For the last 6 months, I have been OBSESSED with going to the library. Do I have a whopping great big bookshelf of books to read at home? Yes. Am I still going to library at least once a fortnight to pick up more books? Also yes. I just love our local library and since I’ve been reading non-fiction and YA non-stop recently, I know I can always rely on it for some books I probably wouldn’t have found.

So today I wanted to share a recent library book haul with you. This haul is from a month or so ago now so I’ve managed to get through a lot of these books at the time of writing, which is great because I can also provide you with some insight into what I thought of them as well. 

I’ve been doing SO much reading this year. According to Goodreads, I’m 7 books ahead of schedule to hit my goal of 30 before the end of the year, which is absolutely unheard of for me because I’m typically a pretty slow reader. I think there’s a few reasons for this:

  1. I’m finding more value in reading for my own mental health – therefore I’m reading more
  2. I’m only reading genres I’m REALLY enjoying in that moment and have become a more intuitive reader
  3. YA books are typically quicker to get through and easier to read and I’m reading a lot of YA right now

I’m just finding reading a HUGE joy at the moment and whilst I’ve always loved reading, there have certainly been times when it hasn’t been as high on my priorities list as it should be. Anyway, enough rambling, let’s show you some books!

So let’s dive into my recent library book haul:

Life Support: Diary of an ICU Doctor On the Frontline of the COVID Crisis by Jim Down 

I’m a big fan of medical fiction, I find it really fascinating and eye-opening and usually quite life-affirming. I picked up Life Support by Jim Down, thinking it would be quite a shocking read and whilst obviously it was awful to read some of the COVID stories he had to tell, nothing really surprised me. We all know the NHS struggled and the government are shit.

THUG (The Hate U Give) by Angie Thomas

I watched the movie of The Hate U Give twice in 24 hours a few years ago because I was so shocked and moved by it and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to pick the book up. At the time of writing, I’m currently reading this and around a third of the way through and it’s fantastic – but I suspected that.

Satellite by Nick Lake

I’ve not long read Nowhere On Earth by Nick Lake so I was interested to read some more of his work although I haven’t read this one yet because quite honestly, I’m a bit thrown by the size of it! Satellie is a CHONKY book and I’m pretty overwhelmed by long books but hopefully I pluck up the courage for this soon!

The Prison Doctor: Women Inside by Amanda Brown

The Prison Doctor was alright. Not great, by no means awful, just alright. I honestly thought the insight into a Women’s prison would be a lot more interesting than how Brown made it sound. Of course there were some real eye-opening stories and awful things some of these Women went through but a vast majority of this book was talking about drugs and the drug problems that inmates face.

What’s A Girl Gotta Do? by Holly Bourne

I haven’t read this yet but I’ve only just noticed, since looking on Goodreads, that What’s a Girl Gotta Do? is book number 3 in a series. If this can be read as a standalone, I’ll definitely give it a go but if not, back to the library it goes!

When the World Was Ours by Liz Kessler

This book was absolutely heartbreaking. Such an incredible read, especially once you know that When the World Was Ours was based on the true events which happened to the authors Grandfather during World War 2. An exceptionally moving read – probably one of my favourites of the year.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

I’d heard NON-STOP great things about Clap When You Land before I picked it up so I needed to see what all the fuss was about and I didn’t even realize it was written in verse until I opened it. I did really like this book, although apart from the *main event* that happens, I don’t feel like much else really did. Although it was beautifully written and a wonderful insight into the difference of the two girls lives.

You Are the Universe by Deepak Chopra

I gave up on You Are the Universe after 2 chapters. Anything that goes on about the theory of relativity THAT MUCH is an instant no from me. It felt like trying to sift through a college physics textbook. Which is a shame because I loved the concept from the outside but it’s far too scientific for your average mind – like me.

The War on Women by Sue Lloyd-Roberts

The War on Women is a FANTATSIC read. Sue Lloyd-Roberts was an incredible woman, taking herself to places some people would never dream of going, to research and bring light to some of the worst things imaginable that happen to women around the globe. I’d put a VERY HEAVY trigger warning on this book but an excellent read if you’re able to.

As you can see, all of the books I’ve been picking up in my recent library book hauls have been non-fiction and YA fiction. Most of them I’ve enjoyed but there’s always going to be a few hit or misses. If you fancy delving into any more of my book content, here are a few posts I’d recommend:

Now it’s over to you! Have you read any of the books featured in this post? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you go to the library often?

70 Comments

  1. That’s a good selection of books! I’ve never actually thought about visiting the Library for a really long time – probably because books are so accessible these days. But there is something nice about going to the Library so I’ll revisit 😊I like the sound of When The World Was Ours. Thanks for sharing.

    Jade http://www.mumlifeand.me

  2. Since moving I haven’t been to the local library or got a library card but this has inspired me to do exactly that this week! Needing another way to save some extra cash.

  3. Love the sound of the COVID ward book because I would be curious to hear some of the stories, absolutely the government really made a pigs ear of the whole situation.

    I love a good prison/crime thriller such as a Martina Cole book.

    Another reason to get my head back into a book!

  4. Oh I loved Satellite so much! I hope you love it too, it is long but being YA once you get into the story it’s such a quick read and it doesn’t feel as long as it is!

  5. I’m glad there were some great reads in this pile! I love the sound of You Are the Universe but I also don’t like books that sound too text book-y so I’ll be skipping that one. Thank you for sharing and for the recommendations!

  6. I’m absolutely loving the sound of these books, especially the ICU Doctor one! I’m really getting into reading so I’ll for sure be checking these books out. Thank you so much for sharing with us lovely. Great post Xo

    Elle – ellegracedeveson.com

  7. I adored the Prison Doctor! Bought it on Kindle a while ago and read it in basically a few days. After reading ‘This is going to hurt’ I took a fascination in all things to do with doctors and their lives on the front line. But that particular book had a few hard hitting moments in it. While prison can be brutal, there were chapters and paragraphs that humanised the prisoners.

    1. Yes I totally agree. I wish I enjoyed The Prison Doctor a bit more than I did. It was eye opening though. If you need any recommendations of medical-themed non-fiction, let me know. I’ve read a LOT.

  8. Oh I will have to check these books out! I haven’t read any of them before. Thanks so much for sharing them!

  9. Ooh I love this! I definitely need to make more use of my local library. THUG is on my tbr so I’m really glad you’re enjoying it so far and I read What’s A Girl Gotta Do? a couple of years ago and loved it – if I remember correctly it has a couple of references to the previous books but would still make sense without reading them, although I would check that as it’s been a while haha! Thank you so much for sharing x

    1. THUG is fantastic. Hope you enjoy that one! I didn’t actually end up reading What’s A Girl Gotta Do because I heard it’s more meaningful if you’ve read the others, so I might have to go and find the others!

  10. These books sound amazing. I have wanted to read The Hate U Give for a while now. Going to check out the other books. Thank you for sharing.

  11. Impressive that you can find so many good books you like in the library. I read tonnes but my fast books are Mills & Boon romances. They get me back on track with my Goodreads list if I get behind.

  12. That’s wonderful Jenny! I’m so happy you’ve discovered the joy of reading! I’m a huge fan of medical fiction too and I appreciated reading about Life Support.

  13. I have read ‘The Hate You Give’ and it was so good I went on to read all the other works by Angie Thomas. I like the sound of ‘You Are The Universe’ so that’s going on my reading list! You’ve had a really great library haul!

  14. Amazing titles, Jenny! I always enjoy reading your posts and I loved this one too! When The World Was Ours seems very interesting, I know I’d cry when I read it but I’ll definitely check that one. Thank you so much for sharing and happy reading x Penny | http://www.whatdidshetype.com

  15. I’ve been contemplating watching and reading The Hate U Give. I’m just going to do it because you said you watched it twice and said it’s fantastic. This is a great list! The reason I like reading is because it improves my vocabulary and it’s also good for my mental health. Thanks for sharing x

  16. I envy your reading list! I have been struggling to read for sometime now. Even when I have time off I just can’t focus on long texts and end up frustrated and stop. Loved reading your thoughts and they sound interesting.

  17. Reading does my mental health the world of good!
    Hadn’t heard of life support so will be checking that out and I love Holly Bourne’s books.
    Fun fact my husband was interviewed by Sue Lloyd Roberts as a teenager 😂

  18. I’m a notoriously slow reader! Sone of these sound great though. I’m really interested in the hate u give, I’ve not actually heard of it before! I’ll try and find the movie first though I reckon as I’m so slow at reading haha. X

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