Stacking the Shelves 10

Stacking the Shelves is all about sharing the books you recently acquired, be it a physical or virtual copy, a book borrow from the library or purchased. This is a weekly meme that is hosted by Tynga's Reviews, so be sure to check there on Saturdays and see what everyone else has added to their shelves!

This STS concludes my ALA haul from Jan. 27th. All titles link to Goodreads.

The Ruining / Anna Collomore / February 7, 2013

Annie Phillips is thrilled to leave her past behind and begin a shiny new life on Belvedere Island, as a nanny for the picture-perfect Cohen family. In no time at all, she falls in love with the Cohens, especially with Libby, the beautiful young matriarch of the family. Life is better than she ever imagined. She even finds romance with the boy next door.

All too soon cracks appear in Annie's seemingly perfect world. She's blamed for mistakes she doesn't remember making. Her bedroom door comes unhinged, and she feels like she's always being watched. Libby, who once felt like a big sister, is suddenly cold and unforgiving. As she struggles to keep up with the demands of her new life, Annie's fear gives way to frightening hallucinations. Is she tumbling into madness, or is something sinister at play?

See Jane Run / Hannah Jayne / January 7, 2014

I know who you are.

When Riley first gets the postcard tucked into her bag, she thinks it's a joke. Then she finds a birth certificate for a girl named Jane Elizabeth O'Leary hidden inside her baby book.

Riley's parents have always been pretty overprotective. What if it wasn't for her safety...but fear of her finding out their secret? What have they been hiding? The more Riley digs for answers, the more questions she has.

The only way to know the truth? Find out what happened to Jane O'Leary.

The Splendour Falls / Susanna Kearsley / January 14, 2014 

Chinon-chateau of legend, steeped in the history of France and England. It is to Chinon that Emily goes on a long-awaited holiday, to meet her charming but unreliable cousin, Harry. Harry wanted to explore the old town and the castle, where Queen Isabelle, child bride of King John, had withstood the siege of Chinon many centuries ago, and where, according to legend, she hid her casket of jewels. But when Emily arrives at her hotel she finds that Harry has disappeared, and as she tries to find him she becomes involved with some of the other guests and learns of a mystery dating from the German occupation during the Second World War. Another Isabelle, a chambermaid at the hotel, fell in love with a German soldier, with tragic results.

Emily becomes increasingly aware of strange tensions, old enmities and new loves; as she explores the city, with its labyrinthine dungeons and tunnels and its ancient secrets, she comes ever closer to the mystery of what happened to both the Isabelles of Chinon's history.

Steelheart / Brandon Sanderson / September 24, 2013

There are no heroes.

Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics.

But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills.

Nobody fights the Epics... nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.

And David wants in. He wants Steelheart—the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning—and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.

He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.

Tease / Amanda Maciel / April 29, 2014

This story sounds very realistic and heavy. After a classmate commits suicide because of all the bullying she has endures, the tormenters are ostrisized by their peers and community. If that was not bad enough, they are now facing criminal charges.

Undone / Cat Clarke / January 31, 2013

Jem Halliday is in love with her gay be

st friend. Not exactly ideal, but she's learning to live with it.

Then the unspeakable happens. Kai is outed online ... and he kills himself.

Jem knows nothing she can say or do will bring him back. But she wants to know who was responsible. And she wants to take them down.

UnSouled / Neal Shusterman / November 7, 2013

The third book in the Unwind dystology, I have read the first book, Unwind and it was amazing. I can’t wait to continue the story.

Winger / Andrew W. Smith / May 14, 2013

Ryan Dean West is a fourteen-year-old junior at a boarding school for rich kids. He’s living in Opportunity Hall, the dorm for troublemakers, and rooming with the biggest bully on the rugby team. And he’s madly in love with his best friend Annie, who thinks of him as a little boy.

With the help of his sense of humor, rugby buddies, and his penchant for doodling comics, Ryan Dean manages to survive life’s complications and even find some happiness along the way. But when the unthinkable happens, he has to figure out how to hold on to what’s important, even when it feels like everything has fallen apart.

Bout of Books 11.0 Wrap-Up

Well, I did a lot better this time around. Things got a little hectic at work and I was unable to read as much as I would have like to. I really enjoyed all the stuff that I did read, though. So, that is a win in my opinion.

Books I Finished:

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout ~ 4/5 stars

This book really surprised me. I have read and heard that everyone finds it so addicting and almost a guilt pleasure read and that is exactly what it turned out to be for me. Was it the best writing? No way. But it was good enough to capture my attention long enough to finish the story within just a few days. It was very hokey at times and so predictable, but in an almost self aware way. Will I be continuing on with the series? Probably. I see this as one of those series that I will pick up the next installment when I have nothing else to read, but I am not chomping at the bit to find out what happens. I have heard that the series gets better as it goes on and I am looking forward to, eventually, delving into it.


Sandman Vol. 1 by Neil Gaiman ~ 5/5 stars 

I really loved the first installment in the Sandman series. It was so interesting, well written and engaging that I could not put it down. The drawings and the story had me so engrossed, I especially liked the dark nature of the graphics. The shadow work was amazing. The complex story line is one that will keep you guessing and wanting more. I really liked all the references to mythology and other fictional characters and worlds that were made.




Books I started: 

Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney ~  4/5 stars (eventual)

I started this book and was only able to get a little ways through it. What I read of it, I loved. I eventually ended up finishing it in August and it was a great read. There were some elements that I did not care for, but overall a really enjoyable read. I also really liked how he reference Time and Again, which was not published until 1970 in this novel that was published in 1955.




I am really happy, overall with what I was able to get done this time around. Hopefully, going forward I will be able to participate in more reading challenges and give myself harder goals and really push myself. I am looking forward to more in the future! Hope everyone had a great BoB!!

Bout of Books 11.0 Read-a-thon!!!!!

Obviously we all know of my past failures with read-a-thon's, this time around I am really ready to devote myself to reading and enjoying it. I am finally not working 6 days a week do I am no longer tired all the time and have at least two days in the week that I can devote to reading! That being said I am still keeping my goals modest and will be happy with whatever I accomplish.

More about it:

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 18th and runs through Sunday, August 24th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 11 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

My goals for the week are:

• Read 2 novels 
• Read 3 graphic novels
• Post at least 2 reviews 

I think I have the books already picked out and they are:

• Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• The Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney
• Sandman Vol.1 & Vol. 2 by Neil Gaiman
• Fables Vol. 2: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham

I am in a big sci-fi mood and all of these are pretty short reads, so hopefully I will be able to get through them all! I will probably be updating on this post so be on the lookout!

I can't wait to see what everyone else is reading, have a great BoB 11.0!


Monday 
Currently Reading: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Pages read today: 99
Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 99

Tuesday
Currently Reading: The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman
Pages read today: 175
Total books read: 1
Total pages read: 274

Wednesday
Currently Reading: The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman
Pages read today: 70
Total books read: 1
Total pages read: 344

Thursday
Currently Reading: Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney
Pages read today: 183
Total books read: 2
Total pages read: 527

Friday
Currently Reading: Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney
Pages read today: 70
Total books read: 2
Total pages read: 597

Saturday
Currently Reading: Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney
Pages read today: 0
Total books read: 2
Total pages read: 597

Sunday
Currently Reading: Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney
Pages read today: 0
Total books read: 2
Total pages read: 597

Stacking the Shelves 9

Stacking the Shelves is all about sharing the books you recently acquired, be it a physical or virtual copy, a book borrow from the library or purchased. This is a weekly meme that is hosted by Tynga's Reviews, so be sure to check there on Saturdays and see what everyone else has added to their shelves!

This STS continues my ALA haul from Jan. 27th. All title link to Goodreads.

Half Bad / Sally Green / March 25, 2014

I have no idea how I have put this one off. It is one of my most anticipated reads for this year. Set in modern day England, two factions of witches are living amongst humans. Nathan, the MC, is a hybrid, born form a good witch and a bad. He must break free from his cage to find the one man who can bring him into his powers, his father the most feared witch in the world. 

Haze / Paula Weston / May 22, 2013

This is the sequel to Shadows, which I have not read yet. I don’t want to look too far into this one and spoil the story for myself.

The Impossible Knifeof Memory / Laurie Halse Anderson / January 7, 2014

For the past five years, Hayley Kincain and her father, Andy, have been on the road, never staying long in one place as he struggles to escape the demons that have tortured him since his return from Iraq. Now they are back in the town where he grew up so Hayley can attend school. Perhaps, for the first time, Hayley can have a normal life, put aside her own painful memories, even have a relationship with Finn, the hot guy who obviously likes her but is hiding secrets of his own.

Will being back home help Andy’s PTSD, or will his terrible memories drag him to the edge of hell, and drugs push him over? The Impossible Knife of Memory is Laurie Halse Anderson at her finest: compelling, surprising, and impossible to put down.

Insanity / Susan Vaught / February 14, 2014

Never, Kentucky is not your average scenic small town. It is a crossways, a place where the dead and the living can find no peace. Not that Forest, an 18-year-old foster kid who works the graveyard shift at Lincoln Hospital, knew this when she applied for the job. Lincoln is a huge state mental institution, a good place for Forest to make some money to pay for college. But along with hundreds of very unstable patients, it also has underground tunnels, bell towers that ring unexpectedly, and a closet that holds more than just donated clothing....When the dead husband of one of Forest's patients makes an appearance late one night, seemingly accompanied by an agent of the Devil, Forest loses all sense of reality and all sense of time. Terrified, she knows she has a part to play, and when she does so, she finds a heritage that she never expected.

Just One Day / Gayle Forman / August 20, 2013

Allyson Healey's life is exactly like her suitcase—packed, planned, ordered. Then on the last day of her three-week post-graduation European tour, she meets Willem. A free-spirited, roving actor, Willem is everything she’s not, and when he invites her to abandon her plans and come to Paris with him, Allyson says yes. This uncharacteristic decision leads to a day of risk and romance, liberation and intimacy: 24 hours that will transform Allyson’s life.

Lovely, Dark and Deep / Amy McNamara / October  16, 2012

Since the night of the crash, Wren Wells has been running away. Though she lived through the accident that killed her boyfriend Patrick, the girl she used to be didn’t survive. Instead of heading off to college as planned, Wren retreats to her father’s studio in the far-north woods of Maine. Somewhere she can be alone.

Then she meets Cal Owen. Dealing with his own troubles, Cal’s hiding out too. When the chemistry between them threatens to pull Wren from her hard-won isolation, Wren has to choose: risk opening her broken heart to the world again, or join the ghosts who haunt her.

Maybe One Day / Melissa Kantor / February 18, 2014

Zoe and her best friend, Olivia, have always had big plans for the future, none of which included Olivia getting sick. Still, Zoe is determined to put on a brave face and be positive for her friend.

Even when she isn't sure what to say.

Even when Olivia misses months of school.

Even when Zoe starts falling for Calvin, Olivia's crush.

The one thing that keeps Zoe moving forward is knowing that Olivia will beat this, and everything will go back to the way it was before. It has to. Because the alternative is too terrifying for her to even imagine.

Orphan Train / Christina Baker Kline / April 2, 2013

A captivating story of two very different women who build an unexpected friendship: a 91-year-old woman with a hidden past as an orphan-train rider and the teenage girl whose own troubled adolescence leads her to seek answers to questions no one has ever thought to ask.

Out of the Easy / Ruta Sepetys / February 12, 2013

It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer.

She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street. Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.

Prodigy / Marie Lu / January 29, 2013

I refuse to learn anything about this book or Champion, which I have already stacked. One day I will marathon read all of these!!!!

Feel free to leave a comment and let me know if any sound interesting to you or if you have read any of them. I can't wait to see some of your shelves!!

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Fangirl

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Published: September 10, 2014

Format Read/Pages: HB/438

How I Acquired It: ALA Midwinter ‘14

Date Finished: August 15, 2014
Find at: Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

In Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories? Open her heart to someone? Or will she just go on living inside somebody else’s fiction?

~

Where to even begin with this book? I loved it. The characters were so down to earth and relatable that it was scary at times because I would be reading and picturing people I know with mannerisms that match. The fact that they were not all perfect, how often does our leading man have a receding hairline?, is what really makes the story. To me, this is why Rainbow Rowell has such a  following, she writes characters and situations that are so believable that it makes it easy to become invested in the their lives.

My first semester of college went much like Wren’s, partying all the time trying to break out of the mold that my life has always been. In reality I am Cath. Sub fan fiction with books and we are the same person. This allowed me to really connect with both of these strong, in their own way, females. I have had the experiences they have and know the thoughts that were going through their heads in these different situations.

The pacing of the story was great, not too rushed and it did not drag. It is quite interesting that people complain about the fact they Simon Snow is so much like Harry Potter. Honestly what other recent series has had as big of an impact on so many young readers as Harry Potter did. That fandom is one of the biggest there will ever be and I loved that the Simon Snow fandom had the same feel. I would totally read the Simon Snow stories and they would probably share a shelf with my Harry Potter books.

The only qualm I have with the story, like so many, was the ending. Not because I did not like it, but because it left me wanting so much more. All in all, I cannot say how much I loved this book. I really don’t have much to say about it because it was perfect. I will forever be a fan of Rowell’s. 

5 Stars

Bout of Books 10

The time has arrived for my first ever Bout of Books!!! This is a read-a-thon hosted by Bout of Books Blog, it lasts from May 12th - May 18th and is all about just reading and interacting with the community.

I am really excited about it. I am trying to keep my goals modest to night have a repeat of last week, but I still want to push myself.

Goal for the week is to read 3-5 books. Some that I really want to dive into are:

1. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
2. S. by J.J. Abrams
3. Panic by Lauren Oliver
4. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
5. TBD

I will try and post daily updates, but that might not happen. I will definitely be doing a wrap up at the end though!! Happy reading and I hope you all meet your goals!

#AYEARATHON Update (in which I admit my shame)

So, I read no books for this read a thon. In my defense: 1. We had a lot of people quit or get fired this past week at work, so I was working a lot of extra shifts. 2. There were not many series that I had any interest in last week. For some reason I had an aversion to reading anything that followed a previous book. I did however, read Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh which I found to be quite entertaining and started a graphic novel. I think I need pictures right now, I am really tired from working so much and the pictures really help!

With that being said, I am excited for Bout of Books 10 because I will hopefully have more time and I have some pretty awesome books I have to pick up from the library that I had holds on, I am particularly interested in S. by J.J. Abrams and Attachments by Rainbow Rowell.