4 Books We Recently Bought
"I have this weird obsession about buying books and looking at them with a smile, even if I won't read them soon. At least they are mine now." - Anais Nin
So, we don't typically buy a lot of books. We're more of the Kindle Unlimited or borrow from the library type of girls. When we do buy things, we typically try to spend the least amount of money possible - unless it's on food (or in Chelsea's case, concert tickets). However, sometimes it's nice to just browse a bookstore and sometimes there are books that we'd like to keep and refer back to.
Chelsea's Buys
My reading is often all over the place. I'm currently reading the first of the Bridgerton series, the Targaryen history in Fire & Blood, and then listening to an audiobook co-authored by Steven King called Gwendy's Final Task. This is pretty characteristic of my reading and is also represented in books I've recently bought. So, what are these books?
The first book I've recently bought is Reclaim the Stars: 17 Tales Across Realms & Space. This book is comprised of science fiction and fantasy short stories from bestselling young adult authors. All authors are leading voices in the Latin American diaspora. I bought this book thinking it would be a fantastic bedtime book. Yes, that means exactly what you think it means, but instead of having someone read to me like they did when I was a kid, I now read a book until I fall asleep. Unfortunately, other books I've been reading have deadlines that I have to have them read by, so Reclaim the Stars is still sitting very neatly in the bedside table, patiently waiting for me to pick it up and get started reading.
If you follow 2 Girls Bookin' It on Instagram or Facebook, then you probably saw our recent post about me attempting to learn how to golf. I'm really interested in legit learning how to golf, and not just going out there and swinging the golf club all crazy. So, I did some research and found that Ben Hogan's Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf was highly recommended in the golf world as a great book for beginners. This just recently arrived and I haven't had a chance to do more than flip through the book, but it seems promising! It's a surprisingly short book, but when I'm trying to learn something I like to have a physical copy of the book so that I can annotate as I read. And I have a feeling I will be looking back at my notes a lot for this book! I may be a bit competitive and a bit of a perfectionist so I can't be out on the golf course looking a fool.
I can't wait to get started on both of these books. I know they're vastly different from each other and honestly, I love that. I love that there are so many genres of books and some books that are easy to get lost in and others that help you improve some aspect of your life. I'll have to let y'all know how they are once I'm finished!
Kelli's Buys
My reading is not all over the place like Chelsea, but very much all about romance with an occasional memoir, biography, or some type of non-fictional book thrown into the mix every so often. I am currently reading Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin for a book club that Chelsea and I are in with a good friend of ours. I enjoy our book club because it always gets me out of romance and discovering a different book or genre that I more than likely would not have found or looked for on my own. I am also on the third book of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, Voyager. And lastly, I am reading Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover.
I recently went on a little book shopping trip, which I don't often do. Like we mentioned we are all about Kindle Unlimited, borrowing e-books from the library through the Libby app, and we go to the Bookbub website and see what deals or free e-books are available that day. However, I had a Barnes and Noble gift card that was just burning a hole in my pocket. Now, if I am going to go to Barnes and Noble, then I have to also check out the Half Price Bookstore that is just a minute away from Barnes and Noble! Between the two stores, it was a fun and successful trip! I purchased six books, four of which I got at the Half Price Bookstore for just $13 total! I cannot wait to start all of the books I purchased, and will share my thoughts with you on all of them at some point, but here are two of them I will probably be reading first!
Flames of Chaos is by Amelia Hutchins and is a dark, fantasy paranormal romance. It is part of the Legacy of the Nine Realms series which has 5 books published so far with two more to be released! Ever since I found the Zodiac Academy series, I have found such an interest in fantasy romance full of magic, different realms and lands, royalty, magical creatures, and, of course, betrayal and curses or hardship. This book touches upon all of that! It is a story about Aria and her sisters, and their return to the Human Realm of Haven Falls when one of their own has gone missing and they want to help find them. They quickly learn upon their return that things are not quite the same as when they were last in the Human Realm and not everything is what is seems. Especially Knox, a gorgeous, stubborn, egotistical man who declared himself King while they were gone. Will Aria embrace her darker side to find her sister and save her family? And Knox has a motive for being in the Human Realm, never expecting a witch to show up and challenge him. Sparks fly between the two as Aria embraces that she is more than just a witch from the Hecate bloodline. As for Knox, it was supposed to be in and out, easy. Move pieces around and have the board set for the war he has been orchestrating for the last 500 years. Will Knox let go of the pain of the past, driving his need for revenge and destroy the witch he craves, or will he fight for and claim what is rightfully his? Either way, war is inevitable. And nothing will stop him from reaching for what belongs to him.
The next book I am excited to start is Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain. This is a historical fiction full of mystery and thrill. It is about two women, Morgan in the present day of 2018, and artist Anna in 1940. I love stories that go back and forth between two time periods so that you can learn what has happened in the past and how it ties into the present day. Or even how the present day can uncover the mysteries and intrigue from years past. Morgan is presently in a Women's Correctional Center when a mysterious visitor comes and gives her an offer that could have her released immediately. The offer is to restore an old post office mural in a small town in North Carolina. Morgan doesn't know the first thing about restoring art but wants to get out of the correctional center. While working on the restoration, she uncovers a painting that depicts violence and a small town full of secrets and conspiracy. Meanwhile in 1940, Anna wins a national contest to paint a mural on a post office wall in a small town. She is alone and destitute in the world, so she accepts. But now she is in a town full of secrets, prejudices, and where being different could get you murdered.
We are always looking for new reads and suggestions for books that we love, so let us know what books you've recently purchased in the comments! Also, where do you like to shop to find new books? If you’d like to see what we are reading now, check out our Goodreads profiles (Kelli and Chelsea) or follow 2 Girls Bookin' It on Instagram and Facebook! If you’re excited to see what other topics we’ll be covering in the coming months, make sure to subscribe. Thanks for reading with us!