I Went a Little Wild... | Quarter 2 Book Haul: Apr-Jun

Hey hi hello friends, and welcome back to my blog!

I can't believe it's already time for my second quarter book haul. These three months moved way faster than the first quarter of the year! If quarter three ends up passing by even faster, then I'm in serious trouble with deadlines and whatnot.

You'll remember in my quarter one book haul that I bought 17 books in the months of January, February, and March. Well, this quarter I went a little wild with my money...and ended up buying 24 books. Oops. 

I'm super excited for all of them, though! I finally found some books that have been on my wishlist for years, a few anticipated releases, and some other books that just sounded super interesting! I've also expanded my read collection by quite a few books, so I'll be sure to mention which books are already read versus still on my TBR. They're mostly TBR books, though. I think I only bought five books that I had read previously. Since I've been reading a ton from the library, I haven't focused on my physical TBR much at all the last three months, so it's starting to get out of hand. I need to take a break from the library for a while so I can read my TBR back down!

I also unhauled 20 books, so really it cancels out and I only added 4 books to my shelves...that's how the math works, right? If only that meant I could get the money back for all those books as well. (Well, technically since I did bring those 20 books in for store credit at Bookmans, I probably got ten or so of these books for free. I love Bookmans, they always give so much store credit for used books.)

Okay, without any further ado, let's get into the book haul!

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April

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Read (No date...it's been years)

"Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of thirteen dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an unexpected journey ‘there and back again.’ They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon . . ."

I found a copy of the lovely illustrated edition with the blue sprayed edges, which I am hoping to also purchase The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion in these editions. The Hobbit is a book that I haven't read for myself in years, but it was a childhood favorite of mine. I vividly remember my dad reading this book to me for nightly story times, we had a beautiful full color illustrated edition and he would do voices for the dwarves and Gandalf. It's a cherished memory, and one day I'll read the book in it's entirety for myself.

The Book of Not by Tsitsi Dangarembga

"As Zimbabwe emerges into independence, Tambudzai Sigauke embarks on her second year at the Young Ladies' College of the Sacred Heart. Determined to excel, Tambu exhausts herself with her efforts to climb to the top of the school's honour rolls. The further she pushes herself, however, the farther she feels from any reward; and the roots of colonialism threaten to trip her at every step."

This is the sequel to Nervous Conditions, which I read back in March of this year. As soon as I finished that book I immediately went and ordered this one, but I have yet to pick it up. I have the third book in this series, This Mournable Body, on loan from the library, so hopefully I'll be getting to book two in July, and finish up this series soon after.

Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura

"Bullied to the point of dropping out of school, Kokoro's days blur together as she hides in her bedroom, unable to face her family or friends. As she spirals into despair, her mirror begins to shine; with a touch, Kokoro is pulled from her lonely life into a resplendent, bizarre fairytale castle guarded by a strange girl in a wolf mask. Six other students have been brought to the castle, and soon this marvelous refuge becomes their playground. The castle has a hidden room that can grant a single wish, but there are rules to be followed, and breaking them will have dire consequences. As Kokoro and her new acquaintances spend more time in their new sanctuary, they begin to unlock the castle's secrets and, tentatively, each other's."

I've heard nothing but good things about this book: magical realism at its finest, another contender for Studio Ghibli, etc. I am definitely excited to read this, but I don't know when I'll get to it. I'm hoping it will be this year, but I don't know for sure, there are just so many books I've told myself I'm going to read in 2024, I know that I won't get to all of them. I feel like this is a winter read, but I could be wrong? Someone let me know!

Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones
Read May 2023

"Four years after her tumultuous senior year, Jade Daniels is released from prison right before Christmas when her conviction is overturned. But life beyond bars takes a dangerous turn as soon as she returns to Proofrock. Convicted Serial Killer, Dark Mill South, seeking revenge for thirty-eight Dakota men hanged in 1862, escapes from his prison transfer due to a blizzard, just outside of Proofrock, Idaho. Dark Mill South’s Reunion Tour began on December 12th, 2019, a Thursday. Thirty-six hours and twenty bodies later, on Friday the 13th, it would be over."

This is book two in the Indian Lake trilogy, the first book being My Heart is a Chainsaw. I really liked that book when I first read it. Don't Fear the Reaper wasn't as good, in my opinion, but I've since read book three and I think my full ranking of the series goes books 1, 2 and then 3. There was nothing wrong with the third book, The Angel of Indian Lake, I just think there was a lot going on and would have preferred a tighter plot.

 

Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu

"Fast-paced and gripping, the story follows the protagonist Laura, who lives in a secluded castle in the woods with her father. One day, a carriage accident brings a young woman named Carmilla into their lives, and she is taken in as a guest. As time goes on, Laura becomes increasingly drawn to Carmilla, despite her strange behavior and the eerie occurrences happening in the castle. As their relationship deepens, Laura begins to suspect that Carmilla may not be who she seems, and that her presence may be linked to a series of mysterious deaths in the surrounding area." 

I read Dracula back in 2022 and really enjoyed it, and everyone tells me that this book inspired a lot of Dracula, so naturally I had to see for myself. I was going to get the pretty Penguin edition with the foreword by Carmen Maria-Machado, but I saw this little Arcturus edition at my (say it with me) local used bookstore and figured, why not? I have a lot of Arcturus classics. They're not the best editions in the world (one day my entire classics collection will be made up of Penguin Black classics) but they're always cheap, and I would rather buy these editions for books I haven't read yet, in case I don't enjoy them. I will definitely be reading this for Halloween.

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind

"In the slums of 18th-century Paris a baby is born. Jean-Baptiste Grenouille clings to life with an iron will, growing into a dark and sinister young man who, although he has no scent of his own, possesses an incomparable sense of smell. He apprentices himself to a perfumer and quickly masters the ancient art of mixing flowers, herbs, and oils. But his quest to create the "ultimate perfume" leads him to commit a series of brutal murders until no woman can feel safe as his final horrifying secret is revealed."

This book is often lauded as one of the best serial killer works ever written, and with a claim like that, I must read it for myself. I feel like I've seen a lot of people haul this book, but I don't know very many who have actually read it. If you've read it, I'd love to know your thoughts on it!

May

The Women I Think About at Night by Mia Kankimaki

"What can a forty-something childless woman do? Bored with her life and feeling stuck, Mia Kankimäki leaves her job, sells her apartment, and decides to travel the world, following the paths of the female explorers and artists from history who have long inspired her. She flies to Tanzania and then to Kenya to see where Karen Blixen—of Out of Africa fame—lived in the 1920s. In Japan, Mia attempts to cure her depression while researching Yayoi Kusama, the contemporary artist who has voluntarily lived in a psychiatric hospital for decades. In Italy, Mia spends her days looking for the works of forgotten Renaissance women painters of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, and finally finds her heroines in the portraits of Sofonisba Anguissola, Lavinia Fontana, and Atremisia Gentileschi. If these women could make it in the world hundreds of years ago, why can’t Mia?"

I wanted a nonfiction book about women in history, while not being about one specific woman and her life. This seemed to be the best book in that genre/category. I know that this isn't a history, rather a memoir about a woman researching history, but I'm okay with that. It seems like it will be insightful and informative!

The Greek Histories edited by Mary Lefkowitz

"From the start the Greek historians demonstrated how broad and varied historical writing could be and brought their craft beyond a mere chronicle of past events. This volume explores each author’s interest in religion, leadership, character, and the lessons of war. How, for instance, should readers interpret Herodotus’ inclusion of speeches and dialogues, dreams, and oracles as part of the “factual” record? What did Thucydides understand about human nature that (as he said) stays constant throughout time? How did Plutarch frame historical biography as a means of depicting the moral qualities of great men? Complete with introductions to the works of each historian, footnotes providing context and explaining obscurities, maps, and an appendix on the Greek conduct of war, this volume is an invaluable resource for students and passionate readers of history alike."

Is anyone surprised? I would hope not, you all know me well enough by now. I have a few of the primary sources mentioned in this book, such as Xenophon's A History of My Times and Thucydides' The Peloponnesian War, but I'll never turn my nose up at another historian's interpretation of the texts. 

The Real Valkyrie by Nancy Marie Brown

"In 2017, DNA tests revealed to the collective shock of many scholars that a Viking warrior in a high-status grave in Birka, Sweden was actually a woman. The Real Valkyrie weaves together archaeology, history, and literature to imagine her life and times, showing that Viking women had more power and agency than historians have imagined. Brown uses science to link the Birka warrior, whom she names Hervor, to Viking trading towns and to their great trade route east to Byzantium and beyond. She imagines her life intersecting with larger-than-life but real women, including Queen Gunnhild Mother-of-Kings, the Viking leader known as The Red Girl, and Queen Olga of Kyiv. Hervor’s short, dramatic life shows that much of what we have taken as truth about women in the Viking Age is based not on data, but on nineteenth-century Victorian biases. Rather than holding the household keys, Viking women in history, law, saga, poetry, and myth carry weapons. These women brag, “As heroes we were widely known—with keen spears we cut blood from bone.” In this compelling narrative Brown brings the world of those valkyries and shield-maids to vivid life."

In a similar vein to the previous book, I wanted more history, though this time of Scandinavia! As I'm sure you all know (because I never shut up about it) I am mostly of Scandinavian descent and you can trace my last name to Viking conquerors in Norway. It's something I've always been very proud of growing up, and so naturally I want to know as much as possible about the people I come from.

Thebes: The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece by Paul Anthony Cartledge

"Continuously inhabited for five millennia, and at one point the most powerful city in Ancient Greece, Thebes has been overshadowed by its better-known rivals, Athens and Sparta. According to myth, the city was founded when Kadmos sowed dragon’s teeth into the ground and warriors sprang forth, ready not only to build the fledgling city but to defend it from all-comers. It was Hercules’ birthplace and the home of the Sphinx, whose riddle Oedipus solved, winning the Theban crown and the king’s widow in marriage, little knowing that the widow was his mother, Jocasta. The city’s history is every bit as rich as its mythic origins, from siding with the Persian invaders when their emperor, Xerxes, set out to conquer Aegean Greece, to siding with Sparta – like Thebes an oligarchy – to defeat Pericles' democratic Athens, to being utterly destroyed on the orders of Alexander the Great."

Lastly for the nonfiction kick, another Greek history! I feel like you could make a drinking game out of my blog and every time I mention Greek history or mythology. What I think you would be surprised by is that I don't know very much about Thebes. I know it's where the myth of Oedipus takes place, and that's pretty much it? I hardly know anything about it's actual history. I'm hoping this book will change that!

Dragons: Poems by Devin Johnston

"Dragons is a collection of sonorous, sensual poems from Devin Johnston, “one of the finest craftsmen of verse we have” (Michael Autrey, Booklist ). Attentive to both the physical world and our place in it, his arresting images of nature and human life ring with quiet power. An elegy for a ten-year-old hen; a fourth grader seeing a fox, his “fur waistcoat immaculate”; the sound of neighbors arguing set against the “pallid flames” of the setting together, such scenes form a resonant, restrained meditation on life’s journey and “the feeling of time.”"

I don't have much to say about this book. It's a poetry collection, and I'm always on the hunt for a new favorite poetry collection. It also seems to be heavily rooted in nature, which is one of my absolute favorite motifs in poetry. I'm excited to read this and see what it's all about!

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa
Read Jan 2021

"He is a brilliant math professor, with a peculiar problem--since a traumatic head injury, he has lived with only eighty minutes of short-term memory. She is an astute young housekeeper with a ten-year-old son who is hired to care for him. And between them a strange, beautiful relationship blossoms. Though the professor can hold new memories for only eighty minutes, his mind is still alive with elegant equations from the past; and through him, the numbers, in all of their articulate order, reveal a sheltering and poetic world to both the housekeeper and her son."

I can't believe it's been almost four years since I read this book! This was the second book by Yoko Ogawa that I read, the first being The Memory Police. I thought this book was very quiet, in a good way. It follows more of the day to day rather than a big, action-heavy plot. I told myself that I was going to reread this in May, but never ended up getting to it.

Revenge by Yoko Ogawa

"An aspiring writer moves into a new apartment and discovers that her landlady has murdered her husband. Years later, the writer’s stepson reflects upon his stepmother and the strange stories she used to tell him. Meanwhile, a surgeon’s lover vows to kill him if he does not leave his wife. Before she can follow-through on her crime of passion, though, the surgeon will cross paths with another remarkable woman, a cabaret singer whose heart beats delicately outside of her body. But when the surgeon promises to repair her condition, he sparks the jealousy of another man who would like to preserve the heart in a custom tailored bag. Murderers and mourners, mothers and children, lovers and innocent bystanders—their fates converge in a darkly beautiful web that they are each powerless to escape."

Since I've had such success with her other books, I figured I should try out Yoko Ogawa's horror as well. I'm not sure if this is a novel or a short story collection, or something in between. It's described as a novel, but the cover says "Eleven dark tales" so it's a little ambiguous. I guess I'll find out once I pick it up. It seems like a good Autumn read.

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tocarczuk

"In a remote Polish village, Janina devotes the dark winter days to studying astrology, translating the poetry of William Blake, and taking care of the summer homes of wealthy Warsaw residents. Her reputation as a crank and a recluse is amplified by her not-so-secret preference for the company of animals over humans. Then a neighbor, Big Foot, turns up dead. Soon other bodies are discovered, in increasingly strange circumstances. As suspicions mount, Janina inserts herself into the investigation, certain that she knows whodunit. If only anyone would pay her mind . . ."

I bought this specifically to fulfill my "Read Around the World Challenge" for Poland. I don't think I've ever read a book from Poland, actually. I know this book is well loved and highly recommended, I feel like I've seen it everywhere, and not just in the book internet sphere. I am planning on reading this in the wintertime, since that's when it takes place.

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
Read May 2021

"When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising. But surprises aren’t always good. Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school."

The first book in the Poppy War trilogy. I've had the last two books for a while now, but I wanted to get a hardcover copy of the first in order to match with the two hardcovers I had, so I was just waiting until I came across a copy. The only reason that took so long was because the paperbacks are much more commonly found in bookstores.

June

The Blind Owl by Sadegh Hedayat

"Widely regarded as Sadegh Hedayat's masterpiece, the Blind Owl is the most important work of literature to come out of Iran in the past century. On the surface this work seems to be a tale of doomed love, but with the turning of each page basic facts become obscure and the reader soon realizes this book is much more than a love story."

This is fully an Emma recommendation. She's probably the BookTuber that influences my book purchases the most (her and Bella). I remember watching the video where she talked about this book, added to my TBR then and there, and it sat there until I found a copy at my local used bookstore years after the fact. Do I know what this is about? Nope. Do I care? Also no.

The Poems of Nakahara Chuya by Nakahara Chuya

"Born in 1907, Nakahara Chuya was one of the most gifted and colourful of Japan’s early modern poets. A bohemian romantic, his death at the early age of thirty, coupled with the delicacy of his imagery, have led to him being compared to the greatest of French symbolist poets. This selection of poems from throughout Nakahara’s creative life includes collected and uncollected work and draws on recent scholarship to give a full account of this extraordinary figure."

Another poetry collection! This is translated Japanese poetry, and we all know how much I love translated Japanese fiction. Again, I don't have much to say about this since there isn't a whole lot to go on from the synopsis. I'm expecting this to be very surrealist and symbolic, since Chuya is often compared to French symbolist poets. 

Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
Read April 2022

"It has a dark past – one in which a number of humans were killed. A past that caused it to christen itself “Murderbot”. But it has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more. Teaming up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don’t want to know what the “A” stands for), Murderbot heads to the mining facility where it went rogue. What it discovers will forever change the way it thinks…"

Book two in the Murderbot Diaries. This series is one I'm collecting on a very nonchalant basis. Basically, when I find a hardcover copy floating around in the ether, I snatch it up. We all know I like my series to match, and my copy of All Systems Red is in hardcover, which means I am subject to buying the more expensive editions as opposed to the paperbacks. Hence why I won't be buying this series full price from Barnes & Noble.

A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur

"1506, Joseon. The people suffer under the cruel reign of the tyrant King Yeonsan, powerless to stop him from commandeering their land for his recreational use, banning and burning books, and kidnapping and horrifically abusing women and girls as his personal playthings. Seventeen-year-old Iseul has lived a sheltered, privileged life despite the kingdom’s turmoil. When her older sister, Suyeon, becomes the king’s latest prey, Iseul leaves the relative safety of her village, traveling through forbidden territory to reach the capital in hopes of stealing her sister back. But she soon discovers the king’s power is absolute, and to challenge his rule is to court certain death. Prince Daehyun has lived his whole life in the terrifying shadow of his despicable half-brother, the king. Forced to watch King Yeonsan flaunt his predation through executions and rampant abuse of the common folk, Daehyun aches to find a way to dethrone his half-brother once and for all. When staging a coup, failure is fatal, and he’ll need help to pull it off—but there’s no way to know who he can trust. When Iseul's and Daehyun's fates collide, their contempt for each other is transcended only by their mutual hate for the king. Armed with Iseul’s family connections and Daehyun’s royal access, they reluctantly join forces to launch the riskiest gamble the kingdom has ever seen."

I mentioned this in my mid-year freak out tag, but I've read all of June Hur's books. She writes Ya historical thrillers and mysteries, all set in the Joseon era of Korea (1392-1897). The plot of this book seems more similar to her last one, The Red Palace, as opposed to her first two books. I always really enjoy her characters, so I'm excited to get to this!

Persephone Made Me Do It by Trista Mateer
Read May 2024

"Following her previous work in this series, Mateer weaves together mythology, tarot, poetry, and conversation to reveal a new side of a very old story. Alternating between the perspectives of poet and goddess, Persephone's lore is explored, related to modern issues, and ultimately reclaimed."

Trista Mateer has written three poetry collections so far in the "goddess" series, with Persephone being her latest release. I have to admit, it wasn't very good. I'm sure someone who really loves more modern poetry would enjoy this collection, but I feel like I've been spoiled for modern poetry with some amazing classic poets that I've read recently.

I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle

"Dragons are common in the backwater kingdom of Bellemontagne, coming in sizes from mouse-like vermin all the way up to castle-smashing monsters. Gaius Aurelius Constantine Heliogabalus Thrax (who would much rather people call him Robert) has recently inherited his deceased dad’s job as a dragon catcher/exterminator, a career he detests with all his heart in part because he likes dragons, feeling a kinship with them, but mainly because his dream has always been the impossible one of transcending his humble origin to someday become a prince's valet. Needless to say, fate has something rather different in mind…"

Another book I mentioned in the mid-year tag as one I need to read soon. This will be my first Peter S. Beagle, but I've always wanted to read The Last Unicorn. I truly bought this because of the cover and the title, and I have very little idea as to what the book is actually about. I see dragons, I add to my TBR. That's just the way my brain works.

The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu
Read December 2023

"Earth is reeling from the revelation of a coming alien invasion — four centuries in the future. The aliens' human collaborators have been defeated but the presence of the sophons, the subatomic particles that allow Trisolaris instant access to all human information, means that Earth's defense plans are exposed to the enemy. Only the human mind remains a secret. This is the motivation for the Wallfacer Project, a daring plan that grants four men enormous resources to design secret strategies hidden through deceit and misdirection from Earth and Trisolaris alike. Three of the Wallfacers are influential statesmen and scientists but the fourth is a total unknown. Luo Ji, an unambitious Chinese astronomer and sociologist, is baffled by his new status. All he knows is that he's the one Wallfacer that Trisolaris wants dead."

The second book in the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy. Since the TV show has finally come out on Netflix, there are more and more copies of this series popping up in bookstores, but they're just so dang expensive that I'm waiting until I come across used copies before buying. Side note, the spine of this book is the bright neon orange used for the title, and it stands out so much on my sci-fi shelf, since the spines of those books are mostly dark colors.

Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers

"Return to the sprawling universe of the Galactic Commons, as humans, artificial intelligence, aliens, and some beings yet undiscovered explore what it means to be a community in this exciting third adventure in the acclaimed and multi-award-nominated science fiction Wayfarers series, brimming with heartwarming characters and dazzling space adventure."

Book three in the Wayfarers series. I read book two in May and while I didn't love it, I knew I still wanted to read the rest of the series and have it in my collection. Becky Chambers is so good at hopeful sci-fi, which I feel like isn't something you see very often in the science fiction genre. Her found families are always well crafted and I love seeing all the different species that we encounter throughout the galaxy. I have no idea what this book is about, but I'm pretty sure it follows the same cast of characters from book 1.

System Collapse by Martha Wells

"Following the events in Network Effect, the Barish-Estranza corporation has sent rescue ships to a newly-colonized planet in peril, as well as additional SecUnits. But if there’s an ethical corporation out there, Murderbot has yet to find it, and if Barish-Estranza can’t have the planet, they’re sure as hell not leaving without something. If that something just happens to be an entire colony of humans, well, a free workforce is a decent runner-up prize."

Book seven in the Murderbot Diaries. Quite a jump from the previous book I bought, but I've just been collecting them as I find them. Currently, I have books one, two, and seven. I'm on book five, reading wise. I was surprised to find this in a used bookstore, since it's the most recent release in this series, but I'm not complaining at all. I don't know when I'll continue on with this series, but when I do, at least I will have book seven ready and waiting for me when I get to it.

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Unhaul

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Spy by Paulo Coelho

2am Thoughts by Makenzie Campbell

Honeybee by Trista Mateer

Fierce Fairytales
The Girl and the Goddess by Nikita Gill

Home Body
The Sun and Her Flowers
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

The Odyssey by Homer (an extra copy)

Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus (an extra copy)

Seasonal Fears
Middlegame by Seanan McGuire

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

Migrations 
Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

Tragedy, The Greeks, and Us by Simon Crichtley

The Tatami Galaxy by Tomohito Morimi

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Whew, that's a lot. I might have to put myself on a book-buying ban this summer, or at least cut back on the spending. I'm completely out of room on my shelves anyway, so that's probably for the best.

Did you buy any books in the last three months? I'd love to know which book you're most excited to read! (Or if you don't buy books you haven't read yet, which book was your favorite in your haul.) Which book should I prioritize first from this list? Leave me a comment below, or DM me on Instagram (link in sidebar under the heading "More Media").

Until next time, friends!