Stacking The Shelves #83

This feature is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews.

Well, this is what happens when I move this feature to once a month and in that month Harper does multiple e-galley drops onto Edelweiss.

I end up with just about 50 books.

Granted, not all of them were review books, but 27 of them were. 23 from Edelweiss, 4 from NetGalley, I got an e-galley of a book for a blog tour, I got an e-galley of a book for an upcoming Sunday Street Team event. 12 were library books. I bought 5 books. One was a trade & three were from my Secret Sister.

Bought


Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J. Maas
Far From You by Tess Sharpe
The Revenge Playbook by Rachael Allen
Nearly Gone (Nearly Gone #1) by Elle Cosimano
The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich

Received for Review
-Edelweiss-








Ten Thousand Skies Above You (Firebird #2) by Claudia Gray
Dreamland by Robert L. Anderson
Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor
The May Queen Murders by Sarah Jude
Flamecaster (The Shattered Realms #1) by Cinda Williams Chima
The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig
Dreamology by Lucy Keating
Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan
Assassin’s Heart by Sarah Ahiers
The Shadow Queen (Ravenspire #1) by C. J. Redwine
Harmony House by Nic Sheff
Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace
The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins
The Mirror King (The Orphan Queen #2) by Jodi Meadows
Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto
Seven Black Diamonds by Melissa Marr (No cover yet)
The Leaving Season by Cat Jordan
Other Broken Things by Christa Desir
Consent by Nancy Ohlin
Shade Me (Nikki Kill #1) by Jennifer Brown
Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin
This Is Where the World Ends by Amy Zhang
Thicker Than Water by Kelly Fiore

-NetGalley-


Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
Menagerie (Menagerie #1) by Rachel Vincent
These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly
Placebo Junkies by J. C. Carleson

Blog Tour

The Body Institute by Carol Riggs

Sunday Street Team

Dreamstrider by Lindsay Smith

Library




Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky
When We Wake (When We Wake #1) by Karen Healey
When We Run (When We Wake #2) by Karen Healey
More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Joyride by Anna Banks
Return to the Dark House (Welcome to the Dark House #2) by Laurie Faria Stolarz
Our Brothers at the Bottom of the Bottom of the Sea by Johnathan David Kranz
The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick
The Accident Season by Maria Fowley Doyle
Rebel Mechanics (Rebel Mechanics #1) by Shanna Swendson
Time After Time (Time Between Us #2) by Tamara Ireland Stone

Gifted

Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally
Biggest Flirts (Superlatives #1) by Jennifer Echols
Eve (Eve #1) by Anna Carey

Received via trade

The Secret Diamond Sisters (The Secret Diamond Sisters #1)

Thank you to everyone who helped make this haul so big. If you’ve read any of these books or if you plan to, please let me know.

Last Ten Books That Came Into My Possession

This feature is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

I have added several books to my shelves recently. I added a few library books to my shelves as well, so those will hang around for only a few weeks.

Go forth and check out the books I added this week!

Library Books


Becoming Jinn (Becoming Jinn #1) by Lori Goldstein
-I’ve heard both good and bad things about this book, but I’m head over heels in love with the cover-
Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan
-I’ve heard mostly good things about this book, and it definitely looks like something I’ll love-
Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
-My FAVORITE Sarah Dessen book. So, so, SO good!-
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
-I had my eye on this book before, but it was Corey Ann Haydu’s vehement insistence that I read this book, that won me over-

Review Books

The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jan Bennett
-I’m very hopeful for this book. It looks like something I’ll enjoy-
The Sister Pact by Stacie Ramey
-Suicide pact + sister books! Eeeeeep! Things that I love. I have high hopes for this book-

Gifted

The Half Life of Molly Pierce by Katrina Leno
-One of my FAVORITE books of 2014. A million thank yous to my Secret Sister for sending it to me-

Bought

Under the Lights (Daylight Falls #2) by Dahlia Adler
-I am so excited to read this book. I’m in LOVE with that cover-
Paperweight by Meg Haston
-One of my favorite books of 2015. It was utterly gorgeous & I needed a finished copy-
The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles #2) by Mary E. Pearson
-I fell in love with The Kiss of Deception and I knew I needed to pre-order The Heart of Betrayal-

Let me know if you added any of the same books on your list this week. Also don’t forget to leave the links to your post in the comments below.

Waiting on Wednesday #11

This feature is hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine. It’s a way to showcase upcoming books that we’re excited about.

My Pick

Book Link

Synopsis

Game of Thrones meets Ocean’s Eleven in this brand-book in the world of the Grisha by New York Times-bestselling author Leigh Bardugo.

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone…

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums. 

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes. 

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

My Thoughts

I have not finished The Grisha Trilogy yet, but I do have all three books. I am really excited that Bardugo is doing another series in the same world. I am really excited to see how it all plays out. Plus, look at that COVER? I’m obsessed with covers and this one is awesome in it’s simplicity. September cannot get here fast enough.

Review: NIL (NIL #1) by Lynne Matson

Book Title: NIL

Author: Lynne Matson

Published Date: March 4th, 2014

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.

Genre: YA/Science Fiction

Series: Book One in NIL trilogy.

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

On the mysterious island of Nil, the rules are set. You have one year. Exactly 365 days–to escape, or you die.

Seventeen-year-old Charley doesn’t know the rules. She doesn’t even know where she is. The last thing she remembers is blacking out, and when she wakes up, she’s lying naked in an empty rock field.

Lost and alone, Charley finds no sign of other people until she meets Thad, the gorgeous leader of a clan of teenage refugees. Soon Charley learns that leaving the island is harder than she thought . . . and so is falling in love. With Thad’s time running out, Charley realizes that to save their future, Charley must first save him. And on an island rife with dangers, their greatest threat is time.

Disclaimer: I own this book.

Review:

I honestly had no idea what to expect with this book. I had really high hopes for it, but wasn’t sure if it would deliver. And for a little while, I wasn’t sure it would. It was a bit slow in the beginning, which worried me. But by the time I reached page 80, it had picked up and I was captivated by the story. Plus, if it’s going to be compared to my all time favorite TV show, LOST, then the chances are pretty high that I’ll fall in love with it.

I had a hard time trying to figure out what genre I’d put this book in. It was obviously YA, but there were several sub-genres that I could have put it in. There was romance, there were paranormal elements and there was science fiction. In some ways, I find these kind of books the most compelling because there are multiple elements involved and they each do their part to tell the story.

Even though Charley & Thad were considered the main characters, I really loved Natalie. She was so vulnerable, so realistic. I loved how she trusted Thad and Charley despite all of the craziness going on. She cared about all of NIL’s inhabitants. She had a good heart, a caring heart.

NIL itself was interesting. Not only was it an island but it also seemed to be personified. I’d never seen this in a book before, so that was captivating. Was NIL also a person or was she seemingly personified because of the mental health of all the inhabitants.

“To NIL we come, from NIL, some go, and some like me, will stay. The clock winds down, our time runs out, and NIL will have her way.”

That is probably the creepiest song I’ve ever heard. Legitimate shivers. Not a lot was said about Ramia, but I was so, so curious about her. I actually had some theories about her and her connection to NIL. I probably spent a bit too much time thinking about her and her possible connection to NIL.

Now Charley & Thad. I understand that a lot of people were a bit iffy on how quickly things developed between them, but this wasn’t typical life. They were on an island for goodness sakes. It’s not like they had a million other life things to attend to, Yeah they were off searching for gates and even newcomers, but there was more time to develop a relationship. I liked them together, I rooted for them to get together and that is a great feeling to be able to do.

“You’re right, Charley. NIL does change the way you see things. NIL makes everything more clear. What’s important, what matters. And for me, that’s you.”

This book stressed me out completely. I can’t exactly say why it did, as it could be considered very spoilery, and I really don’t want to ruin it for others. But, I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it. I am giving it 5 stars and I cannot wait to read NIL Unlocked, which I’ll be starting ASAP.

Stacking the Shelves #68

This feature is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews.

This week was a light week for me. I added three books to my shelves and they were books I won from a giveaway. Super excited about all three of these books and since they are May releases, I hope to have reviews up for them soon. I also added one review book to the pile. Thankfully it’s a July release so I won’t read it for awhile.

I’ve been reading a lot quicker this week, and I think I can safely say that my reading slump is over. Thank goodness!

Check out what I added to my shelves this week.

Received for Review
-NetGalley-

Damage Done by Amanda Panitch

Won

NIL Unlocked (NIL #2) by Lynne Matson
The Fill In Boyfriend by Kasie West
Heat of the Moment (Moment of Truth #1) by Lauren Barnholdt

I hope everyone has an awesome week!

Review: I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

Book Title: I’ll Meet You There 

Author: Heather Demetrios

Publish Date: February 3rd, 2015

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.

Genre: YA Contemporary

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. 

Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper.

Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

I didn’t know what to expect with this book. I’d heard from trusted bloggers that it was a beautiful book, chock full of feels. I was definitely excited to be approved for this book, but I was also a bit nervous. It was getting some major early buzz among my fellow bloggers and I could only hope that I wouldn’t be the black sheep for this book.

I absolutely love damaged characters. I know that may sound weird, but reading about flawed characters makes me happy because no one is perfect. Everyone has a flaw or an imperfection and having characters in books that are flawed is so, SO much more realistic.

I really liked Skylar a lot. She was so determined to make something of herself. She wanted to get out of the life she currently had. She was also extremely close to her mother which I totally understood as my mom and I have always been very close. So, I understood her instinct to protect her mom and try to get her mom back to the land of the living again when she lost her job. I understood Skylar’s fear of leaving her mom the way she was. It was really hard to read sometimes, but I had fallen in love with this story.

“I hate to break it to you, but your mom is an adult woman. How many times are you just gonna drop everything when she loses her shit?”

I understood this feeling as well. I kept hoping that Skylar wouldn’t allow her mother’s downward spiral to affect her. I was so afraid that Skylar would forget all about her own dreams and stay in Creek View. Skylar had put so much pressure on herself that she had lost some of herself as well.

Yet there was still one thing that hadn’t let her down. Pools. She loved to swim or even to just be in the water in some capacity. Swimming brought her peace, even if everything in the world was crashing down around her.

“Pools didn’t get you pregnant, and they didn’t die on you.Who needed anything more?”

Now, Josh Mitchell was hot. Normally I don’t go for military types, but there was more to him than just the military. Yes, he had a bit of a colorful past in Creek View. Before he joined the military, he’d had a bit of a promiscuous past.

“Yes Josh, everyone in Creek View is well aware of your sexcapades.”

When he returned from the military, missing a leg, he was different. He was hurting both physically and emotionally. He and Skylar had known each other for a long time, but it wasn’t until this summer that they begin working together at the quirky motel by the name of Paradise.

It was their trips to Dairy Queen that really sealed it for me. I could feel things changing between them and I remember hoping that Skylar’s growing feelings for Josh would not change her college plans. I had seen too many girls change their plans for a guy and that made me nervous. I loved the outrageous combinations they came up with. Josh’s was pineapple & Snickers and Skylar’s was Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and mint. That definitely added to the quirky-ness of this book.

“I’m fucking crazy about you!”

I loved the ending so much. I think I cried a small river by the time the book was over, and I was definitely sad when the book ended. Demetrios rocked this story and I’m excited to read her other books. I’m giving this book 4.5 stars. I wish I could give it the full 5 stars, and I’m honestly not sure why I can’t. Everyone needs to read this book.

Stacking the Shelves #65

This feature comes from Tynga’s Reviews.

Hi guys, I know I haven’t done a haul post in awhile. In the past few weeks, I received several e-ARCs, from both Edelweiss & NetGalley. I also received a physical ARC from Bloomsbury.

I also got my Book Outlet order finally. I made the order on the day after Black Friday, and they were very backed up. 

I received my TBTBSanta package as well this month and it had so many awesome goodies. I received The Assassin’s Blade, Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight & Heir of Fire, all of them in glorious hard-back, so thank you bunches, Emily!

 I also received my OTSPSecretSister package and in it was a signed copy of The Young Elites. This surprise came a few days after making the arrangements with another blogger, Alexa, to get yet another copy of The Young Elites. So now I have TWO copies of The Young Elites. Since I loved this book so much, I’m thrilled to have 2 copies of it. 

Let’s see what landed on my shelves recently.

Bought

All These Lives by Sarah Wylie
You Look Different In Real Life by Jennifer Castle

 

How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer
Anomaly (Anomaly #1) by Krista McGee

 

Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer

Everneath (Everneath #1) by Brodi Ashton

Everbound (Everneath #2) by Brodi Ashton
Evertrue (Everneath #3) by Brodi Ashton

The Brokenhearted (The Brokenhearted #1) by Amelia Kahaney
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Ashes to Ashes (Ashes to Ashes #1) by Melissa Walker
Olivia Twisted by Vivi Barnes

The Adoration of Jenna Fox (Jenna Fox Chronicles #1) by Mary E. Pearson
The Fox Inheritance (Jenna Fox Chronicles #2) by Mary E. Pearson

 

Fox Forever (Jenna Fox Chronicles #3) by Mary E. Pearson
Dear Killer by Katherine Ewell

Received for Review

-Edelweiss-

Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway
The Cage (The Cage #1) by Megan Shepherd

Paperweight by Meg Haston

Tiny Pretty Things by Sonia Charaiportra & Dhonielle Clayton

The Revenge Playbook by Rachael Allen
The Replaced (The Taking #2) by Kimberly Derting

-From the Publisher-

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses1 #1) by Sarah J. Maas

-Netgalley-

One of the Guys by Lisa Aldin

Gifted

The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1) by Marie Lu

The Assassin’s Blade (Throne of Glass #0.1-0.5) by Sarah J. Maas
Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas
Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas

1Let me know if you’ve read any of these or if you are planning to. Don’t forget to leave the links to your posts, in the comments section.

Review: Alex As Well by Alyssa Brugman

Book Title: Alex As Well

Author: Alyssa Brugman

Published Date: January 20th, 2015

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.

Genre: YA Contemporary 

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Alex is ready for things to change, in a big way. Everyone seems to think she’s a boy, but for Alex the whole boy/girl thing isn’t as simple as either/or, and when she decides girl is closer to the truth, no one knows how to react, least of all her parents. Undeterred, Alex begins to create a new identity for herself: ditching one school, enrolling in another, and throwing out most of her clothes. But the other Alex—the boy Alex—has a lot to say about that. Heartbreaking and droll in equal measures, Alex As Well is a brilliantly told story of exploring gender and sexuality, navigating friendships, and finding a place to belong.

Disclaimer: I got this e-ARC from Henry Holt & Co. via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

I was really, really excited about this book and I had high hopes for it, but I ended up being really ambivalent to it which really disappointed me. I wasn’t sure if this would be a straight up transgender story or if it was due to a congenital issue. I could never imagine feeling like I was born in the wrong body so I knew I wouldn’t be able to relate to Alex the way others could, but I really wanted to see how it turned out for him.

Her parents really were crappy. I know it probably wasn’t easy for them when Alex began dressing in women’s clothes and professing that he was a girl, but instead of working to support what their child wanted, they were holding on to the boy that he was made into as an infant. I so wanted his parents to get over it and embrace the child that they did have.

The best part of the book was Alex herself. She was equal parts awesome and brave. She was going through so much and it hurt me that she had no one else she could talk to about this. Belonging is such a big deal, especially in cases like this, and Alex definitely struggled with the desire to belong. She didn’t feel like she belonged anywhere and it was difficult for me to read about that, because I too struggled with not really belonging anywhere.

I am pretty ambivalent about this book. I didn’t love it, but I also didn’t hate it. Unfortunately Alex was not enough for me to enjoy the book. So I’m giving it 3 stars. I think I would recommend it though, as it was an important read for many reasons.

Review: The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles #1) by Mary E. Pearson

Book Title: The Kiss of Deception

Author: Mary E. Pearson

Published Date: July 8th, 2014

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.

Genre: YA Fantasy

Series: Book One in The Remnant Chronicles series

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble 

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A princess must find her place in a reborn world.

She flees on her wedding day.

She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor’s secret collection.

She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.

She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.

The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can’t abide. Like having to marry someone she’s never met to secure a political alliance.

Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.

Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC from Henry Holt & Co. via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

Despite starting off very slowly, The Kiss of Deception ended up being one heck of an epic fantasy read. It surpassed all of my expectations and I was excited every single time I got to pick it back up again. I didn’t want to stop reading even though my eyes kept closing late at night. Yes it was a long book, but it was so fascinating that I barely noticed the length.

At first, I was worried that I wasn’t going to like it much and it was mostly because it has started off slowly. I normally don’t love books that take awhile to really unfold, but I had spoken to several fellow bloggers who loved this book and who pushed me to be patient with this book. So thank you to those bloggers who wouldn’t let me give up on this book.

Lia is an absolute badass, and she is definitely one of my new favorite female characters. She’s strong, devoted to those she loves, especially Walther, her brother. Honor and duty and tradition are just some of the words that Lia has grown to hate and it’s also those words that drive her to disappear on the day she is to be wed.

She finds herself at a distant village where she met Berdi & Gwynneth. I loved both of these ladies and I loved how they were there for both Lia, and Lia’s best friend, Pauline who had come to this village with Lia. Berdi was the mom Lia really needed and Gywnneth was that friend that everyone needs.

Soon after Lia and Pauline arrive at the village, two handsome strangers also arrived. Unbeknownst to everyone, including Lia, one of these men is the jilted prince and the other one is the assassin Lia’s father hired to kill her. These handsome strangers slip into life in the village, helping Berdi and the rest of the group.

Things just sort of unfold from there and we are introduced to so many characters, including Rafe and Kaden, one of which is the prince, the other is the assassin. I kept trying to guess who was who and I kept failing miserably. This is a love triangle, but it’s really hard because both of these boys end up being quite swoon-worthy and so that’s only one of the reasons I choose to stay firmly on Team Lia.

The world building was glorious and I loved it so much. It was captivating and it drew me in, in a way that I wasn’t expecting. I expect a lot from my fantasy books and The Kiss of Deception absolutely delivered in a big way. I am giving this book 5 stars and I eagerly await book two in this series.

Stacking the Shelves #62

This feature is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews.

 Hi guys! This week was very unexpected in terms of books. I got two books from Edelweiss, one from NetGalley, and one from the author and a stack of library books. Now some of these library books I had as e-ARCs but for some reason, I could not get into them. So I decided to try and read the physical copies. Hopefully that helps.

On Wednesday, I got a package from my Secret Sister, and man did she outdo herself this month. If you are reading this, Secret Sister, thank you so much for being awesome and making my week.

Let’s see what’s on my shelf this week.

Books for Review

-From the Author-

Death By Autopsy: A Toni Day Mystery by Jane Bennett Munro

-Edelweiss-

The Bargaining by Carly Anne West
Dancing With Molly by Lena Horowitz

-NetGalley-

The Forgetting by Nicole Maggi

Library

The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles #1) by Mary E. Pearson

The Waking Dark by Robin Wasserman

Dissonance (Dissonance #1) by Erica O’Rourke

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Diamonds in the Rough (The Secret Diamond Sisters #2) by Michelle Madow

Welcome to the Dark House (Welcome to the Dark House #1) by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Gifted

The Devil You Know by Trish Doller
(Personalized!)

As always, don’t forget to let me know if you’ve read any of these and what you thought of them. Leave me the links to your haul posts if you did one this week. Hope you all have a great book-filled week!