Kaleidosophie: book haul

Stacking the shelves is a blogging meme from Tynga's Reviews which I stole from Lauren Hannah. Lauren Hannah's button is in the right hand bar.

Books I got from Foyles
I went on the last day of the old Foyles and bought some books

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
I was rereading Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell because YALC and it mentions this book. I saw this is Foyles and decided to pick it up *spoilers - it's fabulous.*

The Future of us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
This is a book about two teens in the 90s who discover their 2011 facebook accounts. It's a bit cliché and a bit trashy but it's a quick read.

Books I got from The Book Depository

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Manning
Got a secret can you keep it swear this one you'll save, the books are different to the TV show taking this one to the grave. If you read it then I know you will be addicted cause two can keep a secret if one of them is reading.

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender
Ok, the cover is so beautiful on this one but I'm not enjoying it. I bought this on an impulse - I have no books to read - buy but agh it's so boring and the french/english narrative is awful.

Everything Leads to You by Nina La Cour
This is a book on what it is like to be a set designer in Hollywood and also is sort-of a love story (which is LGBT by the way). I bought it as part of my beautiful-American-hardcovers-summer-extraveganza

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
This is another book as part of my beautiful-American-hardcovers-summer-extraveganza. It's amazing and wonderful and I really enjoyed reading it. I was so excited to read this the moment I read the first chapter on Barnes and Noble.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

This is another part of my beautiful-American-hardcovers-summer-extraveganza. It's so so pretty and I liked the romance. It was different.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
As this is one of my favourite books of all time and as I am going to YALC I really wanted a copy I could get signed and this makes me so so happy.

Adorkable by Sara Manning

This is a YA book I also bought for YALC as it is about blogging. I am trying to motivate myself to read this. Also, the cover is seriously mediocre.

Seven Daughters of Eve by Bryan Sykes

I want to do Biomedical Sciences at uni and this is my summer reading (well like one part out of at least five books). It was recommended to me last December (?) by my biology teacher and it's about mitochondria and genetics.

A Book I got from Leena

Harry's last stand

Leena who works at Icon Books had some spare uncorrected proof copies of Harry's Last Stand and was giving them away and I am never one to refuse a free book. This is a memoir and manifesto of a northerner who lived through the great depression and WW2.

A Book I got from Shakespeare and Company

The Character Of Rain by Amélie Nothomb
Shakespeare and Company is a lovely lovely bookshop in Paris. Every time I go abroad I try and buy a book that has been translated into english from the language the country speaks and was written by a native of that country. This did confirm that I don't really like french literature but it was still interesting culturally.

Stacking the shelves is a blogging meme from Tynga's Reviews which I stole from Lauren Hannah. Lauren Hannah's button is in the right hand bar.

All of the books I have linked to the book depository are the editions I have them in and every link pays me 5% commission if you buy from it. I want to be upfront about this but any sale is greatly appreciated.

What would you recommend - The Dichotomous Key

I do Biology so we're trying something a little different. Answer question 1 and it will lead you to another question. Do this until you have your book.

1a. Do you want fiction? - Go to question 2
b. Do you want non-fiction? - Go to question 3
2a. Do you want a children's book? - The Letter to the King (review 20)
b. Do you want YA? - Go to question 9
3a. Do you want a visual book? - Go to question 4
b. Do you want a non-visual book? - Go to question 7
4a. Do you want a book on travel? - Go to question 5
b. Do you want a graphic novel on history? - Anne Frank Graphic Novel (review 19)
5a. Do you want a guide book? - Go to question 6
b. Do you want a book of maps? - Maps (review 21)
6a. Do you want a book on the whole of Europe? - 36 Hours (review 1)
b. Do you want a book on Amsterdam? - Amsterdam Guide Book (review 2)
7a. Do you want a book on self-improvement? - Go to question 8
b. Do you want a book on London and/or sailing? - Circle Line (review 3)
8a. Do you want a book on money? - How to Worry Less about Money (review 11)
b. Do you want a book on exercise and/or philosophy? - How to think about Exercise (review 10)
9a. Do you want contemporary? - Go to question 10
b. Do you want non-contemporary? - Go to question 16
10a. Do you want a mystery? - Go to question 11
b. Do you want something else? - Go to question 13
11a. Do you want something by Sara Shepherd? - Two Truths and One Lie (review 17)
b. Do you want something by someone other than Sara Shepherd? - Go to question 12
12a. Do you want a book on the rich and the devious? - We Were Liars (review 13)
b. Do you want a book with a manic pixie dream girl? - Paper Towns (review 4)
13a. Do you want a book set in high school? - Go to question 14
b. Do you want a book set in college? - Just One Day (review 9)
14a. Do you want a book on writing? - Struck by Lightning (review 16)
b. Do you want a book on something alternative? - Go to question 15
15a. Do you want a book on being cool? - Be More Chill (review 6)
b. Are you under 15? - The Boyfriend List (review 18)
16a. Do you want a male protagonist? - Go to question 17
b. Do you want a female protagonist? - Go to question 18
17a. Do you want a book on ghosts? - The Boy in the Smoke (review 15)
b. Do you want a book on witches? - Half Bad (review 14)
18a. Do you want dystopia? - The Treatment (review 7)
b. Do you want fantasy? - Go to question 19
19a. Do you want a book with wolves? -Go to question 20
b. Do you want a book without wolves? - Rebel Belle (review 12)
20a. Do you want a book with werewolves? - Shiver (review 8)
b. Do you want a book on a fairytale? - Scarlet (review 5)

Books I got from The Book Depository

1. 36 Hours - 125 Weekends in Europe

I saw this in Anthropology on Regents St but Anthro is so expensive so I got it online. This is a book by The New York Times about what to do in different cities in Europe if you are going for a weekend. I want to do more travelling in Europe as there are some lovely cities that I haven't been to or haven't been since I lived in Germany when I was really young. There is also a large section on the cities in the UK which is also really interesting as it isn't the usual tourist trail.

Buy it here

2. Amsterdam - DK Eyewitness Travel

I got this because my family visited Amsterdam in April. This is the very visual guide book with floor plans of the museums and has pages on the histories of the houses on certain streets. This is by no means the best guide book for visiting (I will always recommend Lonely Planet) but it's really interesting to look at and read, even when you're not there.

Buy it here

3. Circle Line: Around London in a Small Boat by Steffan Meyric Hughes

This is a book about a man who sails around London through canals and the River Thames. It's my first piece of travel literature and though I didn't love it, if you love Sailing and London (a love of both is necessary) this may be for you.

This is a book I've done a review for.

Buy it here

4. Paper Towns by John Green

I own this on kindle but I've wanted a paper copy for ages and they've introduced new ones which I hate so I wanted to buy this cover before it goes out of print. This is one of my least favourite John Green books. It's about a girl, Margo Roth Spiegelman who takes her neighbour on a mission of revenge and sea world. Though the beginning is really strong and beautiful and metaphory but it does go downhill. I think you should read it though in the same way everyone should read Austen or Great Gatsby.

Buy it here

5. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

This is the sequel to Cinder in the Lunar Chronicles, a futuristic, dystopian fairytale series where every book is a different fairytale with a twist. Cinder is based off Cinderella and Scarlet is based off Little Red Riding Hood. Though I wouldn't say you had to read Scarlet, Cinder is really good so I would ready that.

This is a book I've done a review for.

Buy Cinder here
Buy Scarlet here

6. Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini

Be More Chill is a book about a boy who eats a tiny computer that tells him how to be cool. It's witty and observational and I would definitely recommend if you are still in senior school/high school. Ned Vizzini was a really entertaining writer.

This is a book I've done a review for.

Buy it here

7. The Treatment by Suzanne Young

This is the sequel to The Program. This does have strong themes of suicide so trigger warning. I really enjoyed The Program, but I wouldn't spend money on this if I were you. It's not worth it. The full review goes more into what the book is about but I don't want this post to be triggering in any shape or form.

This is a book I've done a review for.

Buy The Program here
Buy The Treatment here

8. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

This is YA Werewolf fiction. It involves romance, a Twilight-y atmosphere and that feeling you get when you open the fridge for too long and it beeps at you.

This is a book I've done a review for.

Buy it here

9. Just One Day by Gayle Forman

I freaking love this book. It's partly set in Paris, partly set in Amsterdam and partly set in an American college. It's a romance and it's about self discovery and I love love love books about uni. I would definitely read it.

This is a book I've done a review for.

Buy it here

10. How to think about Exercise by the School of Life

I'm currently reading this. This is a book about the philosophy of exercise. It has tips at different points in the chapters but its main message is "nerds can be fit too!" I'm not loving it at the moment.

Buy it here

11. How to Worry Less about Money by The School of Life

This isn't a book on managing money; it's about not worrying about money. It isn't really relevant for teenagers who don't earn (I'd recommend The Teenagers Guide to Money for that) but it has a really interesting perspective on money.

Buy it here

12. Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

This book was gripping but eugh can a book be more annoying? When reading back my notes on this book the recurring theme was "eugh." Sort of terrible. I don't even like the cover. Dreams=crushed.

Buy it here

13. We Were Liars by E Lockhart

READ IT. Just READ IT. Go into it knowing nothing about it but READ ITTTTTTT.

Buy it here

A Book I got from WH Smiths

14. Half Bad by Sally Green

This is a book about a boy who is a witch who is half good and half bad. His father is evil and it covers the prejudice he faces as a half black witch. I really enjoyed this.

This is a book I've done a review for.

Buy it here

A Book I got from WBD at Blackwell's

15. Boy in the Smoke by Maureen Johnson

This is the prequel to The Name of The Star. Unfortunately this is no longer on sale as it was a World Book Day book but if you can borrow it off someone I would as it is creepy and just great. I did do a whole review on this

This is a book I've done a review for.

Books I got from Waterstones

16. Struck By Lightning by Chris Colfer

If mediocrity and poor writing could ever be summarised into one thing, it would be this book. It's just not great. I know, you may be a huge glee fan but this book is poor. It just is dependent on visual humour in a book and the writing is not good.

This is a book I've done a review for.

Buy it here

17. Two Truths and a Lie by Sara Shepherd

Dear Waterstones,

When you sell a book by itself by an author, can you make sure it's the first in the series? Starting on the third book makes it hard to get into and makes me buy books earlier in the series from other sellers.
Best wishes
Sophie

Buy it here
Buy the first in the series here

18. The Boyfriend List by E Lockhart

This definitely isn't my favourite E Lockhart book but it was still entertaining and funny. I would really recommend this to you if you are in your early teens as I think it would have really resonated with me if I was younger. It's an easy read but still enjoyable.

This is a book I've done a review for.

Buy it here

Books I got in Amsterdam

I went to Amsterdam in Late April and bought some really lovely books: one from the American Book Centre and one in the Anne Frank House.

19. Anne Frank - The Graphic Novel by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon

I've always really struggled to read Anne Frank's diary for one reason or another but this was a really accessible way of reading about it. It was smart and really beautiful. It also includes the aftermath of the diary in the concentration camps which is a bit disturbing so just a warning before you read this. The book also tells you the situation of Europe at different points in the book. Really, really great graphic novel.

This is a book I've done a review for.

Buy it here

20. The Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt

This is like everything that is good about children's fiction all in one book. How this isn't as big as The Hobbit I don't know. It's really, really enjoyable. Read it. Plus it has got a map on the inside cover.

This is a book I've done a review for.

Buy it here

A Book I got as a present

21. Maps

I got this from my Mum and Dad which was so so lovely. It's an atlas of the world and has double page spreads on individual countries and their cultures. It also has individual African countries which is really rare because Africa is often thought of as a country. I think this book is pitched at kids but I'm 17 and I love it.