Stacking the Shelves #1

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!

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So, this is the first of, about, ten Stacking the Shelves posts that will showcase all the wonderful books I got at ALA Midwinter!! I am doing them in groups of ten, probably in alphabetical order and by day that I got them, just so I can make sure I don't miss any! I will post a little about the book, either a description or why I picked it up (besides the fact that it was free!) and the release date.

On to the books! These are some of the ones that I picked up on Saturday, January 25th.

Complicit / Stephanie Kuehn / June 24, 2014

Complicit intrigued me because it was about a brother and sister who clearly have problems, with the town they live in and each other. It centers on Jamie Henry, who has for the past two years, been living a better life with his sister locked up in a juvenile detention center. Now Crazy Cate Henry is back and is definitely planning on shaking things up and possibly brings to light truths that have been hidden for years and making people see she is not the crazy person people think she is. But is Jamie? This story is by author Stephanie Kuehn who also wrote Charm & Strange, another book that I picked up and will be shelving at a later date, it seemed to be well liked and written, so hopefully this new novel lives up to the first. 

Dear Nobody: The True Diary of Mary Rose / Edited by Gillian McCain and Legs McNeil / April 1, 2014

This is going to be a tough read, not in the sense that it is poorly written, but an emotionally draining read. Dear Nobody is about a young girl, Mary Rose, who is going through high school in the late ‘90s. Now dealing with high school isn't enough, Mary Rose is also battling cystic fibrosis, addiction, and victimization. This is her diary that was passed on to the editor through a friend of Mary Rose and I can’t wait to read all about her experiences and how she overcomes the challenges that she faced at that age.

 Destination Unknown / Amy Clipston / February 4, 2014

I tend to shy away from books that have underlying faith based themes, but this seems to be more about a young girl seeking to live her own life, rather than the one she is expected to. It seems like a bit of fluff, but I am willing to give it a try and see where Clipston takes me. 

Don't Look Back / Jennifer L. Armentrout / April 15, 2014 

This will be my first book by Jennifer and I could not be more excited. I really have been meaning to pick up some of her work, but never have. I am really looking forward to this story about a girl that goes missing with her best friend and then reappears, alone and without her memory. I have read a memory loss story before, Sia, but I really hope that this one is better than that. From all the good things I have been hearing about Ms. Armentrout’s stories I doubt I will be disappointed.

Expiration Day / William Campbell Powell / April 22, 2014

Robot children? Count me in! In the year 2049 fertility has declined and families are given robot children to raise until the reach the age of eighteen and that is when they have to be returned to the factory. I am interested in seeing why society put their resources into creating robot children that need to be returned instead of searching for a solution to the fertility problem. This is the first novel from WCP and I am looking forward to discovering this new writer. 

Fire & Flood / Victoria Scott / March 25, 2014

Fire and Flood will be interesting. It is about a young girl that is invited to take part in a challenge called the Brimstone Bleed. It is three month ordeal that pits her against other people fighting for the same thing she is, a cure for her sick brothers baffling illness. This will either go one of two ways, an enjoyable read or just another author jumping on the dystopian extreme survival bandwagon. I hope it is the former as this is the first in a series of books that I would be happy to get into, if this proves to be a good read. 

The Hidden Child / Camilla Lackberg / May 15, 2014*

New mother, writer Erica Falck, makes a shocking discovery among her own late mother’s possessions, a Nazi medal. This mystery unfolds as Erica tries to uncover the details surrounding her families past. I love a good mystery and this sound like it is going to be a page turner. 

*This has been previously published, reissue is scheduled for this date. 

High & Dry / Sarah Skilton / April 15, 2014

This story seems all over the place, in a good way. Main character, Charlie Dixon, is having the week from hell. From being framed for a near-fatal overdose to being pressured into throwing an upcoming soccer match he is dealing with a lot of drama from all angles. Every once in a while I like to delve into the unlikely and read something that seems so out there that I would never happen to a real person. This seems to be right up that alley and I can’t wait to explore it. 

The Hit / Melvin Burgess / April 4, 2013

This is going to be a doozy, my roommate just read it and when asked how she liked it I got this response, “at first it was just alright, nothing special, but then it got serious when I couldn’t fall asleep without my hair covering my neck because of something that happened in the book, and that let me know that I actually liked it.” Take from that what you will, but for me, it is just creating anticipation for what is to come when I read The Hit. It also doesn’t help that the description reminded me of Dredd for some reason, so we will see. 

Otherbound / Corinne Duyvis / June 17, 2014

The premise for this book is so intriguing. It centers on a young man who, in his sleep is transported into the head of a young servant girl, not of his own world. At first he is only an observer, but soon learns he can control the girl whose mind he invades. They must work together to protect the princess the young girl is tasked to serve as well as discover what it is that connects them. I am so excited to see how this all turns out, the characters all seem very interesting and it should be a good read. 

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So, that concludes my first Stacking the Shelves post, sorry if it seemed long winded, I am just very excited for all the new books that I got at ALA last weekend and want to spread the word about the ARCs that I picked up. Hope you have a great weekend and I can't wait to see some other shelves!