Hi, and thanks for stopping by.
Today's post is my November 2017 Unhaul. I haven't done one of these in a while, because, quite frankly, I'm sort of a hoarder, particularly when it comes to books. I am so sentimental, and I really struggle to let go of things, even when I don't really need/want them anymore. But this month, especially considering how many new books I've bought recently, I decided to be strict with myself and get rid of some of the books gathering dust on my bookshelves. I have donated all of these to my favourite charity shop for buying books - it seems only fair, considering I'm usually in there clearing out their shelves. I hope somebody else enjoys them more than I did!!
Let's get started...
Lionel shriver’s
we need to talk about kevin
This was on my November TBR, so it's a shame it's also ended up in my November Unhaul, but alas, so it goes!! I really thought I'd enjoy this, because I loved Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes, and the two books have very similar premises, but I really didn't like the writing style of this book and Eva, the protagonist, was entirely unlikeable. I read the first 120 pages or so and then made the decision to DNF, which is rare-ish for me!
Freya north’s the
way back home
I read this book quite a few months ago now, and whilst I didn't greatly dislike it, it was a bit of a struggle to get through and I didn't greatly enjoy it, either. I know for a fact I'd never reread it and I'd already pushed it to the back of my shelf to make room for more blue-spined books - a definite sign that I didn't really need to keep it any longer!!
Alex gutteridge’s
last chance angel
This is a YA novel that has a plot I feel like I've read 100 times by now - usually done better than in this case. It follows that sort of Lovely Bones plot, of a young girl dying and then watching her loved ones from heaven as they grieve and go about their lives without her. It read as quite juvenile to me, though, and I didn't connect with any of the characters. I think maybe it's on the younger side of YA, which I tend not to enjoy as much - I'm hope somebody else will really love it.
Mary kubica’s the
good girl
This is an Adult fiction thriller that I bought second-hand quite a while ago from an amazing Oxfam book shop near my university. It's quite dark - all about kidnap and threats etc. - and I'm becoming less and less interested in that sort of story as time goes on. Again, it's something I know for a fact I won't reread and I wouldn't recommend it to anybody in my life to take off of my hands, so it seems best to donate it to somebody who enjoys these types of books more.
j.a. redmerski’s
the edge of never
This is a New Adult contemporary romance that I bought as part of my ongoing journey through New Adult literature to find authors/books that work for me as a reader (I would LOVE your recommendations!!). Unfortunately, both the female & male protagonists, who become romantically involved, were dull and lacked any charisma for me. I found I didn't care either way if they ended up together. The plot was a little lacking, too. A shame.
Tina seskis’s the
honeymoon
This is an Adult fiction thriller that I really thought I would like; it had so many great things going for it, an isolated but glamorous setting, a mysterious disappearance, plenty of intrigue, plenty of suspects. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. I wasn't interested in the mystery, and when the big reveal was made, not only did I find it bizarre, but certain details of it really grossed me out (if you've read this, you'll probably know what I mean by that).
Rosie rushton’s
summer of secrets
This was also on my November TBR, and again, it's being unhauled, unfortunately. The reason being, it read as really quite juvenile again, to me at least. It felt quite superficial - any issues felt like they were only referenced to/dealt with on the surface, and I got nothing deeper from it. Also, important topics for me (like feminism and mental health, for instance) were glaringly absent, perhaps due to being published a fair bit earlier than the fiction I enjoy reading presently.
Kate le vann’s two
friends, one summer
This is a book I read years and years ago, and from what I remember, I did enjoy it at the time. However, it's been sitting on my shelves in more recent years, gathering dust. I know that I don't want to reread it, because again, it seems a little too superficial. I don't want that to sound really negative, it's more so that I like things that get a bit more serious/sad...take from that what you will!
So those are the books I donated this month - I simultaneously cleared up space on my shelves (which you can BET has already been filled) and donated books to charity, so it's a win-win!! What are you unhauling this month?? Let me know in the comments section down below. Thanks for reading!!
Till next time
Katie
