Stacking the Shelves 39

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, every Weekend. This is to share books I have acquired from various sources. Physical books & ebooks both are welcome. If its something being sent to me by mail, I will not mention it until I actually receive it. 

 

 

 

 So I went a little overboard this week on books. I requested a few too many from netgalley recently and was approved. Plus a few extra sends and requests from authors.  Some actually were approved at the end of last week but I didn't get the chance to add them.  Plus new manga for review was available.... and I also won/recieved 2 books for review from Goodreads.  So I will be quite busy for awhile...

 

 On top of that, I was given a bunch of books belonging from family.   So I haves about 2 boxes of books to add to my shelf.  I was hoping to take pictures but just don't have a space to lay them out right now.  Our house is packed trying to organize a large yard sale.   So sorry to say, these will not be shared beyond this paragraph.  They will just quietly be cataloged and go straight to my shelves (or back in a box as my shelves don't have much space left)

My time is also a bit short this week so I am not posting summaries to go with the covers.  Sorry.  On top of the sale, our dog was recently diagnosed with having floating patellas (kneecaps).  What makes it sad is he is not even 1 year old yet.  Also very rare for large breed dog  and due to his size will likely cause more damage to his knees and hips over time.  So even though he is young we now have to discuss arthritis meds, joint meds, and possible surgery.  So, all in all making this a long week with little time to put any energy into the blog.  I ask your forgiveness for lacking in content both on this post and in general this week.

Anyways, on with the new  covers I have on my shelves! 

♥  ♦  ♣  ♠ 

For Review

Shadowman by Erin Kellison (Review)

 

 

Shadow:  The Shadowman (3)

By Erin Kellison

 

 

Genre: Paranormal, Romance

Published: Sept 2011

Pages: 356

Published by Kensington Books

 

 

 

This is the third installment for Erin Kellison's Shadow series.  Summary and reviews for her previous books are available

Book 1: Shadow Bound

Book 2: Shadow Fall

Summary: 

Ghosts
They haunt the halls of the Segue Institute, terrifying the living, refusing to cross over. But one soul is driven by a very different force.

Love
It survives even death. And Kathleen O'Brien swore she would return to those she was forced to leave too soon.

Shadowman
He broke every rule to have her in life; now he will defy the angels to find her in death.

The Gate
Forging it is his single hope of being reunited with his beloved, but through it an abomination enters the world. Leaving a trail of blood and violence, the devil hunts her too. Pursued through realms of bright fantasy and dark reality, Kathleen is about to be taken

Review:   

     Once again, Erin Kellison impressed me. I cannot sing the praises for this series enough. This world full of fae, angels, Shadows, and wraiths she has beautifully described.   This entire series was my gateway into adult paranormal romance and dark fantasy.

Thoughts and debate-When to Rate & Review

     I have had this on my mind off and on for awhile and is now to a point that I feel I must share some viewpoins I have and to perhaps get some of yours in return.

     I keep seeing a lot of people rating and reviewing books they have never read.  The more I see this the more it bothers me.   If a person doesn't like a author, genre or book summary people will give it a one star and flat out state they did not and will not read it.  Honestly, if you don't want to read a book, fine but don't negatively affect the stats of a book you never read.

     Then there is the flip side.  A person loves an author and automatically gives all their books 5 stars.  I see this a lot on Goodreads with sequels in particular.  Patrick Rothfuss even made an amusing review of his own when he kept seeing people rating his upcoming book.  He flat out says he isn't done writing it even!

Top Ten Tuesday 17

 

My Bookish Bucket List!
Bookish things I want, or want to do before I kick it.  Depressing to overthink about but here are some big-life goals I have.   In no particular order.
 

1)  To Read at least 25,000 books  in my lifetime.   

Highly ambitious, I know, but if I live a long, reasonably healthy life and keep my eyesight this might be possible.  Especially counting manga/graphic novels, and reading to the children.  Still, it will take a long time to get there.  My old goal was 100,000.  I figured that was a bit too much so this might be possible

2) To work in a bookstore or library

I always wanted my own bookstore but I would be happy to just work in one even.  Dream job!

3)  To have my own personal library.  

I already own a huge amount of books to get started but no where to display them.  Joy of a small home.  But one day, I hope to have my own fancy home library.

4)  To attend a huge book event 

Such as BEA, etc.  I have never had the funds (or the time whenever I may have the funds) to do such an event.  Even author signings near where I live (within a couple hour drive) is extremely rare.

5) To get caught up on my TBR list on Goodreads.  

Or even get it to a reasonable amount to books added within a few months or so.  Right now, it just keeps getting longer as I am still listing and cataloging all my books.  Not to mention all the new discoveries of books that sound interesting.

Stacking the Shelves 38

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, every Weekend. This is to share books I have acquired from various sources. Physical books & ebooks both are welcome. If its something being sent to me by mail, I will not mention it until I actually receive it. 

♥  ♦  ♣  ♠ 

For Review

Sixteen-year-old werewolf princess Ashling Boru is different from other wolves—she was able to shift to wolf form at birth. Rather than bringing pride to her family, it brings fear, and as a result, she is forced to live in seclusion in Ireland’s countryside. Ashling’s reputation is further blackened when she refuses her betrothed and defies the ancient laws. When her pack’s oldest rivals begin hunting her, she finds herself in the small town of York Harbor, Maine—far from everything she’s ever known.

In Maine, she crosses paths with the dark and rebellious Grey Donavan, and something ignites within her soul. There’s just one problem: Grey is human. Their instant connection turns into a passionate romance, and Ashling begins to believe she can create her own life outside of wolf laws. When she begins to uncover long-buried pack secrets—secrets that threaten to destroy all she holds dear—Ashling’s courage and tenacity are tested. Will she choose her deep and enduring love for Grey, or will she follow Old Mother’s path to her destiny?

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Lord of the Flies in a 21st-century high school setting.Welcome to Quarantine 3: The Burnouts , where readers of The Maze Runner, Gone, and Divergent go when they're hungry for more dark, compelling survival stories.

When an explosion rocks David and Will's suburban high school one morning, a deadly virus is unleashed on the school. After a year of quarantine, with no adults around, the students have created their own society. All of the social cliques have developed into gangs-The Nerds, The Geeks, The Freaks, The Sluts, The Skaters, The Burnouts, The Pretty Ones, and The Varsity-and each gang provides a service with which they can barter for provisions. Without a gang, it's almost impossible to secure food, water, territory, or supplies. In the final installment in the Quarantine trilogy, the brothers are reunited on the Outside and it appears as if, for once everything is going right. But inside the school, Lucy is alone with no gang and no hope, until the Burnouts welcome her into their filthy arms.

The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle (review)

 

 

The Hallowed Ones (1)

By Laura Bickle

 

 

Genre: Horror, Young Adult, Paranormal

Published: Sept 2012

Pages: 320

Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

 

 

 

Summary:  Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers can get a taste of the real world. But the real world comes to her in this dystopian tale with a philosophical bent. Rumors of massive unrest on the “Outside” abound. Something murderous is out there. Amish elders make a rule: No one goes outside, and no outsiders come in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man, she can’t leave him to die. She smuggles him into her family’s barn—at what cost to her community? The suspense of this vividly told, truly horrific thriller will keep the pages turning.

 

 

 

Review:  Creepy! I was not expecting to be wigged out with this book. That does not happen very often. Especially for a 'young adult' book!

Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor (review)

 

The Looking Glass Wars: Seeing Redd (2)

by Frank Beddor

Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale retellings, young adult, adventure

Published: Aug 2007

Pages: 371

Published by Dial Books

Summary: "Alyss of Wonderland's rules has only just begun, and already those who prefer chaos to peace are threatening to destroy everything worth imagining. Trailed by newly appointed royal bodyguard Homburg Molly, Alyss is doing her best to keep pace with the non-stop demands of being queen while attempting to evade Molly for a few private moments with Dodge.

Alyss' life is a challenging mix of duty, love and tough decisions, and then a series of phantom sightings set fire to an urban myth of Her Imperial Viciousness' return and have everyone...Seeing Redd.

Has Redd somehow freed herself and her chief assassin, The Cat, from the confides of the Heart Crystal? If not, then who has resurrected Redd's brutal foot soldiers the Glass Eyes and set them loose to attack Wonderland on all sides?

Battles rage, looking glasses explode, and the Alyssians once again unite to defend White Imagination in this fast-paced follow-up to the New York Times bestselling The Looking Glass Wars."

Review:  This is the sequel to The Looking Glass Wars.

Redd has been banished from Wonderland. She is determined to find her way back to her world by any means necessary. Alyss is the new queen who has much to learn about ruling. And a new enemy is making his move. King Arch of Borderlands is determined to have wonderland for himself. He reeks havoc and even kidnaps Molly.

Top Ten Tuesday 16

 

Books that are priority on my spring 2014 reading list -- old and new

Well, in my case they are almost all old.  I am so far behind on my reading.  So my priority this spring is to (mostly) continue working on series' that I have started and books I need to review.

10 that I am determined to read are:

   

   

Cover Reveal and Giveaway for Son of Set by Kelsey Ketch!

 

Son of Set (Descendants of Isis #2)

by Kelsey Ketch

Release Date: 05/02/ 14

Summary from Goodreads:
“. . . the Sons would never just let him go—alive.”

Seth O’Keefe has broken the laws of his god. He never thought he would sacrifice his own future to protect a Daughter of Isis. But when the Sons of Set discovered Natti is the Secret Keeper, he had no choice. Now, Seth and Natti are on the run from his father, who wants nothing more than to see Seth dead. With no allies, Seth turns to the Daughters of Isis for help, hoping they would protect Natti. But when they meet the Daughters, he discovers a secret that puts both their lives in more danger. Low on options, Seth sees only one possibility for survival. He must help Natti solve an ancient puzzle and find the secret name of Ra.

Natara “Natti” Stone is having a hard time swallowing the truth. She can’t believe what she has learned in the past twenty-four hours: Seth is a Son of Set blessed with charm; she is a Daughter of Isis blessed with a sliver of Ma ‘at; the locket her grandmother gave her holds an ancient Egyptian secret linking to Osiris and Isis. That along with being tortured and brutalized by the Sons of Set, she can hardly hold herself together. Thank God for Seth’s touch! That warm, tingling sensation that drowns it all out. Yet her heart struggles to stay focused. She must quickly embrace her destiny before the secret name of Ra falls into the wrong hands.

Stacking the Shelves 37

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, every Weekend. This is to share books I have acquired from various sources. Physical books & ebooks both are welcome. If its something being sent to me by mail, I will not mention it until I actually receive it. 

 

 

 

♥  ♦  ♣  ♠ 

Library Nabs

Elayne thinks the old family story that one of her ancestors stepped through a tapestry into a world of mythical beasts makes a great fireside tale. But she lives in the real world. In New York City. And she's outgrown that kind of fantasy.

Until she finds herself in front of a unicorn tapestry at the Cloisters museum and sees her initials woven into the fabric. And hears a unicorn calling to her. And slips and falls—into that other world.

Suddenly the line between fantasy and reality isn't so clear. But the danger is real enough. Almost before she can think, Elayne is attacked by a ferocious beast, rescued by a unicorn, and taken prisoner by a tyrant king. Each of them seems to have an idea about her—that she's a hero, a villain, dinner!

But Elayne has a few ideas of her own. She wants to overthrow the king; she wants to tame the unicorn. She wants to go home! And she's willing to become both hero and villain to do it.

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Gripping original stories of dystopian worlds from nine New York Times bestselling authors, edited by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong.

The world is gone, destroyed by human, ecological, or supernatural causes. Survivors dodge chemical warfare and cruel gods; they travel the reaches of space and inhabit underground caverns. Their enemies are disease, corrupt corporations, and one another; their resources are few, and their courage is tested.

Powerful original dystopian tales from nine bestselling authors offer bleak insight, prophetic visions, and precious glimmers of light among the shards and ashes of a ruined world.

March New Release Giveaway Hop

  

Pick any book that is Released this month (March 2014) and enter for your chance to win it!   Win any book up to $20.  Win a print book from the book depository if the offer free shipping to your address or win an ebook copy of the title you want.  Here are some possibilites but do not feel limited by them.

Personal Read-a-thon

    Alright, so my '24 hour' starts NOW!  I am actually giving myself an extra 6 & 1/2 hrs extra for some time to sleep.  I am either losing to a cold or fighting major allergies.  Either way, rest will be needed.

    If anyone else wants to do some serious reading with me, feel free.  All books are a go except audiobooks.

    My reward system:  Read 200 pages-get a treat to eat/drink that I don't get very often.  500 pages-pedicure spoils, 1000 pages -get a massage from my man (he is so wonderful to volunteer for this), 1500+ get a new release book,

    I think I can get to 1000.  More than that....I don't know.  I will update this post Saturday morning!  See you back then!  Again, leave a comment if you decide to do the same, of if you have done one recently!  I would love to know how others do in that timespan!

 UPDATES:

So I have finished and/or made progress in the following books:

Book Blitz-Black Amaranth by Sasha Hibbs with except and giveaway

 

Black Amaranth
by Sasha Hibbs
Release Date: 08/16/13

 

Summary from Goodreads:

Eighteen-year-old Ally Watson arrives home from high school graduation, more than a little annoyed that her Uncle Argyle—Ally’s legal guardian and only surviving relative—didn’t even bother showing up. But instead of berating him for his forgetfulness, Ally finds him in a life-or-death battle with a monster. Argyle manages to kill the creature, and gives Ally a parcel containing a destiny she never knew existed.

Ally, along with her best friends Michael, Jessica, and David, hurry to Georgia to uncover the truth of Uncle Argyle’s secrets, and the meaning of the mysterious marks that Ally bears. Are the marks related to the blacksmith mythology of her ancestors? Who are these heavenly warriors who show up in the oddest of places?  And will an ancient gypsy curse destroy the very things Ally fights to save?

Black Amaranth: a simple flower, a symbol with an ancient legacy, a conduit for prophecy…while faith and hope are essential to the journey, Ally soon discovers that love is the most powerful force of all.

Excerpt:

“There are three Ravenscraft women: Denaulda, Griselda, and Irini.” Parthenia looked deeply into Ally’s eyes and then shot a look of caution to Michael and the twins.

Stacking the Shelves 36

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, every Weekend. This is to share books I have acquired from various sources. Physical books & ebooks both are welcome. If its something being sent to me by mail, I will not mention it until I actually receive it. 

♥  ♦  ♣  ♠ 

For Review 

 

For fans of Stephen King and American Horror Story, a gruesome thriller suggested by the events of the Amityville Horror.
Inspired by a true-crime story of supernatural happenings and gory murders, Amity spans two generations and beyond to weave an overlapping, interconnected tale of terror, insanity, danger, and death.

 

 

 

 

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Delancy Sullivan has always known there’s more to reality than what people see. Every time someone makes a choice, a new, parallel world branches off from the existing one. Eating breakfast or skipping it, turning left instead of right, sneaking out instead of staying in bed ~ all of these choices create an alternate universe in which an echo self takes the road not travelled and makes the opposite decision. As a Walker, someone who can navigate between these worlds, Del’s job is to keep all of the dimensions in harmony.

Normally, Del can hear the dissonant frequency that each world emits as clear as a bell. But when a training session in an off-key world goes horribly wrong, she is forbidden from Walking by the Council. But Del’s not big on following the rules and she secretly starts to investigate these other worlds. Something strange is connecting them and it’s not just her random encounters with echo versions of the guy she likes, Simon Lane.

But Del’s decisions have unimaginable consequences and, as she begins to fall for the Echo Simons in each world, she draws closer to a truth that the Council of Walkers is trying to hide ~ a secret that threatens the fate of the entire multiverse.

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The League of Princes returns in the hilariously epic conclusion to the hit series that began with Christopher Healy's The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, which the Los Angeles Times called "one of the more clever, hilariously successful incarnations of the current literary rage to rip apart and rewrite fairy tales."

Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You think you know those guys pretty well by now, don't you? Well, think again. Posters plastered across the thirteen kingdoms are saying that Briar Rose has been murdered—and the four Princes Charming are the prime suspects. Now they're on the run in a desperate attempt to clear their names. Along the way, however, they discover that Briar's murder is just one part of a nefarious plot to take control of all thirteen kingdoms—a plot that will lead to the doorstep of an eerily familiar fortress for a final showdown with an eerily familiar enemy.

The Beginning of This, The End of That by James Matteson (review)

 

The Beginning of This, The End of That: The End (1)

By James Matteson

Genre: Sci-Fi, Mythology/Lore

Published July 2012

 Pages: 368

Self-Published

Summary:  "After an iron astroid hits the earth killing almost everyone, those who survive begin to write stories. Those stories became the foundational documents of a new civilization. 1,000 years later a scholar at a university collects the myths and publishes them. This book contains those stories. The Beginning of This, The End of That is a literary novel that examines the controversy surrounding story itself in society, in governmental rule, and in religion. The myths and legends contain the travels of two college graduate students, Ewan and Alysa, in a fantasy adventure across pagan Europe in the 7th century, where the gods themselves are under attack. The book's fictional editor, Professor Harkness, comments about each myth. The story has elements of Umberto Eco's "The Island of the Day Before" and Phillip Pullman's "His Dark Materials trilogy."-  Goodreads Summary

Review:  First off, I need to admit that I did not finish this book. I wanted to enjoy it. While I was expecting something a bit outside my normal reading interests, I was not expecting this. I started this book full of curiosity and stopped feeling very confused and frustrated.

1 Year Blogversary-Huge Giveaway

 

I made it!  1 year ago (March 6, 2013) I started to create this blog.  The first few weeks were dead on visitors and lots of work and learning on my part.  I jumped in this, not knowing the first thing about blogging, html or computer smarts in general.  I am not a tech savvy person.   What I did know was books.  And I wanted to share those books with others throughout the world.  And I will be honest, the idea of possible free early releases didn't hurt.  But that was never my focus.

While I do read a fair share of mainstream or popular titles, I also love to read the lesser known books.  Or even some older titles.   Not to mention all the different genres I love.  I know for some it can make this blog seem overwhelming.  Yet it is who I am and what I love.  While I do have my favorites, one cannot put me in a box with them and expect me to be satisfied.  I love to share new books.  One thing that makes me so very happy in life is when someone picks up that lesser known book and enjoys it!  So I will continue to share in the popular and also introduce a little something different.

 Most people I know in person are not big readers. Back in 2010 I had discovered Goodreads.  I loved it.  I could organize what I have read, list what I want, etc.  Also I could chat with other book lovers like myself!  Or even sometimes just the occasional casual reader that I share a book in common with.  So I kept busy with various groups there.  Then I started writing reviews on Goodreads which started even more conversations.  In  late 2012 I was introduced to Book Blogs.  Wow!  Whole blogs dedicated to books, reading and authors!  I was in book heaven and was determined to one day be a part of it.  Now here I am.  I still have a long way to go to integrate myself into the book blogging paradise but slowly I am settling in. 

I want to thank every person that has ever followed this blog, commented or even just stopped by.  Thank you.   Especially those loyalists who come by regularly (you know who you are).  As a thank you I have a HUGE (at least for me) GIVEAWAY.  

I have been saving hard for this to make it a blast!

Also, I will have a couple games and special posts up over then next month (until the giveaway ends) so be on the lookout!

There will be a total of 5 prizes!

1)The Grand Prize-A gift card to your choice of Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

 The card will start at $50 and can go up!
UPDATE-As of 3/8/14 evening: Gift Card is now at $65!!!