I spotted a meme called Stacking the Shelves and thought I’d join in. As a typical Book Geek it’s not just books that I love, and adore, and have far too many of, I’m a also a movie, TV show and DVD geek too, so I’m including my DVD purchases this month (and bonus points – they’re mostly book related), so here we go…

Books I Bought:

Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty: I’d heard of this book on the grapevine and probably wouldn’t have gone out of my way to pick it up except these books were a “buy 2 for £7” offer so I thought I’d give it a go. Plot Summary: Yvonne Carmichael has a high-flying career, a beautiful home and a good marriage. But when she meets a stranger she is drawn into a passionate affair. Keeping the two halves of her life separate seems easy at first. But she can’t control what happens next…

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty: I actually wanted The Husband’s Secret, but it wasn’t available so I thought I would try something else by this author. Plot Summary: Alice wakes up on the floor of the gym with a nasty bump to her head, thinking she’s still a fun-loving 29 year old starting life with her gorgeous husband and pregnant with their first baby. To her disbelief, it soon transpires the fall has knocked 10 years from her memory and she is actually an uptight 39 year old, whose idea of a good time is a 3 hour workout followed by committee meetings. Seeing herself through fresh eyes, Alice barely recognises or even likes the person she has become. Can she ever find her way back to the woman she used to be?

The Finisher by David Baldacci: I’ve heard a lot of good things about this author but haven’t read any of his work. I think this is his first YA book (I could be wrong, correct me in the comments!) and I definitely have a new found love for all things Dystopian and Fantasy. Plot Summary: Enter a village imprisoned by its fear of the unknown, where curiosity is discouraged, and no one has ever left – or wanted to. Until now.

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson: This was a Goodreads Choice Awards Winner in 2013 so I’m happy I picked it up at a great price. Plot Summary: What if you had the chance to live your life again and again, until you finally got it right? What if there were second chances? And third chances? In fact an infinite number of chances to live your life? Would you eventually be able to save the world from its own inevitable destiny? And would you even want to?

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman: I’ve talked about this book before in my last Top Ten Tuesday post, which inspired me to actually go out and purchase the 4 book set, and I’m so excited to read these again! I first read this when I was about 15 and I don’t think I finished the series the first time around, I just know I’m going to get all the feels! Plot Summary: Callum is a Nought – an inferior white citizen in a society controlled by the black Crosses. Sephy is a Cross – and the daughter of one of the most powerful, ruthless men in the country. In their hostile, violent world, Noughts and Crosses simply don’t mix. But when Sephy and Callum’s childhood friendship grows into passionate love, they’re determined to find a way to be together.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: I don’t think this book needs an introduction! It’s on my Classics Club list and I was intending to read a few of the other classics first, but this one managed to sneak to the top of the pile because… Ok, I’ll admit it, I did the thing you’re not supposed to do… I watched a film adaptation before reading the book… I know, I know, I’m a terrible person. But I was really surprised that I absolutely LOVED it. It was the BBC adaptation with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. So I have to read the book now.

Books for Review:

A Girl Called Fearless by Catherine Linka: Received from NetGalley. Plot Summary: Avie has the normal life of a privileged teen growing up in L.A., at least as normal as any girl’s life is these days. After a synthetic hormone in beef killed 50 million American women 10 years ago, only young girls, old women, men, and boys are left to pick up the pieces. The Paternalist Movement, begun to “protect” young women, is taking over the choices they make. Romantic, thought-provoking, and frighteningly real, A Girl Called Fearless is a story about fighting for the most important things in life—freedom and love.

Brutal Youth by Anthony Breznican: Received from NetGalley. Plot Summary: Three freshmen must join forces to survive at a troubled, working-class Catholic high school with a student body full of bullies and zealots, and a faculty that’s even worse. St. Michael’s has become a crumbling dumping ground for expelled delinquents and a haven for the stridently religious when incoming freshman Peter Davidek signs up. A coming-of-age tale reversed, Brutal Youth follows these students as they discover that instead of growing older and wiser, going bad may be the only way to survive…

Then and Always by Dani Atkins: Received from NetGalley. Plot Summary: After an accident, a young woman gets a second chance at life, just not in one she remembers. Rachel has everything she’s ever wanted: a close group of friends, a handsome boyfriend, and acceptance to the journalism program at her top-choice college. But one fateful evening, tragedy tears her world apart. Five years later, Rachel returns home for the first time to celebrate her best friend’s wedding. Still coping with her grief, she can’t stop thinking about the bright future she almost had, if only that one night had gone differently. But when a sudden fall lands her in the hospital, Rachel wakes to find that her life has completely changed. Now she has her dream job as a writer and a stylish apartment, but the people she loves most are not the way she remembers them. Unable to trust her own recollections, Rachel tries to piece together what really happened, and not even she can predict the astonishing truth.

DVDs and TV Shows:

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: This is pretty obvious, right? Of course I had to own this when it came out and not be a cheapskate waiting for it to come down in price! (Am I the only one who does that?!).

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones: I know this movie didn’t do well in the Box Office and I really don’t know why, I loved it! I’d heard it was to do with the marketing campaign for it, which I could believe, as I didn’t know about the books when the trailer came out for this and I wasn’t interested in it at the time. Then I read the books, loved them and completely loved this movie. I don’t think the casting is 100% (adore Robert Sheehan and Jonathan Rhys Meyers though, Irish people in Hollywood! Can you tell where I’m from??!), but I really, really hope they keep making these movies and that it’s just a slow burner… they can’t not make these movies!!

Pitch Perfect: I know this movie is the epitome of cheesy-ness, but we all need a bit of that, right? Besides, I’m pretty sure I’m semi-in-love with Skylar.

The White Queen: I’ve mentioned the books this TV show is based on before in a previous Top Ten Tuesday, and when it came out on DVD I had to have it. The White Queen series by Phillipa Gregory (officially called The Cousins’ War series, I think) was my introduction to historical fiction and I LOVED it. The TV show stays really true to the novels and just brought these books to life.

Round-up:

That’s all for this month, and it’s quite a dolly-mixture! I’m going to try super hard to hold off on purchases for a while and make my way through this to-read pile that is taking over my bedroom. I keep purchasing Kindle books on Amazon that are on offer too though, it’s so hard not to just binge-buy books that go on offer for £1 or less! So I have those to get round to at some point… I’ve kind of decided that when it comes to purchasing, I’m only going to purchase books that are ones I’m on the look-out for and have heard great things about – so that includes books like the Ignite Me series, the Delirium series, the Uglies etc.

Have you read any of these books yet? What did you think? Comment below and let me know!