Big Library Book Haul/ Diversity Bingo 2017, Around the Year in 52 Books and Other Books

So in order to get cracking on my newfound reading resolutions I went to the library today and picked up a bunch of books. To be completely honest I had some of these books lying around from my last trip to the library, but I figured I would just make one big haul. 

I’ve divided the books into 3 groups; Diversity Bingo, Around the Year in 52 books and others. 

Let’s start with the books I’ve managed to get for Diversity Bingo: 

First up we have “NIght” by Elie Wiesel. This will go towards the challenge of a book with a Jewish Main Character. It’s part of an autobiographical novel trilogy about the author’s experiences during WWII. I have high expectations for this one, since some of my favorite books are set during wartime and I have heard good things about this book. 

Then we have “P.S. I Still Love You” by Jenny Han. This will be my book with a person of color on the cover. This is the second book in the “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” trilogy and I really enjoyed the first one, so I’m hoping this will be just as fun. 

“All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr is my book for the challenge of a visually impaired main character. This book follows two young people during WWII, one of whom is blind. The synopsis doesn’t really say anything but this book has gotten amazing reviews across the board, so I have high hopes for it. 

“The Girl Who Fell From the Sky” by Heidi W. Durrow has a biracial character, half Afro-American and half Danish. It sounds like the book follows the girl’s struggles to find an identity in a society where neither group wants her. I also partly picked this book because I’m Danish. 

“Homegoing” by Yaa Gyasi has a displaced main character. We follow the two half sisters Effia and Esi from Ghana. One is married to a British governor and one is captured by the British to be sold as a slave. 

“Radio Silence” by Alice Oseman has a main characters on the ace spectrum, which I am very much looking forward to, since that is virtually non-existent in fiction. At least, I found it very hard to find any books with asexual characters, let alone main characters. 

“If I Was Your Girl” by Meredith Russo has a trans main character. This follows a young girl who recently transitioned, when she moves to a new high school and tries to navigate life without anyone discovering her secret. 

“HIstory Is All You Left Me” by Adam Silvera has a main character with an invisible disability. From what I can tell by the synopsis Griffin has OCD and he must manage that at the same time as his life is being torn apart when his ex-boyfriend-but-still-love-of-his life dies. 

I should have enough there to keep me going for a while, but for some reason I decided to also borrow some books for my “Around the Year” challenge. 

First up is “P.S. I Still Love You” by Jenny Han. Yes, I just mentioned it above for diversity bingo. I figure I might as well try to get as much overlap as possible. This book will cover the challenge of a book that is a continuation of a book I’ve read, seeing as it is the second book of a trilogy. 

Then we have “For Whom the Bell Tolls” by Ernest Hemingway. This book was previously banned, as far as I could tell because of sex and politics. It follows a young American who volunteers in the Spanish Civil War. During his stint as a guerilla fighter he meets Maria. 

Next is Jeanette Winterson’s “Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit”. This book covers the challenge for a long title (5+ words). It is an autobiographical novel about a young girl who if forced into a cult-ish religious society in order to become a missionary. But the girl has other plans. 

Finally for this challenge we have “This Savage Song” by Victoria Schwab. This covers the challenge for a book with at least two perspectives as we follow Kate and August. I have been meaning to read more of Schwab, since I immensely enjoyed “A Darker Shade of Magic”. 

Then I got a few books to go towards my bingo challenge for the year. 

I wanted to read some Hemingway and so I picked “For Whom the Bell Tolls” in order to be efficient and cross it off two lists at once. 

I also wanted to read some Jeanette Winterson so I did the same with “Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit”. 

I specifically had Elie Wiesel’s “Night” on my bingo board so I’m glad it fit a challenge for Diversity Bingo as well. 

I have one book on loan for my TBR Jar challenge, and that is “Gardens of the Moon” by Steven Erikson. This sounds like an epic fantasy with evil empires, outlaws and magicians and intricate plots. 

Then we finally have the random books. The ones you come across when you are looking for that specific book, and you think “This looks interesting, I have plenty of time to read so why not add that to my TBR?”. And then you proceed to add that book to your overflowing basket…

First we have “The Queen of the Tearling” by Erika Johansen, where the young princess Kelsey must fight to regain her throne. 

Then I stumbled across “We Come Apart” by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan. I’ve heard good things about Crossan and a quick glimpse at the back seemed to indicate that this is a love story written in verse. So I figured it would be quick to read and the small snippets seemed really well written. 

“Ask the Passengers” by A.S. King has been on my TBR for so long that I can’t really remember how it ended up there. As far as I recall it was really popular on Booktube, but I seem to remember hearing not so great things when people got around to reading it. I will have to see for myself. It is a bout a girl who asks the passengers of the airplanes flying overhead what it means if she is falling in love with a girl. 

Finally I have “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert. This book should help you to get more creativity into your life and I do feel like I need a little push when it comes to that. So I am hoping this will give me some tips even though I have heard some pretty mediocre things about it. 

Well, that stack should keep me going for a while! Nevertheless I have some more books on hold at the library. Just in case….