I’m trying something new and giving this book haul trend a go not only on my YouTube channel, but also on my blog.

I noticed that I have a lot of books that I read in the past few years that never made it on this blog or even Goodreads. So, in order to clean up this mess, I’m doing a sort of book haul by the year.

Turns out I have to go back six years. That a long time ago and so much has changed since then.

Each book gets a paragraph or two in which I talk a little bit about the impressions the story has made on me. These little review won’t have my typical format, because that would be too brutal to write and consequently read in one go.

A quick thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of these stories. All of my opinions are my own.

Let’s get started.

Book Haul 2016

2016 was a terrible year for me. I really don’t want to think about it anymore than I absolutely have to. It’s probably best then that I start this book haul series with 2016 to get it out of the way. I shall call it Book Haul 2016.

Three Wells of the Sea by Terry Madden

This first book in the epic fantasy duopoly combines Celtic and Norse mythology. It is a portal fantasy story that is written from two perspectives: the modern world and the Otherworld.

This story really grabs the reader and takes them on a journey. It reminded me a little of those old-school 1980’s fantasy stories that just make you very cozy and do a good job distracting you from your real-world problems.

There are a lot of elements and challenges that the characters have to face. The writing is very well done and the execution of the storytelling is excellent.

If you are looking for an engaging fantasy read, this is definitely a must.

The Edge of Nowhere by C.H. Armstrong

A letter explaining how a feared woman living through the Oklahoma Dust Bowl and the Great Depression became the woman her family feared.

This is an intense historical fiction read that puts a great deal of emphasis on the struggles women faced during those incredibly difficult years.

Looking back one always see these events as terrible and examines them from a big-picture type perspective. But what did it mean for those who lived through them? Every day?

This is an incredibly powerful story. It stays with you. The writing and the depth of the main character will haunt you for a while afterwards.

Hummingbirds Fly Backwards by Amy Cheung

I thought this story lacked something. It felt flat and a little boring. Part of it is about “the other woman” and I’m not sure, if I could ever truly sympathize with anyone wanting, even inadvertently, break up a relationship.

The plot was weak at best and the drama came from the characters doing things that didn’t make a whole lot of sense.

It was sort of boring and I had wished for more cohesion in the storytelling.

The more I think about it the more anxious I’m getting. I guess it wasn’t the right time in my life to read this story.

All around it was just a little too “meh” for me.

The Spirit Chaser by Kat Mayor

We got ghosts, interesting characters, hate-to-love tropes, a few steamy scenes…What more could a reader want?

I was sceptical about The Spirit Chaser but I was pleasantly surprised by it.

It is darker and spookier than I had anticipated and the ending was kind of, sort of unexpected, yet not really.

Anyway, I don’t want to give too much away. I’m glad I gave this one a try.

The writing is quite good and the plot is what one expects. The author takes her time introducing all characters, not only the two protagonists, which is greatly appreciated. It gives the story more of a rounded, well-developed feel.

It’s perfect for a spooky read to get into the Fall/Halloween mood.

The Wicked Boy by Kate Summerscale

I didn’t pay attention when I was requesting this book. I thought this was a historical fiction story and was quite surprised to find out that it is actually a meticulously researched nonfiction account of a boy who killed his mother in the late 1800’s East London.

This was such an interesting read. The details and work the author put into this book is amazing.

I kept wondering if his mother really had been abusive or mentally ill. Or was he perhaps criminally insane? That part we will never know, but we got greater insights into many facets of life in England during the 19th century.

I would highly recommend this book to any tru crime and historical non-fiction enthusiasts.

Behave by Andromeda Romano-Lax

Deeply disturbing and heartbreaking. Those are two ways for me to describe this book.

I have a problem with male characters being completely jerks/assholes and all I want for them is to have karma kick their self-inflated butts.

It’s difficult to rate this story, since it is such a heavy subject matter. How much of it could actually be true, we will never know. However, I can imagine that things were far more ugly than is described in the book.

Regardless, the story is well written. It was a quick read, yet the characters were difficult for me to connect with. Again, not surprising considering the subject matter.

I would possibly suggest it.

The Beauty of the End by Debbie Howells

That’s a hard “no” from me.

What the heck did I just read?

Some creepy stalker guy, who is obsessed with a girl in high school, continues to be obsessed with her for years to come and is then convinced that she is innocent when accused of murder.

This is a huge run-on sentence, but that pretty much sums it all up: the book and my convoluted opinions on it.

The writing tries to be too much and fails miserably. And I just can’t get behind this plot. I kept asking “why?”. “Why goddess?”.

There isn’t really anything thrilling about this story. It’s kind of boring and I’m very disappointed.

Shadows of the Forest by Emma Michaels

Sadly, this story seemed like it was lacking some serious direction. It was fast pace, but tried to be a complex fantasy story. Things were mentioned, but left without further description, making it difficult to fully understand what was going on and how it connected.

Yet, it was full of internalized descriptions of the main character’s first-person point of view.

It was a bit messy. I was very tempted to just skim most of the book.

And that concludes my Book Haul 2016. What a weird trip down memory lane. I’m glad it is over.
Stay tuned for the next book haul. Coming soon.