3 Books I Bought with my Birthday Gift Card

I just had a birthday- March 1st! I was lucky enough to score some gift cards to buy books. Here’s what I’ve picked so far…

If Cats Disappeared from the World, Genki Kawamura; translated by Eric Selland

Our narrator’s days are numbered. Estranged from his family, living alone with only his cat Cabbage for company, he was unprepared for the doctor’s diagnosis that he has only months to live. But before he can set about tackling his bucket list, the Devil appears with a special offer: in exchange for making one thing in the world disappear, he can have one extra day of life. And so begins a very bizarre week . . .

This is a small little novella that caught my eye with the title. I decided to buy it after reading the synopsis. Believe it or not, the topic of the end of your life has been on my mind recently so I’m hoping this will be a reflective read.

Painted Devils, Margaret Owen

Let’s get one thing straight—Vanja Schmidt wasn’t trying to start a cult. After taking down a corrupt margrave, breaking a deadly curse, and finding romance with the vexingly scrupulous Junior Prefect Emeric Conrad, Vanja had one great mystery left: her long-lost birth family… and if they would welcome a thief. But in her search for an honest trade, she hit trouble and invented a god, the Scarlet Maiden, to scam her way out. Now, that lie is growing out of control—especially when Emeric arrives to investigate, and the Scarlet Maiden manifests to claim him as a virgin sacrifice.

This is the second book in the Little Thieves series. I absolutely loved the first book so I think it’s high time that I read this one. I’m cautiously optimistic that I’ll love this one just as much. Painted Devils follows different characters and even though I was honestly hoping to have more from the original characters, I’m excited to see what this one brings.

The God of the Woods, Liz Moore

Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.

I’m finally giving in to my curiosity about this book. There’s been a lot of hype surrounding this book and it won a Goodreads Award this year. Initially I wasn’t really interested in it, but the more reviews I read, the more I need to read it for myself.

I have a little bit of money left on my gift cards. What other books would you suggest I buy?