Summer book haul

I never thought I'd be saying this but ... I've been buying fewer books recently, and I'm okay with it. I'm trying to condense my unreasonably huge TBR a little, and buying fewer books means that I'm less likely to get distracted by new reads.
However .... I picked up a few over summer and I've missed writing book haul posts, so here are all my book buys from the last few months. Let's get going. 

A Clash of Kings by George R R Martin. Back in July I finally got through the first Game of Thrones book and loved it, so I'm very glad to have my hands on a copy of part 2 of the series. I'm hoping I enjoy this one just as much.
The Girl in the Ice by Robert Bryndza. I've heard a few book bloggers talking about having picked this up, and I'm really getting back into thrillers again. The first in the Detective Erika Foster series, the book tells the story of a girl discovered in a South London park encased in ice. Her socialite life seems to be covering up a murky past, and Erika has to dig deeper into who she really is to find out what happens.
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins. I was excited to read this until I heard quite a few people slating it, so I'm going to come to it as a standalone book, and try to not compare it to The Girl on the Train. The books aren't connected at all in the fictional world, but I think distancing it from TGOTT in my mind might help to make it seem a little better.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. I loved the first series of this on Netflix, which is based on the book. In essence, the book tells a tale of the suicide of a teenage girl, partly in her own words. When Clay Jensen arrives home one day to a package, his life is changed forever. A set of cassette tapes informing him about who impacted Hannah's decision to take her life is inside, and Clay's on the tapes. 
The Honeymoon by Tina Seksis. I've actually already delved into this one and it's great. The Honeymoon tells the story of Jemma and her husband's trip to the Maldives. Their stay on a beautiful island is interrupted when her husband goes missing. The main problem is that Jemma has no recollection of what happened on the night he disappeared. After one too many cocktails, Jemma wakes up, damp and alone in their bed, and must begin the hunt to find out exactly where her husband is and what's happened.
The Pact by Jodi Picoult. I've not read a Picoult novel before, and apparently this is a great place to start. The book tells the story of a teenage suicide pact gone wrong, with one person surviving and the other left dead. But what if there wasn't really a pact at all?

Sex, Suicide and Serotonin by Debbie Hampton. Here we reach the little non-fiction section of the haul. This book tells the story of Debbie's attempted suicide, and her long road to recovery. After taking a concoction of pills and alcohol, Debbie wakes up with severe brain damage, and must learn to speak, eat, write, type, and a whole host of other activities all over again. I learnt SO much about the workings of the brain from this one.
Shiny Happy Person by Terri Cox. Terri had struggled with depression for a number of years prior to her breakdown. This book tells the story of Terri's teenage years, and explains how her mental health issues developed, culminating in a time where she needs to start all over again. This book was so uplifting, showing that you can rise again after reaching a terrible low.
Must Try Harder by Paula McGuire. Paula's tale is one that revolves around sports. After battling with extreme anxiety for most of her life, Paula challenges herself to try each of the sports in the Commonwealth games at least once. This book has made me want to burst out of my comfort zone and try so many new things, and I'm so grateful that it has.

'Bad Romance' by Emily Hill. This is the first short story collection that I've picked up in a LONG time. Each story is about modern relationships, their failings, and all the bullshit that women have to deal with. I'm very excited to read this one. 
'Home Fire' by Kamila Shamsie. This is hands down the best book I've read so far this year. I've got a whole post on it here, but in essence, it's all about a Muslim family living in London, and the prejudice they face. It's a harrowing read, but such an important one.
Ma'am Darling by Craig Brown.  This book contains 99 mini tales, or glimpses into the life of Princess Margaret. I know effectively nothing about this Princess, and I'm looking forward to finding out more!

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. This is a YA book all about a girl with a rare illness that means she can't leave the house due to extreme allergies. Apart from seeing her nurse and her mum, the protagonist is completely isolated. That is, until Olly moves in next door, and she wants to leave the house more than ever.
Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman. This is the second collection of short stories in this haul (this post is full of shockers). I've followed Neil on twitter for the longest time, and I love his tweets, so it seemed a shame that I hadn't ever read one of his books! This collection is filled with horror stories designed to scare, and I'm hoping for some Goosebumps-y vibes.
The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht. This is a story all about family, legends, love and loss. Natalia loses her beloved Grandfather suddenly, and the rest of the family were told that he was on his way to visit her. So why was he found in an old settlement that none of them had ever heard of, far away from Natalia?
The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion. I read the first in this series a couple of years ago, and it told the tale of Don, a man who had compiled a long questionnaire to find the perfect wife. He eventually realises that maybe a test isn't quite up to the task of helping him to source his perfect match, Rosie. This time around, he's faced with a new challenge: Rosie's pregnant, and he needs to discover how to be the perfect dad.
What books have you picked up recently? Have you read any of these?
Follow me on Bloglovin | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube | Facebook