Stacking the Shelves 47

 

 

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. 

Awesome prize pack win from
 Romancing the Laser Pistol.

$10 Amazon Gift Card plus these lovelies:

 

Perdition by Ann Aguirre

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews

The Red Lily Crown by Elizabeth Loupas

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Ebook Nabs
 

The Unicorn Thief promotional, thoughts/opinions and a giveaway!

The Unicorn Thief

By R.R. Russell

Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

 May 2014

Youth/Middle Grade Fantasy

Buy Now

 

About the Book:

Twig and Ben are unicorn riders – guardians whose job is to keep the last free unicorn herd safe. But a new danger is threatening the beautiful, mysterious creatures of Lonehorn Island. A thief from Terracornus, land of the Unicorns has snuck onto the misty island and stolen Ben’s loyal unicorn, Indy. There’s only one path for Ben and Twig – straight into the secret, shadowy heart of the island and through the passage to Terracornus.

But their rescue mission is unexpectedly complicated by a secret Ben has been hiding: A secret about the Queen of Terracornus, who has enslaved all the unicorns of Ben’s homeland. A secret that could save them all – or start a war.

In this action-oriented sequel to Wonder Light, R.R. Russell’s lyrical storytelling draws readers deeper into a beautiful and mysterious world where unicorns roam wild. Russell’s rich and innovative use of unicorn mythology is sure to captivate fantasy lovers of all ages.

 My thoughts and opinions:

This is the sequel to Wonder Light.  See my review of the first book here.  This book takes place a short time after the first book but instead of following Twig's perspective, we  also get to follow the former "Wild" boy, Ben.  This book really does focus a lot more on him.  His family, his history, etc. 

Wonder Light by RR Russell (review)

 

Unicorns of the Mist: 

Wonder Light (1)

by R.R. Russell

Genre: Youth, Fantasy

Published: May 2013 

Published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Pages: 306

Summary:  "Deep in the heart of a mist-shrouded island, an impossible secret is about to be discovered.

Twig is used to feeling unwanted. Sent to live on a pony ranch for "troubled" girls on a misty, haunted island, Twig is about to discover the impossible -- someone who needs her.

Jolted awake from a bad dream, Twig follows the desperate whinny of a terrified horse out to the stables. There in the straw is a bleating little scrap of moonbeam. A silver-white filly with cloven hooves and a tiny, spiraling horn.

A baby unicorn.

Now Twig knows what secret is hiding in the island's mist: the last free unicorn herd. And a mysterious boy named Ben who insists that this impossible creature is now Twig's to care for. That she needs Twig's love and protection. Because there's something out there in the deep, dense shadows that's hunting for them..."

Review:  This was a cute, often compelling youth novel. A unique blend of a girl coming into her own and fantasy. Easy to follow and great for all ages. 

Son of Set-Review, Interview and Giveaway!

 

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.

*Note: Content for Upper YA*

Author Interview: 

Hi Kelsey!

Thank you so much for joining us!
Thank you for having me! :)

So, to get us started, what inspired you to become a writer?
Honestly, I’m not sure. I dabbled in short stories every once and a while. Even started a journal for
all my thought lines and stories in my junior year. But I guess I hadn’t thought of actually being a
writer until my senior year of high school. We had a phycology assignment to write a children’s
book, which we then read out loud to the class. After I was finished, a boy I hardly knew or even
spoke to turned in his chair and right out said, “You should be a writer.” Obviously, I focused on a
different age group now, but I think his complement triggered something inside me that day.

Stacking the Shelves 46

 

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. 

CRAZY amount of books this week!!  

Due to the number of books I am just quickly posting covers.  Sorry for the lack of links! I have had a very busy week (see the post prior to this one) and an even busier weekend. 

First off I want to share my amazing books from Jessica @ Jessabella Reads .

I won a giveaway on hew blog for 6 books with the mention of 1 or 2 extras and she sends me all these lovelies!  Thank you Jessica, you made my week!  Be sure to stop by her blog if you haven't before.  She has some great reviews and she will soon have a new addition to her family and is planning a giveaway in her honor coming soon!

 

Yard Sale Special!! All these for $5 total. 

 

Out this week

Hi everyone,
   Sorry for the lack of posts this week.   I have been super busy this week building and shelving my new library plus some other personal matters came up that ave taken over my time.   I have an STS post I will share on Saturday and I will try to get at least 1 review up either later today or tomorrow.  Next week I have a lot coming your way-Tours, interviews, reviews and more giveaways!   So please be patent with the lack of content this week. 

   June might be a bit slow at times too (especially the end of June).  Why? I am getting married!!  So that will be taking over a lot of time plus time off to visit family when they come out for the wedding and time alone with my soon-to-be-hubby!  I will try to keep at least a few posts (1-2 of them at least being reviews) a week, but the last week of June will be like this week.

   I will also try to show off my new bookroom/library once it is complete in the next few weeks.  Right now I am still trying to figure out how to get all the books I have to fit!  This is causing me to slim down my books quite a bit so I might do a giveaway for some of them.  Mind you, these are used books but if you are interested in the idea of me giveaway away a few boxes of surprise books in giveaways, let me know! 

  I hope everyone is having a great week!

-Jamie (Jay)

Stacking the Shelves 45

 

 

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. 

I wish my phone and computer were on friendly terms so I could upload pictures of my books.  Alas, I am stuck with copying pictures from Goodreads covers.  So I apologize to those who want to see the actual stacks.  Currently it is something I cannot do until I get my camera fixed.   

So, in no particular order, here are my books from this week: 

The Balance Keepers: The Fires of Calderon by Lindsay Cummings

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

Nisekoi Vol 4  by Naoshi Komi

The One by Kiera Cass

The Island by Jen Minkman (review)

 

 

 

The Island (1)

By Jen Minkman

 

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Novella

Published: May 2013 

Pages:138

 

 

 

Summary:  "I walk toward the sea. The endless surface of the water extends to the horizon, whichever way I look.
Our world is small. We are on our own, and we only have ourselves to depend on. We rely on the Force deep within us, as taught to us by our forefathers.

If I were to walk westward from here, I would come across a barrier – the Wall. Behind it, there are Fools. At least, that’s what everyone says.

I have never seen one.
Leia lives on the Island, a world in which children leave their parents to take care of themselves when they are ten years old. Across this Island runs a wall that no one has ever crossed. The Fools living behind it are not amenable to reason – they believe in illusions. That’s what The Book says, the only thing left to the Eastern Islanders by their ancestors.

But when a strange man washes ashore and Leia meets a Fool face to face, her life will never be the same. Is what she and her friends believe about the Island really true?

Or is everyone in their world, in fact, a Fool?"

 

 

 

 

Review:   I was pleasantly pleased with this story when I was finished reading it. Although there were a few things that threw me off a bit, Jen Minkman ends up doing a wonderful pulling everything together.

May New Release Giveaway Hop 2014

 

Pick any book that is released this month (May 2014) and enter for your chance to win!   .Win a print book from the book depository if they offer free shipping to your address or win an eBook copy of the title you want.   Here are some possibilities but do not feel limited by them. International giveaway

Two winners: 
First Winner gets 2 books of their choosing (up to $20 each).
Second winner gets 1 book of their choice (up to $20).

Sweet Rein Vol 1 by Sakura Tsukuba (review)

 

Sweet Rein Volume 1

By Sakura Tsukuba

Genre: Graphic Novel, Manga

Published: Nov 2013 

Publisher: Viz Media

Pages: 200

 

 

 

 

 

Summary:  "A magical romance from the creator of Land of the BlindfoldedSad at the thought of spending Christmas alone, Kurumi Sagara goes out for a walk. While she’s crossing the street, a boy bumps into her, and a rein suddenly appears that binds them together. The overjoyed boy tells her she’s his master and that she’s a Santa Claus. Kurumi dismisses him as a crazy person, but then he transforms into a reindeer?!"

 

 

Review:  This was such a cute book. I actually first read this right before Christmas and it was perfect timing. After all, reindeers are in season in December!

Kurumi is your ordinary teenage girl who brushes against a boy who suddenly declares that she is his Santa Claus and he her reindeer! Can you imagine her reaction? What follows is a cute hilarity as she learns to accept her new duty and bond. She is literary bonded to the reindeer, Kaito. By an invisible rein only Santas and reindeer can see.

Cover Reveal- Time of Ruin by Shauna Granger

Time of Ruin (Ash and Ruin #2)

by Shauna Granger

Release Date: 07/22/ 14

Summary from Goodreads:
The world has ended, and hope is the most dangerous thing left.

Battered and bruised after barely escaping San Francisco with their lives, Kat, Dylan, and Blue press north – desperate to reach the possibility of a new home.

But strange, monstrous ravens are tracking the remaining survivors, food is becoming scarce, gasoline is running short, and people are becoming suicidal, making survival almost impossible.

Kid Lit Giveaway Hop 2014 #KidLitGH

 

 Hosted by:

Youth Literature Reviews
Mother Daughter Book Reviews

This week is a great time to encourage the younger generations to get into reading.  They are our future.  Future leaders, artist, authors and more.  There are so many people out there who don't like to read.  And with each generation it seems there are less and less.  So to get the youth into reading more I am offering up the chance to win some great books.  These are books I enjoyed reading.  All are  middle grade or young adult.  There will be One grand prize winner and 1 second prize winner.  
International giveaway!

Grand Prize is of my favorite YA Fantasy series and a gateway for many new readers I have been offered to present the chance to win the entire Harry Potter (hardback) series collection to 1 lucky winner) 

  

PLUS some surprise Harry Potter swag.  I do not know what this entails.  I know there will be a shirt (I will collect winners shirt size) and other goodies.  Total Prize Value is over $200!

 Second Prize winner gets their choice of these box sets:

 

The complete Chronicles of Narnia box set 

  

The Hunger Games Trilogy