June Book Haul

Last month I was introduced to Book Outlet, a website that sells new books at a great percentage off their cover price. Needless to say, I went on a little binge and placed three orders in three weeks. The first of my orders just arrived, so I thought I would do a post detailing what I bought and why.

First off, I got Old New York, a collection of four novellas by Edith Wharton. I read Age of Innocence last year, and it became one of my favorite classics. I'm excited to read more stories that take place in the same time period. Her humor and tongue-in-cheek social commentary make her work entertaining and smart.

I also grabbed Warm Bodies, by Isaac Marion. This will be the first zombie novel I've ever read, but I enjoyed the movie and have heard good things about the book, so I thought I'd try it out. I'm just looking for a fun summer read with this one.

I had never heard of Absent when I saw it online, but it really captured my interest upon reading the synopsis. This Sherri Vanderveen novel is about a man who abandons his family, but then returns many years later to see how his absence affected each person. I have high hopes for this book, and I will probably do a full review of it.

Shadow and Bone, by Leigh Bardugo, has been really popular on Booktube lately, so when I saw it for such a good price, I figured I would give it a try.  It's the first book in the Grisha trilogy, a fantasy series about a nation called Ravka and an orphan girl named Alina.  I do not know very much about the plot, but the reviews on Booktube and Goodreads praise the series, and I really enjoy fantasy, so I am looking forward to reading this one.

Billy: The Untold Story of a Young Billy Graham and the Test of Faith That Almost Changed Everything  is the story of Billy Graham's friendship with Charles Templeton, the famous evangelist who came out as an atheist.  I've already heard a lot about Charles Templeton from different interviews and biographies, but I am interested in how his forsaking of the faith affected Billy Graham's walk since the two of them were such close friends.

I'm really trying to get into graphic novels and build up my collection. So, I picked up Jerusalem:A Family Portrait by Boaz Yakin and Nick Bertozzi. I was intrigued by the political and historical backdrop of the work. I have since read and done a review of it. 

Finally, I immediately bought The Ghost Bride, by Yangsze Choo, when I saw it was about ghost marriage.  In Chinese tradition, families of recently deceased, unmarried men would find living brides to marry them posthumously.  The reasons varied from gaining a daughter, ensuring the family line, placating the deceased's spirit, or making sure the younger brother doesn't get married before the older.  This novel is about a woman who becomes a ghost bride for financial and familial security and how that decision alters her life.  I am really, really looking forward to reading this book.  Asian literature is one of my favorite genres, and I find the whole idea behind ghost marriage captivating.  I can't wait to see what the author makes of it.

So, those are the books from my first order.  I will definitely be reviewing a few of them.  I have two additional, more conservative orders coming in, as well, and I will do a haul post about those when they arrive.