2018 Fourth Quarter Book Haul: Is This Self-Control?

I feel like the end of 2018 just rushed by. I resisted about three different Book Outlet sales and a myriad of Barnes & Nobles coupons during the last couple of months of the year. I’m so proud of myself, I may buy a book in celebration. Or is that too counter-productive? I only bought six books in the last three months which is the least amount I’ve purchased in a quarter this year. I did, however, end up with a few more books because of some very generous people. I’m hoping to show just as much self-control next quarter, but have you seen all the new releases coming out?! I recently made a list of books I want to preorder (I might do a post), and there are tons!!!! It will be a true test of self-control. Alright, let’s get to the books already.

Books I Bought:

1. Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan – I got a really good deal on this one from Barnes & Noble, but am a little sad I didn’t get to read it before the end of the year. Hopefully I can find time this month or next.

2. For a Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig – I’ve heard nothing but good things about this novel which deals with both mental health and colonization in a fantasy setting. How cool is that? Still haven’t read it though.

3. Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore – I preordered this one because of course I preordered this one. Anna-Marie McLemore continues to astound with her storytelling ability. I swear, she infuses her books with some kind of magic.

4. Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse – You may recall that this was my favorite read of 2018. I think it was like two days after I finished my library copy that I purchased this one for myself. Read it if you haven’t already.

5. Not Even Bones by Rebecca Schaeffer – I bought this one solely on the recommendation of other bloggers and am glad I did. It was one of the best books I read in October when I was reaching for the creepy and spooky reads.

6. Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enríquez – I’ve been really curious about this short-story collection, but couldn’t find it at my library and it was so expensive to buy on Amazon. I ended up purchasing this little edition of it from Book Depository.

ARCs + Author-Sent:

7. Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard – The lovely, generous, kind-hearted Amber Elise @ Du Livre sent me this ARC because she saw how excited I was about it. I am planning a quick reread of the first two books before diving into this one.

8. Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal – This is a P&P retelling that takes place in Pakistan. I was the lucky winner of a Goodreads giveaway for an ARC of this one. I’m not sure I will have time to read it before the release, but I will try to get to it soon.

9. & 10. Suffer the Children and One of Us by Craig DiLouie – I mentioned in a past post that I wanted to read the former novel, but couldn’t get my hands on a copy. Imagine my surprise when the author reached out to me and asked if I’d like a copy of his two novels. Both of these sounds so eerie and I cannot wait to read them.

Christmas Gifts:

11. Jade City by Fonda Lee – After not so subtly providing a list of books I wouldn’t mind finding under the Christmas tree, I ended up with these final three books to close out 2018. I’m really excited about this fantasy book and got a real thrill out of how big this one was. I feel like I need to pick up more big books in 2019.

12. Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Marie Machado – Yes, I’m so happy I own a copy of this short-story collection. I cannot wait to read these stories again.

13. Monstress, Vol. 3: Haven by Marjorie M. Liu, Illustrated by Sana Takeda – I finally got my hands on the third volume of this amazing graphic novel series. I cannot wait to crack it open.

And there you have it! Have you read any of these? Any I need to get to right away? Which books were you gifted this holiday season? Let’s talk in the comments!