Recently Bought Books | Spending Money I Don't Have...

Spending money I don't have on books seems to be a common occurrence for me lately. My obsession with books has grown recently, especially after slipping into a pit of depression where books were my solace. Nothing like some retail therapy to cheer you up, am I right?

 

Whilst I find myself almost dipping into my overdraft again, I've decided I'm going to try and stop buying books for now. I can do it. I can stop anytime I want.   

Today, I thought I would share with you the books I have recently bought and why they caught my attention. They're a mixture of genres because I like most genres of literature. I've only read one of these so far and, if you've read my review on it then you can already tell, I most definitely recommend it. 

Note: I have actually bought more books since writing this post. Clearly, I can't stop anytime I want.

The Lost Hours - Susan Lewis

 

Being the first hardback I've bought in a long time, I actually found this book quite cheap and it was an instant eye-catcher. It sounds intriguing and gripping. After Annie's husband, David, gets accused of a murder that happened 20 years ago, Annie investigates, digging for answers. "But it all comes down to a few lost hours she can't solve..." After reading the blurb, I had to pick it up. What happened in those lost hours? Will she prove her husband's innocence or was he guilty all along?

Summer in Greece - Patricia Wilson

 

Anything set in a beautiful, hot country gets instantly picked up by me. I love envisioning myself in that world, soaking up the sun. This book was particularly interesting because of the historical element to it. Every year, Summer escapes to Greece for a few weeks. After cleaning out the junk room in her clifftop cottage, she stumbles across the belongings of her great-grandmother, Gertie Smith. She finds her recorded memoirs and listens to them. We're then taken back to 1916, where we follow the life of Gertie who gets sent to Greece during the war.

The Midnight Library - Matt Haig

 

This book I have already read and reviewed, and I absolutely fell in love with it. A beautiful story with a heart-warming ending and the most interesting concept. After Nora tragically decided to take her own life, she's sent to the Midnight Library where she's able to look through her regrets and try out different lives. What if she had decided to marry that guy? How would her life differ? Well, she could find out and live it. It captivated me from start to finish, this was hard to put down. 

Transition - Iain Banks

 

As I already own The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks (although I haven't actually read it yet, I just know what happens), I decided to pick up Transition by the same author. Although I'm not sure if this is my cup of tea, it does sound interesting. "There is a world that hangs suspended between triumph and catastrophe, between the dismantling of the Wall and the fall of the Twin Towers, frozen in the shadow of suicide terrorism and global financial collapse. Such a world requires a firm hand and a guiding light. But does it need the Concern: an all-powerful organization with a malevolent presiding genius, pervasive influence and numberless invisible operatives in possession of extraordinary powers?"

 

The Scorched Earth - Rachael Blok

 

 

Okay, so if you haven't been to The Works then you should. They were selling three books for a fiver, so I picked up six. 

 

After Leo Fenton disappears after a camping trip, his brother, Ben, is arrested for his murder. Ben's girlfriend, Ana Seabrook, believes he is innocent and soon realises she will have to prove this on her own. The question is: who really killed Leo Fenton? I love a good crime novel and this one sounds right up my street. Discovering new authors is always an added bonus.

The Switch - Beth O'Leary 

 

After reading the Flat Share by Beth O'Leary, I knew I had to pick this book up. It sounds like another heart-warming story that I will get completely lost in. After Leena Cotton is forced to take two months off work, and her grandmother, Eileen, who is about to turn eighty, expresses her want to find love, they decide to swap places. Leena lives at her grandmothers for two months whilst Eileen lives in London and looks for love. However, things don't go as easy as they thought as Leena has to battle with long-distance relationship drama. 

The Cottage on Sunshine Beach - Holly Martin

 

Romance novels have a special place in my heart, especially those set on a beach. And especially if it's tropical (not that this book is), anything to escape the British rain. After Melody Rosewood moves into a new cottage on the edge of Sunshine Beach, she meets Jamie Jackson and sparks fly instantly. However, their romance proves to be one disaster after another. Will they ever get together? Or are they doomed to stay friends forever? The Cottage on Sunshine Beach sounds like an enjoyable, relaxing read.

The Bermondsey Bookshop - Mary Gibson 

 

One genre I don't read enough of is historical. I was instantly drawn to this book, set in 1920s London - an era of interest of mine. Based on a true story of the Bermondsey Bookshop, this book follows the life of Kate who is treated poorly by her aunt and cousins after her mother dies and her father disappears. She soon loses her job at the factory she was relying on for what little money she had and falls into the hands of a violent local money-lender. However, she soon finds a cleaning job at an unusual bookshop which allows anyone and everyone to read and buy books cheaply. 

Blood Orange - Harriet Tyce

 

Blood Orange has been popping up everywhere I look. And by everywhere, I mean the book group I'm in on Facebook. Also, I love a good thriller. It's piqued my interest, I just had to pick it up when I saw it in The Works. Alison seems to have the perfect life, however, she's neglecting her family and having an affair with a colleague. She's given her first murder case to defend, and her client is pleading guilty to stabbing her husband. However, Alison believes that she's hiding something. She wants to save her client and herself, but someone knows all her dark secrets, and they want to make her pay for them. 

The Baby Group - Caroline Corcoran

 

Last but not least, we have The Baby Group by Caroline Corcoran. This one is next on my to be read list. Initially, I wasn't sure about a book called The Baby Group, but after I read the blurb I had to pick it up. Someone is out to get Scarlett, someone is trying to ruin what was a golden life. This someone sends a shocking video of her to everyone she knows. The only people who claim to haven't seen it are the people in her new mother's group. Scarlett must find out who is out to get her. Who can she trust? Are her friends all what they seem?

That brings us to an end of my book haul, and hopefully to the end of my buying spree (maybe not). These should tie me over for a while, as well as the rest of the books I already own and haven't read yet. Books bring me happiness, especially lately. I guess money does buy happiness. (I'm joking, please don't yell at me.)

Until the next time,

Char.