This "In My Mailbox" post is a lie.

No, really. I feel like I should have fashioned a picture, Magritte-style, of this post which says "Ceci n'est pas un In My Mailbox post".

 The reason that this post is a lie is mainly this: none of the books I am about to showcase, with the exception of one, are:
a) recent;
b) gifts;
b) truly mine.

 I'll elaborate on that in a moment. But firstly, behold the glory!


I won't even bother pretending not to be utterly in love with this haul. Nor will I for a moment deny that at this very moment, they are all perched next to me, stacked in much the same way as they are in the photo above. Except for when I extract one to pet. And hug. And fondle. And glance longingly at for extended periods of time. ♥

So, the story goes as follows: I received some money for my birthday last year, and stashed it in my Book Fund box. (Yes, I have a Book Fund box. Yes, I need help.) The amount I had I thought would amount to one hardcover or two paperbacks, if I chose wisely. Then in early 2014 I saw this Hunger Games box set. This Hunger Games box set. And this Hunger Games box set cost the exact amount of money I had saved up. So, naturally, I sat down and weighed my options for about 0.01 seconds before purchasing it.

Now, I'm sure everyone's heard urban legends about a group of people who still exist in some corner of the world and who have still not read "The Hunger Games". This group of people are my friends. All of my friends. So the moment the box set arrived, it was snatched away by one of them. (Don't get me wrong, I was willing to relinquish it. One of the greatest joys of owning physical books is being able to spread the joy of reading them among one's friends and family.) This friend finished Mockingjay just a few days ago and yesterday he brought the box set back to me, at long last, to rest on my bookshelf and keep company to many of my other dystopian/supernatural favorites. So technically, this box set arrived in my mailbox quite a long time ago - before this blog was even created. But it's only now that I'm getting to haul it, and so I'm taking the opportunity to do so. They're so beautiful. Just look at them!


As stated in the introduction, "We Were Liars" is the only book of the five which I have received recently, and which is a gift. I spent most of last week at a music festival, which conveniently ended the exact moment Booktube-A-Thon started. So this Monday I woke to an Amazon package waiting for me on my desk. And there's ever only one thing that Amazon packages contain where I'm concerned. It was, of course, from Dennis (who likes to joke that "I never know who might purchase me a book off my wishlist", as though there were someone other than himself who's been doing it). ♥ When I realized it was E. Lockhart's "We Were Liars" that was inside the package, I burst into tears. No, really, I started crying. I like to blame it on the sleeplessness following a long, tiring week of all-night concerts and not enough rest, and on my overwhelming love of books. The truth is that Dennis and I did an independent read-a-long for "We Were Liars" the moment it was released in May, and as a consequence, the book means a lot to me. It means so much, in fact, that I feel an overwhelming need to re-review it now that my impressions have settled. And there are no words for the depth of my gratitude to Dennis for sending me a physical copy to love and cherish (and pet and hug and smell).

And as for "Shadow and Bone", I dearly wish I could say that it was mine. Which it isn't. I ordered it for one of my best friends' birthdays two weeks ago, and it has finally arrived. In the meantime, said best friend has gone abroad on holiday, and has given me his blessing to kidnap and read it before he returns (hopefully during the Booktube-A-Thon, which I'm woefully behind in). So this beautiful, beautiful copy of this beautiful, beautiful book will be leaving me shortly. Oh, the woe...


If you've read any of the books I just spent a good while ranting about, please share how you liked them in the comments below! If you've heard good things about any of them ("Shadow and Bone" in particular, as I'm yet to start it), by all means let me know. And as always, if you prefer, you can find us on Twitter, Instagram and/or Facebook. ♥