BOOKTUBE MADE ME BUY IT

As with my 'YouTube Made Me Buy It' post I did a few weeks ago, I wanted to do a more specific one relating to BookTube and all the books I've bought because they've been recommended over there! There are a few people on Booktube in particular who I love getting recommendations from, but mainly Mercedes from Mercy's Bookish Musings. There are just some people out there that you really trust the opinions of, and she is definitely one of them, if you're into books and haven't seen any of her videos I'd highly recommend popping over, although be warned because you may want to go on a book spending spree after!

I won't go into huge details about the books pictures above, I have read all of them bar Human Acts by Han Kang which is one of the books I'm currently working my way through.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey - this was one from a good few years ago and Im not actually sure if it was Mercedes or someone else that recommended this when I was going through my YA phase. Being a good couple of years ago I can't remember the story exactly, but I do remember really enjoying it, it was definitely a page turner, so if you're into YA dystopian fantasy then this is definitely one to give a go. I haven't read the other books in what I believe is a trilogy, but I think I might pick it up when I fancy escaping for a few hours.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - this has recently been in the media more as it has been made into a film, but it was around the same time that I picked up the previous book that I read this one as well. It's a very sad story about a young boy who's mother is dying from terminal cancer, who repeatedly gets visited by a monster each night who wants to tell him stories. The young boy distances himself from people at school and around him and only talks to the monster, eventually relaying his own nightmare to the monster, of his mother's condition.

Ready Player One by Ernst Cline - I loved this book! It seems a bit of an odd one for me to have enjoyed so much as it's about a topic I'm really not particularly interested in - video games, but it was really good fun. It's about a virtual world that was created by a game maker who, when he died, revealed that he has left an 'Easter Egg' somewhere within the world and the first person to find it will win inherit the maker's fortune and corporation. Thousands of people have been playing within the world since the announcement but with no luck, and we follow the story of one of these people, Wade Watts, who manages to find one of three keys that point in the direction of the egg. It really kept me hooked even though I didn't understand all the terminology and intricacies, so if you're after something a bit different for a change, I would highly recommend this.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness - this one had me crying on the tube when I read it, which has only got to be a good thing. It takes a lot for me to cry at a book, in fact I don't know if I could name another one that has actually given me proper, full on tears in my eyes, so I'd recommend it for that alone! Once again, stupidly I've not carried on the series (I started the second one but for some reason got waylaid) but it is still on that ever increasing TBR in the back of my mind!

The Butcher's Hook by Janet Ellis - I read this last year and I remember there was quite a lot of hype about it around the time it came out. At the time of reading it I enjoyed it, but probably wasn't wowed, however I have noticed on a few occasions since reading it aspects of the story have kept coming back to me, which I always think is the sign of a good book. This book did make me realise that I just don't think I'm the biggest fan of historical fiction as a whole, I'm not sure what it is a bout this genre that doesn't seem to keep me enthralled but I have read quite a few books of this kind and never been completely wowed by the time I've finished, but I'm pretty sure that's just a personal taste thing.

How To Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer - This is a short story collection, one of the first collections I read in fact, and I really enjoyed it. Some of the stories have stuck with me after about a year or so of reading it and I'd definitely be inclined to pick it up again for a flick through every now and then.

The Vegetarian by Han Kang - this is a strange book but did manage to keep me hooked throughout. It was the winner of the Man Booker prize in 2016 and follows the story of a young woman who, in effect, wants to be a tree. Sounds bizarre, is bizarre, but is also beautifully written and manages to capture a lot of human emotion through the story of a somewhat disturbed woman. I wasn't sure how I felt about it straight after I finished because it was such an odd story, but, once again, it has stayed with me since reading it which i always view as a good thing.

Human Acts by Han Kang - written by the same author as The Vegetarian, I'm still only about a quarter of the way through this because I just keep getting distracted by other things (I'm in the midst of seriously trying to finish Les Mis now which is distracting me) but I know this is meant to be a fantastic book and if the previous one is anything to go by, I expect good things.

The Tidal Zone by Sarah Moss - this was most definitely one influenced by Mercedes, her reviews and obvious adoration for this book were too hard to resist and it's one that I feel I need to give another read in order to get more out of it because at the time of reading I just didn't seem to connect with the book as much as I feel it is worthy of doing so. This one follows the story of a young teenage girl who has a sudden and unexpected episode at school in which she collapses and stops breathing, for no reason that later on can be deciphered. It throws the family, in particular the Dad into turmoil at the fragility of life and the overwhelming fear that the potential loss of someone so close to you can bring.