Stacking the Shelves #5

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. 26th. All titles link to Goodreads.

A Matter of Souls / Denise Lewis Patrick / April 1, 2014

This is a collection of short stories written about African Americans that spans centuries and continents. I dropped the ball on this one; it would have been a great read for Black History month. I am still really looking forward to reading these stories. 

Meridian / Josin L. Mcquein / April 22, 2014

I don’t know much about this because it is the sequel to Arclight and I don’t want to spoil myself for it. I have Arclight on order and Can’t Wait for it to come in so I can dive right into these two!

Mind of Winter / Laura Kasischke / March 25, 2014

This is a bit mysterious and sounds pretty interesting. It seems that Holly and her husband Eric traveled to Russia to adopt a baby, Tatiana. They ignored all the warning from the superstitious nurses and took Tatiana home with them. Not thirteen years later, Tatiana has grown into a beautiful young lady, but seems to be having a shift in personality. Strange things keep happening around the house and now Holly is stuck in a blizzard all alone with disturbing Tatiana, the daughter that she no longer recognizes. 

Murder in Pigalle / Cara Black / March 4, 2014

Already stressing about having to deal with the rowdy French football fans, five months pregnant Private Investigator Aimee Leduc has a lot on her plate. When a serial rapist starts terrorizing a Paris neighborhood, Aimee must try and find the man before any more young girls get victimized. This seems like it will be a very good mystery, I am also excited that it is set in Paris, a place I have always wanted to visit.

No One Else Can HaveYou / Kathleen Hale / January 7, 2014

I have already read this and I loved it. It was witty and funny with dark undertones. I really enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone that likes a mystery and doesn’t mind a teenage girl taking over the investigation. It is set in a small Wisconsin town that is very quiet and never has any serious dangers afoot. Until a high school student is found murdered in a cornfield. They dead girl’s best friend, Kippy, goes on a hunt for the killer when the sheriff is content to lock up the boyfriend, who he has a grudge against. There were some parts that got a bit ridiculous for me, but overall I really enjoyed it, it was a fast read, which I will hopefully be doing a review of soon (when I get back on the review train). 

Perfect Lies / Kiersten White / February 18, 2014

This is also a sequel that I have not read, but have Mind Games on hold at the library. Don’t know much about them, but I am excited to start.

Precious Thing / Colette McBeth / March 4, 2014

Friends since high school, Rachel and Clara are going in complete opposite directions. Rachel has turned from the shy, awkward one, into a woman that has her life in order while Clara has gone from the girl everyone wants to be friends with to a life that is spiraling out of control. Now Clara is missing and Rachel may not have the chance to help her get her life back on track. I am really interested in this because news journalism, Rachel’s occupation, is intriguing to me and I want to see how it shapes the story.

Reconstructing Amelia / Kimberly McCreight / April 2, 2013

This whole concept is very cool to me. A mother is trying to find out what really happened in the last days of her daughter’s life so she sifts through her emails, text messages, social media profiles and phone logs to see what was really going through her daughter’s mind when she (supposedly) killed herself. I think it is going to be a great mystery and can’t wait to read it.

Remnants: Season of Wonder / Lisa T. Bergren / February 26, 2014

Set in a futuristic dystopia there is a prophesy that state seven children will be bore on a certain day and when they grow up they will become the protectors of humankind. So that was a really bad summary I just gave, but that is pretty much the gist of it. Of course there is an opposing group that they must face and I feel like this is going to be a pretty awesome adventure. It is the first book in a trilogy, so hopefully there will be enough action to carry it forward. 

Renegade / Debra Driza / May 13, 2014

I have Mila 2.0 and for some reason it keeps on being put on the back burner, but I really need to read it soon or I will have renewed it to the max! In the first book we are introduced to a girl who discovers she is an experiment in artificial intelligence. Forced to go on the run from two groups, one that wants to kill her and one that wants to unlock the hidden powers inside her, she must face what she really is and try and find out to what extent she is different. Apparently there is a huge cliffhanger at the end of the first book, so I am extremely happy to have the second one to start right away. 

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!!

Waiting on Wednesday #2

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breakingthe Spine and is a way to showcase upcoming released that you are excited for!

Title: Ruins

Author: Dan Wells

Series:  Partials Sequence #3

Release Date: March 11, 2014

Find at: Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

Kira, Samm, and Marcus fight to prevent a final war between Partials and humans in the gripping final installment in the Partials Sequence, a series that combines the thrilling action of The Hunger Games with the provocative themes of Blade Runner and The Stand.

There is no avoiding it—the war to decide the fate of both humans and Partials is at hand. Both sides hold in their possession a weapon that could destroy the other, and Kira Walker has precious little time to prevent that from happening. She has one chance to save both species and the world with them, but it will only come at great personal cost.

Why I am waiting:

I have read the first book, have the second and am now just waiting for the third so I can marathon them all. I really like Kira; she is a pretty badass MC and is going through some self-discovery in these books. They are very fast reads and enjoyable.

Let me know what you think of my selection and leave a link to your post so I can check it out!

2014 "Real" Book Challenge

In the age of technology it is so easy to read a book on some type of device.  But it is always nice to hold an actual book in your hands, feel the weight of it and turn the physical pages. I have decided to even out my NetGalley challenge (which all books will be read on my nook) with a "real" book challenge.

This challenge is hosted by Fic Fare and Swoony Boys Podcast, so head over there to sign up and learn more about it.

Rules and Guidelines:

*This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2014 - Dec 31, 2014. 

*The challenge is open to anyone! You don't have to be a blogger, as long as you have a place to post about the challenge. (Your blog, Amazon, Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, youtube, tumblr, etc.) 

*Any book counts. It can be any genre, any length, and as old or new as you want. If you can hold it in your hand and turn the pages yourself, it belongs here. (This includes Advanced Reader Copies.) 

*Feel free to list your books in your first post or wait until the end of the year and write them in a wrap-up post. Even if you list them, you can always make changes later. 

*Sign-ups will be open until Dec 1, 2014, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year. 

*When you sign up in the linky below, put the direct link to your post about joining the 2014 “Real” Book Challenge. (If you don't have a blog, post about it wherever you plan on making all your challenge posts this year!) 

*On the 1st of each month we will post a wrap-up post, on Swoony Boys Podcast and Fiction Fare. Every wrap-up will have a giveaway and place for you to link up your wrap-up posts for the month. Each book that you read in the month will get you one entry in our giveaway for the month. Prizes will vary, and winners will be announced the following month in our newsletter. 

*If you miss a wrap-up post + giveaway, you can link up your books the next month. Don’t try to count a book twice, we’ll be watching! 

*December will be a wrap-up for the whole year. All the books you read January-November + the ones you'll link up in December will be entered into a GRAND PRIZE giveaway.

Levels:

1-10 - Real Book Newbie

11-20 - Real Book Enthusiast

21-30 - Real Book Snob

31-40 - Real Book Aficionado

41-50 - Real Book Hoarder

50+ - Real Book King/Queen

I plan on reading at least fifty real books this year. My ultimate goal for the year is to read 150 books, so I think it is safe to assume I will read at least fifty "real" books.

2014 Chunkster Challenge

I like to read a hefty book every now and then. Because of this is have decided to join the Chunkster Challenge hosted by Visally. Head over there to sign up and start reading some chunky books!

Wondering what’s a chunkster? A chunkster is an adult or YA book, non-fiction or fiction, that’s 450 pages or more.

Rules for this challenge:

• Audio books and e-books are now allowed. You want to listen to a chunkster on audio? Be my guest.
• Essay, short story, and poetry collections are allowed but they have to be read in their entirety to count.
• Books may crossover with other challenges.
• Anyone can join.
• You don’t have to list your book ahead of time.
• Graphic novels don’t count. Sorry guys but reading a chunkster graphic novel isn’t the same as reading a non-graphic chunkster.

There are no levels to choose from, but I have decided to try and read 20 chunky books. Or more if I reach that goal, I have already read four of the twenty, so I am in pretty good shape. 

March TBR!!!

I realized I have so many books that I need to read to accomplishing my goal. So, to make it a little easier and to stay on track I have decided to do monthly To Be Read posts. With these I will lay out the books that I hope to read throughout the month and then do a wrap up post at the end of the month with all the ones I finished. I did the math and it seems I need to read 12-13 books every month to meet my goal.

This month will be a little crazy. I really want to get caught up with the Game of Thrones books before the show starts again on April 17th. This means I am giving myself the month of March to read the second and third books and the beginning of April to watch the second and third seasons. Actual craziness. Hopefully I will be able to accomplish it all.

All the book I will be attempting this month:

1. Broken Beauty - Lizzy Ford
2. Angel Fire (Angel #2) - L.A. Weatherly
3. Angel Fever (Angel #3) - L.A. Weatherly
4. A Clash of Kings (ASIF #2) - George R.R. Martin
5. A Storm of Swords (ASIF #3) - George R.R. Martin
6. Dark Days - Kate Ormand
7. Forbidden - Tabitha Suzuma 
8. The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman 
9. On Dublin Street - Samantha Young
10. Runes - Ednah Walters
11. Sekret - Lindsay Smith
12. Sempre - J.M. Darhower
13. The Tyrant's Daughter - J.C. Carleson
14. Where Monsters Dwell - Jorgen Brekke

Sooo many. I just did a page count and it is over 6000. I am pretty sure my eyeballs will be falling out by the end of this month. Also, I just want to say that I tried so hard to get all the covers in this post, instead of listing them all. But apparently I am not tech savvy enough to figure out how to get the pictures to sit side by side. SO if anyone out there can give me a hand, that would be great!

2014 Netgalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge

I have a habit of requesting books on NetGalley and then forgetting about them or getting more form the library so these time restricted books get blacked on the back burner. I really want to change that this year and bring my ratio up as far as possible (it is embarrassingly low right now). Falling for YA has created a challenge that is geared towards what I want to do, so I am going to join in! Find out more about this challenge and sign up at Falling for YA.

Challenge Guidelines:

• This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2014 – Dec 31, 2014.
• Anyone is welcome to join. You do not need to be a blogger, just post your reviews and come back every month to link them up.
• Any genre, release date, request date, length, etc. counts so long as it came from Edelweiss or Netgalley.
• At the beginning of each month there will be a roundup post for you to add your reviews.
• If you forget to link up one month it's not a problem just add your reviews next month.
• If you would like to move up or down levels that is completely fine and at your discretion
• Throughout the year there will be giveaways for Challenge participants, make sure to check in regularly and follow this blog so you don't miss any!
• If you have any questions tweet me @FallingForYA or e-mail Emisbookblog@aol.com

Levels:

Aluminum – 5 books

Bronze – 10 books

Silver – 25 books

Gold – 50 books

Platinum – 75 books

Diamond– 100 books

I will be going for Gold with 50 books. I have already read 9/50 and will hopefully have those reviews up soon. 

I am joining a few other challenges so I will likely do a monthly challenge wrap up post with all the books that I have read. 

Stacking the Shelves #4

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. 26th. All title link to Goodreads.

The Here and Now / Ann Brashares / April 8, 2014

Seventeen—year—old Prenna James is an immigrant. Not of a place, but of a time. She and the others have traveled back in time to escape a mosquito-borne illness that has mutated and caused a pandemic. Prenna must follow a strict set of rule: never reveal where they are from, never interfere with history, and never be intimate with anyone outside their community. She has been content to follow all of these rules until she meets Ethan Jarves. I am so excited for this story. The premise sounds amazing and I really want to find out why they have to keep everything in their community. It seems like this is a standalone, which is refreshing in a series bogged world, and a relatively short one at that, at 256 pages. I think it is going to be a fast, exciting read!

Hexed / Michelle Krys / June 10, 2014

This is something I have not been hearing a lot about, but it seems like it will be interesting. Indigo Blackwood’s life is turned upside down when a mysterious stranger shows up in her town after a few unfortunate things happen surrounding Indigo. He comes baring news that if she does not retrieve her old family Bible every witch on the planet will die. Bad news, especially when the stranger claims she is one of those witches.

I Become Shadow / Joe Shine / June 10, 2014

The summary seems a bit confusing or things just aren't being explained in a way that my brain finds cohesive. It seems interesting though, following a young girl that was abducted at the age of fourteen and by a mysterious agency to train to be a guardian of a future leader. Now age eighteen her assignment is almost kidnapped in broad daylight causing her to get into contact with one of the only people she can trust, fellow child abductee, Junie. 

Into the Still Blue / Veronica Rossi / January 28, 2014

So excited for this! If I am being honest, I have not read the first two books in this series yet, but I have been hearing great things about it. I haven’t really looked into what this one is about because I do not want to spoil myself on the other two, but I borrowed the other two from the library this week and can’t wait to start!

Killer Instinct / S.E.  Green / May 6, 2014

Lane is an average teenage girl, with one exception. Her obsession with serial killers, people that she understands because she thinks she may be on herself. She uses her dark impulses to track criminals and deliver justice when the law fails. Lane gets involved in a case about a young preschool teacher that has been dismembered and is actually contacted by the killer directly. Dark secrets about her family start to surface and she must find out who the killer is before she or someone she loves becomes the next victim. I am really looking forward to getting inside her head and seeing what makes her tick.

The Last Forever / Deb Caletti / April 1, 2014

Tessa has recently lost her mother and her father thinks the best thing for them to do is to take a road trip that ends in a tiny coastal town where she meets a boy. Not just any boy, but someone who seems to understand the attachment to her mother’s favorite plant, which has started to wither. He might be just the thing she needs to help her through this hard time in her life. This seems like it will be a nice, sweet story about healing after a great loss. 

Liv, Forever / Amy Talkington / March 11, 2014

I am really interested in this one, it seems to be getting a lot of good reviews. Liv Bloom is the new girl at Whickham Hall, there on an art scholarship and she gets mixed up in things she shouldn’t and ends up being murdered. As a ghost she learns that she was a victim of a dark conspiracy that spans 150 years and now must find the truth about it all with help from the only boy that can see her. This just sounds like a dark, haunting read and I can’t wait to start it.

*There is also a pretty awesome book trailer that can be found here.

The Lost Sisterhood / Anne Fortier / March 11, 2014

I am super excited about this. I can’t even really tell you what it is about; just that it includes a young scholar searching for clues to prove the Amazon warrior women actually existed. Throw in some Greek mythology and it’s a real doozy of a story spanning from England to North Africa to Greece and the ruins of ancient Troy and through different time periods. In a nutshell, awesome. 

The Lure / Lynne Ewing / February 11, 2014

This is about a fifteen-year-old girl who joins a really exclusive and infamous gang in Washington, DC. Her home life is rough and as a way to survive she agrees to go through a violent initiation to be a part of the crew. She then finds herself in even more dangerous situations as the head of the gang convinces Blaise to be his “lure”. A lure is someone that is used as a way to bait and track down rival gang members to exact any revenge that needs to be had. I am interested in seeing how this comes out. I read the Daughters of the Moon series by Ewing and really like one of the main characters who had been affiliated with a gang, so it will be interesting to read a full-fledged novel about it all.

Mafia Girl / Deborah Blumenthal / March 1, 2014

For some reason I really like Mafia/Mob stories, they just hold my attention. This one I am very intrigued by because the main character is the daughter of the boss, who happens to fall in love with a police officer. Big no no. I feel like I have not read many of these types of stories where it is a female that is the child, so it should be interesting. 

~

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