Christmas Book Haul

I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays, I can hardly believe how fast it went! I really enjoyed doing a Christmas count down, but seeing as my holidays are almost ending, I will be returning to my regular posting schedule. I was lucky enough to get some fantastic books for Christmas this year, and I am so excited to tell you guys about them.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Illustrated Edition

I am a huge Harry Potter fan, and when I found out that they were illustrating the books there was no question that I had to own them. I received the first two as gifts last Christmas, and was thrilled when I discovered this one under the tree!

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them: Illustrated Edition

This is another amazing edition to my ever growing Harry Potter shelf, which really is starting to look a bit like a shrine in my room. This is very much like an encyclopedia, with an A to Z list of magical creatures, each with their own amazing painting. It is more a work of art than a book, and I love it.

A Gentlemen’s Guide to Vice and Virtue: Mackenzi Lee

A young bisexual British lord embarks on an unforgettable Grand Tour of Europe with his best friend/secret crush. An 18th-century romantic adventure for the modern age written by This Monstrous Thing author Mackenzi Lee—Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda meets the 1700s.

Henry “Monty” Montague doesn’t care that his roguish passions are far from suitable for the gentleman he was born to be. But as Monty embarks on his grand tour of Europe, his quests for pleasure and vice are in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

So Monty vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

Witty, dazzling, and intriguing at every turn, The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is an irresistible romp that explores the undeniably fine lines between friendship and love.

I saw this book about a month ago in the Chapters staff selection section and was intrigued. It is not the kind of book I would normally read but something about it drew me in. I am excited to see how I like it.

Otherworld: Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller

There are no screens. There are no controls. You don’t just see and hear it—you taste, smell, and touch it too. In this new reality, there are no laws to break or rules to obey. You can live your best life. Indulge every desire.

This is Otherworld—a virtual reality game so addictive you’ll never want it to end. And Simon has just discovered that for some, it might not.

The frightening future that Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller have imagined is not far away. Otherworld asks the question we’ll all soon be asking: if technology can deliver everything we want, how much are we willing to pay?

This book reminds me a bit of Warcross and Ready Player One and Westword. I am interested to see how the authors develop a theme that has been done several times before. I love dystopia ScFi novels and am so excited to give this one a go!

Let me know what books you got this Christmas, or perhaps one you are planning to buy.