Anniversary book- and Lego haul

Hi everyone

Today, my husband Brecht and I are celebrating 18 years together! Eighteen years of laughter, love, and friendship, it’s hard to believe how fast time has flown.
This morning, before work and school, we exchanged gifts and a card. Brecht truly is my best friend, he knows me so well, and the gifts he chose made our day even more special. He remembered how much I loved Shauna Lawless' The Children of Gods and Fighting Men so he gave me the second and third books in the series! And since I’d mentioned the Lego Tulip Bouquet a few times over the past months, he got me that too.
In return, I gave him an assortment of his favorite sweets and a large Meccano set. Our kids found it hilarious that we gave each other "toys," but honestly, who says adults can’t play too?

I’m so, so happy with what he picked out:

- Shauna Lawless: The Words of Kings and Prophets

- Shauna Lawless: The Land of the Living and the Dead

- Lego Botanicals 11501 Tulip Bouquet

Eighteen years with Brecht has been amazing, and these gifts are just another reminder of how thoughtful and supportive he is. We all love Lego in our house and I have quite a few other bouquets too so these will be stunning all together, mixed up, as a set in a vase, ...

Do you have any favorite books or Lego sets you’ve received as gifts? I’d love to hear about them!

Happy reading!
Helena 

Birthday Bookhaul

Hi everyone

January 24th was my birthday! I had a lovely day celebrating with my husband and our two daughters. The weekend after my birthday, we gathered with my parents, my brother, and his wife to continue the festivities. My husband’s birthday was on the 12th of January, and we celebrated with his family the day after his birthday.

The best part? Everyone (except my husband) gave me money for books! They all know how much I love to read, and honestly, it’s the perfect gift for me.

So, I bought myself some very anticipated new books! I ordered all of them from Bol and they arrived over the last couple of days. 
Here's what I got.

- James S. A. Corey: Memory's Legion

- Eowyn Ivey: Black Woods Blue Sky 

- Rachel Joyce: Miss Benson's Beetle

- Toshikazu Kawaguchi: Before the Coffee gets Cold

- Stephen King: Firestarter

- Stephen King: Needful Things

- H. P. Lovecraft: Cthulhu Mythos Tales

- Edgar Allan Poe: The Complete Poetry

- John Steinbeck: Travels with Charley

- Andrea Stewart: The Bone Shard Daughter

- Xiran Jay Zhao: Iron Widow

Have you read any of these? If so, which one should I read first? I’d love to hear your recommendations!

Happy reading!
Helena 

New Year's Bookhaul

Hi everyone,

As is tradition in my family, we all receive a book from my parents every year. This has been going on since I was a really small child, and now my parents give books to my brother and me, our partners, and my daughters. I love this tradition so much; it’s always such a joy to see what everyone likes reading and to watch my girls get excited about their new books too!

This year, the book I received was:

- Jen Williams:Talonsister

I’m so excited to dive into this one! Jen Williams’ worldbuilding and storytelling were amazing in The Ninth Rain so after finishing The Winnowing Flame series I will definitely continue with this duology.

Do you have any holiday book-related traditions in your family? Or maybe a favorite book you’ve received as a gift? I’d love to hear about it!
If you’ve read Talonsister already, let me know what you thought; I’m always curious to hear others’ opinions before I start! 

Happy reading!
Helena 

Christmas Bookhaul

Hi everyone

We celebrated Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with our extended families, and I was so lucky to receive some wonderful gifts! My in-laws and grandparents gave me money (which, obviously, will go straight to buying more books 😉), my husband and daughters surprised me with a Hedwig Squishmallow (so cute!) and gorgeous earrings, and my parents gifted me a Jan Van Haasteren puzzle (I love their puzzles; they’re so much fun to put together!) and three new books.
It’s clear that everyone knows me well; and I couldn’t be happier! 💛

Here are the books I was gifted:

- James S. A. Corey: The Mercy of Gods

- Robin Hobb: Fool's Assassin

- Ed McDonald: Daughter of Redwinter 

Did you receive any new books over the holidays? Or maybe something else you’d love to share? 

Wishing you all wonderful holidays and plenty of cozy reading time.

Happy reading!
Helena 

 

 

Bookhaul

Hi everyone

I got two new books! I'm so excited to dive into them!

I really loved Jen Williams’s The Ninth Rain. It was so good that I immediately ordered the next two books in The Winnowing Flame trilogy. 
In the end I ordered them all from Bol.com.

My new bookhaul:

- Jen Williams: The Bitter Twins

- Jen Williams: The Poison Song 

Have you read any of these books? What did you think? 
Or do you have any other recommendations for what I should pick up next? Let me know; I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena 

Bookhaul

Hi everyone

I just received the last of my pre-orders and regular orders from Bol.com, and I’m so excited to share these new gems with you!
So, here's what I got.

 - M. R. Carey: Echo of Worlds

 - John Gwynne: The Fury of the Gods

- Robin Hobb: City of Dragons

- Robin Hobb: Blood of Dragons

- Julie Leong: The Keeper of Magical Things 

- Sequoia Nagamatsu: Where We Go When All We Were Is Gone

I can’t wait to dive into these books! 
Have you read them? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Happy reading!
Helena  

Bookhaul

Hi everyone

I have some exciting bookish news to share; I bought some new books and received an amazing surprise!
*    happydance    *

My parents went on holiday to the UK, and my dad came back with a very special gift just for me. And it is SIGNED! I was over the moon when I saw it. How cool is that? I’m still grinning just thinking about it. 

- Ben Aaronovitch: Tales From the Folly

 

And because no book haul is complete without a little self-indulgence, here are the books I treated myself to.

- Ben Aaronovitch:  The Masquerades of Spring

- Amy Bloom: In Love 

- Benedict Jacka: An Instruction in Shadow 

- Grant Snider: The Art of Living

- Emily Tesh: Some Desperate Glory 

I can’t wait to dive into these! Have you read any of them? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts. 
Which one should I start with?

Happy reading!
Helena

Bookhaul

Hi everyone

I got some new books, and I'm so excited!
After reading Brian McClellan's Promise of Blood I immediately ordered the second and the third book in The Powder Mage series because I'm sure I'll love those too.
Same goes for Jonathan French's The Lot Lands series. 

I feel like a kid in a candy store and I can’t wait to dive into these!

Here's what I got:

- Moniquill Blackgoose: To Shape a Dragon's Breath 

- Jonathan French: The Free Bastards

- Claire Keegan: Small Things Like These

- Brian McClellan: The Crimson Campaign 

- Brian McClellan: The Autumn Republic

- Dennis E. Taylor: Not Till We Are Lost 

Happy reading!
Helena 

Bookhaul

Hi everyone

I got some new books and I’m so excited to dive into them! 
Here’s what I added to my collection:

- Katherine Addison: The Tomb of Dragons 

- Stephen King: Under the Dome

- A. K. Larkwood: The Unspoken Name

- Shauna Lawless: The Children of Gods and Fighting Men

- Ferdia Lennon: Glorious Exploits

Have you read any of these? If so, how did you like them? I’d love to hear your thoughts; especially if you have a favorite or a recommendation on where to start!

Happy reading!
Helena

Bookhaul

Hi everyone

I got three new books! So happy with these and I'm looking forward to reading them.

- Jonathan French: The True Bastards

- Robin Hobb: Dragon Haven

- Patrick Rothfuss: The Narrow Road Between Desires

I’d love to hear your thoughts if you’ve read any of these! Did you love them? Or maybe you have other recommendations based on these picks?

Happy reading!
Helena

Birthday Bookhaul

 Hi everyone

Last week, I turned 36! It was such a lovely day; I celebrated at work with my colleagues, and then spent the evening with my wonderful husband and two amazing daughters. Of course, we also had to celebrate with family at the weekend.
And the best part? I received four new books as gifts! I’m so excited to dive into each of them. 
Here’s what I got:

- Werner Herzog: Of Walking in Ice

- Simon Jimenez: A Spear Cuts Through Water 

- Christopher Ruocchio: Empire of Silence

- Jen Williams: The Ninth Rain

I’m so torn! Which one should I start with? If you’ve read any of these, let me know your thoughts! Or if you have other recommendations, I’d love to hear them.

Happy reading!
Helena