Book Haul July 2023

About

All books in this haul are pre-owned.

Due to the large size of my book hauls recently, it’s clear the way I type them is a bit inefficient. From here on out, I will be typing them the same way I do manga hauls. Books will be listed alphabetically by series name and volume number, and I will put the individual titles in the descriptions. This will group all relevant things together, so the information and connected novels will not be scattered throughout the haul.

I also like the system I used last month for organizing the piles, so I will be sticking to that when the hauls are large. The pile system in the picture from left to right:
-Volume ones to try
-Series which I still need the first volume
-Stand alone
-Series including first volumes and up.
-Later volumes in series I already own

Bloodline, Vol. 2 by Kate Cary

Bloodline is a duology. I’ll try almost anything that involves vampires or werewolves, so I just need the first volume, titled Bloodline, and then I can read the entire duology. The book in this haul, Reckoning, is the second volume.

What is it?

A historical vampire fantasy.

Blue Bloods, Vol. 2, 3, 4, 5, & 5.5 by Melissa De La Cruz

Blue Bloods is a vampire series I’ve been meaning to try. I saw this chunk of books on the shelf and just grabbed them all. Now I just need volume one, and then I will have a large chunk of the series to find out if I like it. The series is nine books long, possibly ongoing, and has some middle volumes.

The titles for this lot are: 2 – Masquerade, 3 – Revelations, 4 – The Van Alen Legacy, 5 -Misguided Angel, and 5.5 – Bloody Valentine.

What is it?

A vampire fantasy.

Circus Mirandus, Vol. 1 by Cassie Beasley

This is volume one of a duology. It doesn’t appear to have a series name aside from simply the name of the first book. It sounded interesting, so I grabbed it as something to try.

For those interested, volume two is called The Bootlace Magician.

What is it?

A middle grade fiction involving a circus and real magic.

Codebearers, Vol. 2 & 3 by The Miller Brothers

Hunter Brown and the Eye of Ends and Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire are the second and third volumes of the Codebearers trilogy. I know absolutely nothing about it, but only one book is missing, so I figured it was cheap enough to try. Christian fiction is not really my thing, but it’s not always bad, so I’ll find out if this series is a hit or a miss when I read it. It stood out to me on the shelf because the series uses weird 3D art for the covers, which looks super corny.

What is it?

Sounds like some kind of Christian fantasy adventure.

The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender

I think this is a stand alone. It’s not super long, and it’s published by Scholastic, so it’s likely not very terrifying. I’ll probably read this around October for a spooky story.

What is it?

A ghost horror mystery.

Dragonlance: Chronicles, Vol. 4 by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, & The New Adventures, Vol. 2 by Jeff Sampson

I’m slowly collecting the Dragonlance universe books, and I think I have maybe nine, so far. That does not include these two. When I saw these on the shelf, I had no idea what they were. They didn’t look like any Dragonlance books I’d ever seen from my research, but the collection is massive, so I figured better to grab them than not.

To the Gates of Palanthas says it’s volume four of Chronicles, but I’m well aware that series is a trilogy, which I already own. I wasn’t sure if there was another Chronicles it was referring to. It turns out, this book is a shorter copy of part of the story. It’s part two of the second book, Dragons of Winter Night. So, I don’t actually need this book, but it’s cool to know they printed it in this format. It looks like it’s intended as a way for younger readers to have an easier time reading the usually lengthy books.

Wizard’s Betrayal says it’s volume two of The New Adventures, or Trinistyr Trilogy. Despite looking similar to the book mentioned above, this one is not a smaller divvied version of something else. So, I actually did needed a copy of this. I’ll find volume one of this trilogy some other time. It appears to be out of print, so I’ll have to poke around for some cheaper prices.

What is it?

A fantasy universe inspired by Dungeons & Dragons.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

I’ve seen the movie for this, but never read it. Books tend to be better, so I want to see how this one compares.

Apparently this is technically part of a series. It appears to be a stand alone novel, but it has a prequel book, Ogre Enchanted, that can be read on its own. There’s also an unofficial sequel called Fairest. I’m not sure if there are more, but these three can at least be read by themselves individually, so that’s good.

What is it?

A fairy tale retelling of Cinderella.

The Faelin Chronicles, Vol. 2 by C. Aubrey Hall

The Call of Eirian is the second book of The Faelin Chronicles trilogy. It looked interesting at a quick glance, so I grabbed it. I will have to get volume one, Crystal Bones, before I can start reading the series.

What is it?

A fantasy starring twins who are half-fae and half-human.

Gifted, Vol. 1 by Marilyn Kaye

Out of Sight, Out of Mind is volume one of the Gifted series. It’s a first volume, and it’s paranormal, so that was enough for me to grab it. Gifted appears to be a six book series.

What is it?

Sounds like a paranormal school setting involving supernatural powers.

House of Night, Vol 6, 7, & 8 by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

These volumes are (in order) Tempted, Burned, and Awakened. They are part of the House of Night series, which I have not yet read, but I’ve heard very good things about. I already have the first four books, so I didn’t see the harm in grabbing these three, since they were so cheap. If I get volume five, I have a significant buffer to find out if I like the series or not.

All three of these books are hardcover, but Awakened is missing the dust jacket, which actually isn’t that bad since the under-cover looks fine. I broke my own policy for these, because I figured it doesn’t matter if they are so cheap. Usually I wouldn’t buy hardcover books if I already started the series as paperbacks. Hopefully that won’t drive me up the wall later.

What is it?

A vampire fantasy.

Niebla, Vol. 1 by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

The Prince of Mist is volume one of the Niebla series, also known as Mist. It’s a trilogy, and I grabbed it as something to new to try. The description sounded interesting enough.

What is it?

Sounds like some kind of historical mystery, possibly involving a ghost.

The Osserian Saga, Vol. 2 & 3 by David Forbes

The Amber Wizard, volume one of this series, is in my June haul from last month. The series is a trilogy, so these two volumes complete the set. I have not read any of it, yet, but if I end up liking it, I now have all of it at my disposal.

Volume two: The Words of Making

Volume three: The Commanding Stone

What is it?

A fantasy series, probably involving magic.

The Princess Diaries, Vol. 6 by Meg Cabot

The Princess Diaries is a lengthy series that appears to be ongoing. I think it’s about twelve-ish volumes right now. I already have the first three for sure, but have not yet read them. This one is volume six, Princess in Training. I figured it couldn’t hurt to grab it for the low price just in case I like the series, less for me to have to worry about getting later.

What is it?

A coming of age story, I think, possibly with some romance.

Ranger’s Apprentice, Vol 2 by John Flanagan

The Burning Bridge is book two of the Ranger’s Apprentice series. This sixteen book series has been on my list for a while, and I already have the first volume, so when I saw the second one, I made sure to grab it. I don’t particularly need it right away, but it never hurts to have an extra volume or two to be able to read more of a series quickly.

The first volume, The Ruins of Gorlan, was in my End of 2022 haul.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

Rats of Nimh, Vol. 2 by Jane Leslie Conly

The first volume, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, was included back in my February haul. Rasco and the Rats of Nimh is volume two, and I just happened to find it. That gives me two out of three.

The first book is written by a different name than the other two. A quick google search tells me the sequels are written by the daughter of the original author. I’ve only read one series where another author took over, and I didn’t like that one, so this should be interesting.

Serafina, Vol. 2 by Robert Beatty

Serafina is a four volume series. Serafina and the Twisted Staff is volume two. The store did not have the first volume, but it was so cheap it was worth getting the second book first. When I get the first one later, I’ll have half the series to figure out if I like it.

The first volume is called Serafina and the Black Cloak.

What is it?

A middle grade historical fiction with fantasy and mystery elements.

Tomorrow Girls, Vol. 1, 2, & 4 by Eva Gray

These books have been on the shelf every time I’ve gone to the store. I debated on grabbing them a few times. Nobody else ever grabbed them, so I decided to go for it this time. The fact one and two are here gives me a bit to try, and if I decide I like the series, I can track down volume three. Apparently the series is only four books long, anyway.

The titles of these volumes are: 1 – Behind the Gates, 2 – Run for Cover, and 4 – Set Me Free.

What is it?

Some kind of dystopia.

Waterfire Saga, Vol. 2 by Jennifer Donnelly

Rogue Wave is volume two of the Waterfire Saga. The cover art for this book is pretty, so that’s what caught my attention. Waterfire is an interesting title for a series, so I’m curious to find out what it’s all about. The series is four books long.

The first book, which I will need to get to be able to start the series, is titled Deep Blue.

What is it?

A mermaid fantasy.

Light Novel and Manga Haul July 2023

About

I was expecting to barely have enough books to even do a manga haul this month. My self control obviously needs work.

The books in this haul are a mix of Amazon orders, new and used, and purchases from my local store.

Comics

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Rift

This is the fourth omnibus in the recommended reading order for the Avatar comics, at least as far as I know. I think this is the library edition. For most of the Avatar comics, the paperbacks seem to be the individuals, and the hardcovers tend to be the omnibus library editions.

What is it?

A comic omnibus of The Rift that continues the story from the TV show, Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Light Novels

The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong, Vol 1

This book is a danmei, which is a genre that is exploding in popularity right now. Danmei is essentially the Chinese equivalent to Boys Love. I generally love stories with BL couplings, so I got this book to try some danmei.

I specifically chose this one to try, because it’s rather short as a series. It only has four volumes in total. The series is a trilogy, with a fourth book that covers content for both past and future. So, if I like the series, it won’t be a huge commitment to finish it.

What is it?

From what I can tell, it’s a historical isekai BL romance.

Manga

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 8

The Apothecary Diaries is a fantastic series and I highly recommend it. The review for this volume is already available. Volume nine will release on August, 15th.

What is it?

A Chinese inspired historical mystery romance.

Flame of Recca, Vol. 18, 19, & 22

Flame of Recca is out of print, but I started my collection in middle school, so I want to finish it. The remaining volumes are higher in price, so they likely will not be seen in my hauls very frequently. I also will be purchasing them out of order from here on out, because it’ll be entirely based on what I find at reasonable prices based on availability.

What is it?

An action adventure featuring supernatural powers and magic items with a similar vibe to Yu Yu Hakusho.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 5

I love this series. I’m a little behind on the English releases, but I’m trying to catch up. My goal is to catch up to the current releases before I watch the anime. There’s still time before that airs.

At the time of this post, reviews for the first four volumes are available. Five should be up in the near future.

What is it?

A fantasy story about an Elf mage coming to terms with how long her lifespan is compared to those around her.

Inuyasha VIZBIG Edition, Vol. 5

I’ve already read the Inuyasha manga, but I’ve never had my own physical copies. I’m working on that with these editions. It’s not a high priority, though, so I won’t be getting them often. Reviews for this series will likely wait until I feel like doing a re-read, which will probably be a good while.

Recently, I’ve also started getting the sequel series, Yashahime. I haven’t read any of it, yet, but reviews for it will be up eventually.

What is it?

A Japanese time travel adventure romance with demons.

Noragami Omnibus, Vol. 6 (volumes 16-18)

I’m getting these as they release, and I have plenty to get started on whenever I feel like it. This series is one of the manga I’m looking forward to reading the most. I just haven’t found the right time to start it.

What is it?

An urban fantasy focused around gods and the spirit world.

Tail of the Moon, Vol. 15

This is the final volume of the Tail of the Moon series. It completes my collection, so after all these years, I can finally finish reading it. This series will be on the short list for manga I will be reading.

What is it?

A romance story about an incompetent ninja girl sent to woo Lord Hanzo.

Manga Haul July 2022

About Hauls:

I can’t guarantee I’ll always have a manga haul to post every month. If I don’t, it might be every two or three months. I want to be sure I’ll have at least four before considering it a haul. Hauls for regular novels will be posted separate from manga. Light novels will be included with manga. Pictures are not my strong suit, but I will try to get better at getting clearer images.

I don’t know what people usually say about their hauls. I’ll just put a personal touch on this, and go over what I got, and say something about it.

About this Manga Haul:

I love Skip Beat!. My collection started in high school when I got the first volume at a book fair for $2.50. I’ve fallen behind a bit, and I’m excited to get caught up on volumes (I think there are 46 right now, and no, these two volumes do not represent where I’m at in the series. I grabbed what I saw, so there’s a gap between volumes 35 and 43 on my shelf.). My plan is to re-read all of it from volume one to review and get caught up. I don’t have an ETA on that.

Spy x Family has been hugely popular. I haven’t read the first volume, yet, but I’ve seen volume two has been sold out in a lot of places for a while. With that in mind, I was motivated to grab it when I saw it. I look forward to starting this series.

The Apothecary Diaries…I was hooked on this after reading the first volume. My plan is to re-read from volume one, and keep up with releases and reviews for this series. I have 1-5( up to date) and will be making reviews for them soon. I would love for the light novel to get a physical release.
Update: Reviews for this series are now available Those mentioned here, and more. One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

I’ve been putting off Attack on Titan for a long time. The omnibus editions will be my go to for the series. Omnibus editions are a bit more expensive, so I won’t be buying them as often. This first one was about $5 off on sale, so it was a good time to grab it.