say Frances is awesome? I could have just taken this book and moved on......BUT THEN I SAW THE UK COVER AND THE WAVES OF ENVY AND JEALOUS HAVE OVER TAKEN ME.

LOOK AT THIS. VERDIGRIS DEEP??? I WANT THAT. WHY DO THE ENGLISH GET TO HAVE THIS?? HUH??? WHY DO THEY GET THE COOL SOUNDING TITLE AND AMERICA GETS THE WATERED DOWN TITLE AND COVER!!

Oops my fingers slipped.


But honestly is there a reason why the cover change sucks? Well it doesn't SUCK... But when one compares I can't help but cringe. If I saw this British version in the bookstore I would lunge to get it but the American one I would hesitate. And what's with the font used to write the author's name? It reminds me of old tv shows.

*Annoyed and acting immature.*

About 3 friends who take coins from a wishing well and then get in trouble with a witch because of it.

THE COVER IS TAUNTING ME. 

A Face Like Glass

Again, Frances, LUV YA. But, Frances aside, this plot really did pull me in. I read the first chapter online and I felt myself fall into that void called desperate love for what happens next. The preview still had a few more chapters but I didn't want to experience this from my laptop. But this one I wanna save for a bit- maybe a mouth or so into my new school where it'll be known I'm a reader so I could get others to read this as well.
BUT, WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME? I DIDN'T WANT THIS COVER DARN IT BRITAIN  

LOOK AT THIS. COME ONE. I FEEL INTRIGUED. I WANNA HOLD THIS BOOK AND LOOK AT THE COVER AND MAKE HYPOTHESIZES ABOUT THE SYMBOLISM OR SOMETHING DEEP LIKE THAT.
 But the STORY is really awesome and unique so I don't mind TOO much. THE SEA OF ENVY CAN BE CONTAINED FOR NOW BRITAIN BUT I SWEAR

Ahem.

It's about an underground world where different kinds of food give you different abilities like to glow. The people there can't naturally make facial expressions and have to learn them but then this girl is discovered and she can make her face express things naturally (like us) and that makes her dangerous for some reason. This is what I remember but just writing about it makes me want to read it immediately!

The Jewel of the Kalderash

Since I'm on a roll of books I'm really exited about:
<----THIS.

It's the third book in the Cabinet of Wonders series. My love for these books is suffocation. I got this book in hardcover and ITS SO PRETTY. I also noticed, with a gasp, that the series covers have a clever theme. I hope I'm not the last person on earth to notice this.I know this series also has another set of covers that are HORRIBLE and I'm grateful Amazon didn't give me those.

About a girl who has to save her father from becoming a monster while running away from a blood thirsty prince who she managed to tick of. Big time. So exited!!

ZORGAMAZOO

THIS BOOK. It's been on my 'To Read List' on Goodreads for such a long time but it never JUMPED at me so I always just pushed it aside. But then I heard from a little birdie that

the whole book is written in rhyme....- THE WHOLE BOOK IS WRITTEN IN POEM FORM.  As in 

THE WHOLE STORY RHYMES.

 It's small and smooth and cute- I have a thing for small hardcovers. I think they are charming and they appeal to me greatly. Reading the first few pages: I.AM.IN.LOVE. I'll read this perhaps during the summer- maybe on the car ride to the beach or something like that. Currently my friend- Maya, took it since she also couldn't believe that it's written in rhymes and she just so happens to be taking a family trip so its perfect. I'm waiting for her to come back from her vacation to tell me about it.  

THE COVER, THE COVER! HELP ME, MY EYES!!! *pun not intended*

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes

The whole book just screams charming and epic and all kinds of awesome. The first chapter grabbed me in so fast it should be called kidnap. All I know about it is that it's about a blind boy who is a thief andddd....that's all. But the narrator is witty and I never read a book with a blind hero so I have high expectation....AND ITS SO PRETTY.

Gonna sound weird but it's in That Size. ThatSize is when a book is in this just so size I love. I've only encountered another one like it.  

Nicholas St.North and the Battle of the Nightmare King

Hopefully I'm not the only person on earth who didn't know that the Rise of the Guardians (Spectacular movie!!) is actually a book.  I saw it on Goodreads and the plot sounds OH SO FAMILIAR for some UNKNOWN reason. When I pulled the book out- OH! WHAT IS THIS SMALL AND CONVENIENTLY PLACED STICKER ON THE COVER ANNOUNCING THAT THIS BOOK IS BEING TURNED INTO A MOVIE?? oh......OH...

Utterly gorgeous book inside and out with a beautiful spin that taunts me. 

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In a Ship of Her Own Making

How many times have a picked you up in a book store only to put you down? How long are we going to keep this curious- love from afar relationship? THAT'S IT. I HAD ENOUGH. You are coming with me.

Larger than I remembered it to be in the book store but it has a ton of great praise and the girl's name is September.

And I love unique names. And dragons. And the color scheme of the cover. And long tittles.
I think the tittle can explain better than I can what the book is about.

ON THE EDGE OF THE DARK SEA OD DARKNESS

You know what I love? I love puns. and I love corny jokes. and I love awkwardness and quirkiness. And...come on 'DARK SEA OF DARKNESS', it pretty much screams 'Nadine. You know you have to.' 

And so I did. Don't remember what the plot is but I remember reading the first page and laughing at the names of things. Didn't left myself second guess.

It also has illustrations, the pages are all yellowed and have that OLD BOOK smell and are soft to touch. My guess it that its a...dragon? on the cover? This seems like a book I'll read in a random time.
NO IDEA what this book is about- still trying to figure out what's that on the cover.

The Willoughbys

The author's name. I'm in love with it. It just SOUNDS awesome and looks nice and yes I'm insane but the blog title already warns you about that. It's also charmingly small- the smallest book I own actually- and it feel like drawing paper. Without the dust jacket it's a lovely red that contracts nicely with the white of the cover. 

The author's name reminds me of Lemoy Snicket because I also loved that name. 

About 3 siblings (the number 3 is popular no?) and that's all I know.

The Chaos King

OH I'VE WAITED LONG ENOUGH FOR YOU. I loved The wing and the wall and so I have no idea why I didn't buy this sooner- oh. Right,

NO BOOKSTORE OR LIBRARY EVER HAD IT and during that time I didn't know what Amazon is.

No need to say that I'm exited to read this (cause OF COURSE I am) and it came from a library just like the first book- oh. maybe that's why they aren't available in libraries ...

About Gurl- I mean Geogie- and her friend bug and they go against the king of chaos or I believe the plot is something along those lines.

ONE WAS LEFT BEHIND- I WAS BETRAYED

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

IF YOU SEE THIS PLEASE TELL IT THAT IT'S OWNER IS MISSING IT DEARLY AND WOULD LOVE FOR IT TO CAME BACK HOME. 

I dunno what happened but a quick check in my email says that there was a problem with the shipping or something I couldn't see the text from my blurry eyed vision from all the crying. It took my 2 days to notice- love is blind. I'm SORRY OPHELIA I WAS DISTRACTED.  

I HEARD it's suppose to be a re-telling of snow white and I love re-tellings but I couldn't see the similarities in the preview. About a girl whose family moves into a museum and she finds a boy who doesn't age and they have to fight the evil queen. Something along those lines.

UPDATES AND NOTIFICATIONS

It seems like the universe is conspiring to keep me in my creepy craving mood since I recently watched Tokyo Ghoul (a new anime) and I'm so exited for the new episodes! Currently reading The Hidden Gallery and writing a review for Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat.

Sincerely,
Nadine