Sometimes I love nothing more than a good trip to the bookstore.
To me a trip to to the book store is always a bit of an adventure too, as I will often carve at least an hour out of my day to spend wandering the shelves and trying to find everything that sounds interesting to me. Usually I make mental lists to come back and buy this one and that one, but not this time! This time I decided that everything that jumped out at me would end up in my purchases!
I did receive a gift card for Christmas so that may have influenced this decision a bit, but I left the store with 5 new books for my To Read stack.

Clockwork Princess – Cassandra Clare
Alright this book is the reason I actually went to the bookstore initially. I have been on a Cassandra Clare kick for quite awhile and as I just finished Clockwork Prince last night I of course want to move on to Princess right away! I have already read all of The Mortal Instruments series (save for City of Heavenly Fire…which has yet to be released of course) and after that I turned to the The Infernal Devices!

Clockwork Princess is the third and final book in Clare’s The Infernal Devices trilogy, a series about the Shadowhunters of the London Institute set in 1878 London. For me this has been a roller-coaster of emotion starting with when I first picked up the first book in Clare’s other Shadowhunter series The Mortal Instruments earlier this year. But now being at this point…I’m anxious to see what this story has in store for me.

I can’t wait to see where Tessa Gray, who still doesn’t know what species she is, ends up. And what is going to happen to the Shadowhunter parabatai Jem Carstairs and Will Herondale with Tessa still in the middle. Two “brothers” in love with one girl…how will that end? Having read The Mortal Instruments series first, I do know a few things about them but not the HOW and that’s what I can’t wait to find out!

Haunted – Chuck Palahniuk 
Blurb: “Haunted is a novel made up of twenty-three horrifying, hilarious, and stomach-churning stories. They’re told by people who have answered an ad for a writers’ retreat and unwittingly joined a “Survivor”-like scenario where the host withholds the heat, powers, and food. As the stories grow more desperate, their tales become more extreme, and they ruthlessly plot to make themselves the hero of the reality show that will surely be made from their plight.” 

Call me crazy, but I have never read anything by Palahniuk before. I have always wanted and well, now seems as good a time as any. The store had all of the books he’s written lined up all nicely and after reading all of the blurbs this one stuck out the most to me! Although Snuff did get added to my To Purchase list, assuming I like his style of writing that is – that one also sounded really interesting! But like I said Haunted stuck out to me more than the rest…in fact it has stuck out to me for quite a while I’ve just never bothered with it until now.

The Book Thief – Markus Zusak
Blurb: “It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.
By her brother’s graveside, Liesel Meminger’s life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Grave Digger’s Handbook, left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordion-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from the Nazi book-burnings, the mayor’s wife’s library, wherever there are books to be founds.
But these are dangerous times. When Liesel’s foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel’s world is both opened up and closed down.”

I was actually drawn to this book quite some time ago but it just never jumped at me enough to read it. Until now. I’ve always loved stories that take place during war times and I think I also saw a connection in the way the blurb describes Liesel as having a love affair with “books and words.” There is something endearing in that, and something that I immediately connect to and simply understand!

Moloka’i – Alan Brennert
Blurb: “Rachel Kalama, a spirited seven-year-old Hawaiian girl, dreams of visiting far-off lands like her father, a merchant seaman. Then one day a rose-colored mark appears on her skin, and those dreams are stolen from her. Taken from her home and family, Rachel is sent to Kalaupapa, the quarantined leprosy settlement on the island of Moloka’i. Here her life is supposed to end – but instead she discovers it is just beginning.”

I’m unsure what drew me to this book really, I saw it sitting on the shelf and pulled it out initially because the hibiscus flowers were pretty and the title was distinctly Hawaiian which made me curious. I thought the cover art was really pretty (I know don’t just a book by it’s cover…but sometimes cover art is what hooks you!) and I flipped it over to read the blurb and my mind kind of just went “Wow!” I debated on it for awhile before I actually put it back on the shelf and walked away, but as I browsed the rest of the shelves this one kept coming back to my mind. Before I left the store I went straight back to it, grabbed it and headed to the cash register. Something was telling me that I need to read this one!

Tell The Wolves I’m Home – Carol Rifka Brunt
Blurb: 1987. The only person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus is her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can be herself only in Finn’s company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June’s world is turned upside down. But Finn’s death brings a surprise acquaintance into June’s life. At the funeral, June notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd. A few days later, she receives a package in the mail containing a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn’s apartment, and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking for an opportunity to meet. As the two begin to spend time together, June realizes she’s not the only one who misses Finn, and that this unexpected friend just might be the one she needs the most.”

So this for me was another example of maybe I can judge a book by its cover. The cover art looked very Alice in Wonderland-y so I picked it up unsure of what to expect, but when I read the blurb on the back it said to me, like Moloka’i did, that I need to read it! From the cover art and the title the synopsis is so entirely different than I expected that it just felt right to buy. I don’t think  I can explain it any other way that that. It’s just another one of those books that I feel I must read!

So there we go, my Book Haul from other day! I’m already about 200 pages into Clockwork Princess and I can’t wait to dive into the rest of these. The hard part is going to be deciding which one to read first! …Hmmm? Suggestions?

Also, I must say – HAPPY NEW YEAR!! It is now 2014. HOW EXCITING! A whole new year with all sorts of things to do.
Let’s make the most of it!!!