#BlogSeries: End of World Books with Zoé @ZooLoo2008 #EndOfWorldBooks #GuestPost

I absolutely love my Sundays, before they were just a part one of the Monday feels but now they’ve become End Of World Sundays… Can I claim that? Well I’m claiming it. Last week we had the wonder that is Bella attend this closet in which I read to tell us about the five books that she’d take to the end of the world with her and yet again my mind was opened to the books that I have not yet encountered. I need all the books! You can check out Bella’s post here.

Today I get to welcome another shinny blogging star, the ZooRoo to my Davo, Zoé who blogs over at ZooLoo’s Book Diary, is here to (cheat on her End of World Books) tell us what five books she’s pack in her apocalyptic luggage. Yes Laurence Westwood, I am shaking my head in disappointment with you. Another book cheat! If you’re not following ZooRoo on Twitter you should, you can find her Tweetiness at @ZooLoo2008.

As always, if any of the books tickle your reader’s pickle, I have linked where you can purchase them but remember you can always request at your local library. *Drumroll* without further ado over to ZooLoo!

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So, first off I googled this to make sure you could get all three books in one bound book and thank god you can!! My first choice is:

Drumbeats Trilogy by Julia Ibbotson.

I jumped into these late as part of a blog tour as a favour really.

It’s 1965 and 18 year old Jess escapes her stifling English background for a gap year in Ghana, West Africa. Over the next three evocative novels, follow her journey as she encounters new cultures and loves in this stirring series.

The Drumbeats Trilogy is a passionate saga of love, betrayal and second chances – and of one woman’s bid to reclaim her self-belief and trust. A feel-good up-lit story of a woman’s strength and spirit rising above adversity.

My god, I am glad I did. These three books were absolutely amazing, outside my normal types of books, these are breath-taking. A story of Jess, flying out to Ghana to teach children English. Her story spans over the three books as we watch Jess experience everything in life. I buddy read this Kerry @ Herding Cats and we were both going crazy at certain bits. It broke me, it made me smile and it basically is just beautiful. I have no words to explain how much I loved these books and these would definitely be my first go-to books.

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So cheating again, but I saw Kelly had a similar idea as me – (D: bloody Kelly)

The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy with The Hobbit by J.. R. R. Tolkien (Promise it’s a thing)

Immerse yourself in Middle-earth with Tolkien’s classic masterpiece, telling the complete story of Bilbo Baggins and the Hobbits’ epic encounters with Gandalf, Gollum, dragons and monsters, in the quest to destroy the One Ring.

These are one of my all-time favourite books and films! I was gutted when they cut out a lot from the books as there is so much more, I got over it quickly. These books are just simply amazing. I love losing myself in middle-earth, I love following the fellowship through all the turbulence they find themselves in. The adventurer in me loves leaving everything behind and going off to Rivendell and seeing the elves. I would be happy to do a Bilbo and see the end of my days there….if Legolas stays too. Ahem.

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Ok, it would be completely rude to not include my book of the year 2018 really! My third (8th) book would be The Lion Tamer Who Lost by Louise Beech.

Be careful what you wish for…
Long ago, Andrew made a childhood wish, and kept it in a silver box. When it finally comes true, he wishes he hadn’t…

Long ago, Ben made a promise and he had a dream: to travel to Africa to volunteer at a lion reserve. When he finally makes it, it isn’t for the reasons he imagined…

Ben and Andrew keep meeting in unexpected places, and the intense relationship that develops seems to be guided by fate. Or is it? What if the very thing that draws them together is tainted by past secrets that threaten everything?

A dark, consuming drama that shifts from Zimbabwe to England, and then back into the past, The Lion Tamer Who Lost is also a devastatingly beautiful love story, with a tragic heart…

If you read my review for this last year you would see how broken I was after this book. I was and still, am at a loss at how beautiful and emotional this book truly is. Andrew and Ben’s story is such that tissue warnings should be issued with this book. I don’t mean a couple, I mean buy a pack of 24 toilet paper and you might have some left when you are done. I was crying that much my mini-me was worried, got me a tissue and told me everything would be ok! Gah, I am getting choked up thinking about it now…..

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Moving on to the darker side of my passion with books now, and that would have the runner up for book of the year by mere millimetres!

The Siren and The Specter by Jonathan Janz.

When David Caine, a celebrated skeptic of the supernatural, is invited by an old friend to spend a month in the most haunted house in Virginia, he believes the case will be like any other. But the Alexander House is different.

Built by a 1700s land baron to contain the madness and depravity of his eldest son, the house is plagued by shadows of the past and the lingering taint of bloodshed. David is haunted, as well. For twenty-two years ago, he turned away the woman he loved, and she took her life in sorrow.

And David suspects she s followed him to the Alexander House.

This book gave me chills!!!! It was blinking fabulous!!! I was completely creeped out reading this, although to be fair I did read these late at night in bed….so maybe my own fault. But being home alone, when mini-me was asleep, reading this book, listening to every single noise in the house. Well, I really did myself no favours whatsoever. Probably not the best book to have if the world ended as I would so totally freak myself out with it, butttttttttt it would so be worth it.

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Now the final choice….wow this is a toughie! Can I not just say my kindle, because like you know it is ONE huge book??? No? Cheating you say? Hmmm………ok what I will do is give honourable mentions….so I have to include Him by Claire Empson, The Nightmare Girl by Jonathan Janz, Sweetpea by C.J. Skuse, The Anniversary by Hilary Boyd and finally And there were none by Agatha Christie.

My final choice would be Angelica Stone by Susi Osborne.

Following years of sexual abuse and resulting psychological trauma, Angelica Stone has learnt to rely solely on herself. Unwilling to allow anyone to get close to her, Angelica is reluctant to allow her work colleague Lola into her life. Lola, in contrast to the damaged Angelica, is from what appears to be a happy middle-class family. But all is not what it seems. An unlikely bond is formed between the two as they learn more about eachother. As they become closer, a series of life-changing events leave Lola on the verge of ruin. Will the friends be able to better themselves and have the lives they so desperately want? Or will they succumb to the expectations and the path already laid out for them? Angelica Stone follows both characters in their own journey of self-discovery. This close and in-depth look into the lives of Angelica and Lola will see the reader laugh and cry as the two women learn about themselves and the invaluable friendship they have.

When reading the blurb, you have an idea where you think the story might go but what I discovered was yet another book that wanted to crush my soul and torment me. I cried a lot, I found it tough to read but I absolutely adored it. Two girls from opposite ends of life and they are joined so far more than we could ever imagine. Oh my days just thinking about it brings back all the emotions!!!

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So there you have it folks, thanks to Zoe for sharing the five books that she would bundle up like children and trudge across the land to the safe place bloggers and readers meet in an apocalyptic event! It’ll be like a quiet, beautiful Belle town… a girl can dream, right?

I think, this is the last End of World Books post for a while, with #Orentober fast approaching, I’ll be concentrating on that (send coffee and cake, I’ll settle for carrot sticks). There’ll be some author EOWB posts and a publisher version coming soon, keep your eyes peeled!