Stacking the Shelves #15

 

Hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

Welcome back to Stacking the Shelves, a regular meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga’s Reviews. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the latest books you have added to your shelves, physical or virtual.  This means you can include books you buy in store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course e-books!

I took “Dry July” to the extreme and didn’t buy or borrow any books, but now it’s August I’m back!

I won a $US10 Amazon gift voucher this week, and have started spending it with two 1001 Dark Nights Demonica novellas from Larissa Ione, Aazagoth and Hades. Love these covers!

I made two requests from Netgalley and they were both granted. The first was Darken the Stars (Kricket, book 3) by Amy A. Bartol. I absolutely love this series and can’t wait to get started on this final installment.

I also asked for and was granted Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon, about which I have heard great things. Really looking forward to starting this one, too. Again, both of these have beautiful covers!

Finally, I borrowed The Devil’s Star (Harry Hole, book 5) by Jo Nesbo on audiobook from the public library. I’ve read a few of his books and would like to read more of his Harry Hole novels. They’re very good.

So that’s it for this week. Keep an eye out for my reviews of these in coming weeks. So what new books did you pick up this week? Let me know in the comments.

A Thousand Pieces of You, by Claudia Gray

Format: audiobook, 9 hours 18 minutes, narrated by Tavia Gilbert

Publisher: HarperTeen

Published: November 4, 2014

ISBN: 9780062376541

Genre: YA fiction, science fiction

Back cover blurb: Every Day meets Cloud Atlas in this heart-racing, space- and time-bending, epic new trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray.

Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer—her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul—escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt—and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.

A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure.

My review: OMG, this is so good! All my favourite things are here: Swoony boys, time travel, czarist Russia, geekiness and pop culture references, and so much UST! There are a few red herrings which had me questioning my assumptions about who the baddies were, but even though I was correct in my suspicions, the thrills are still fast-paced and there’s a scene right at the end that had me on the edge of my seat. And that cover is just gorgeous. I can’t wait for the next book out later this year.

My rating: 5/5

Amazon

Stacking the Shelves #10

 

Hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

Welcome back to Stacking the Shelves, a regular meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga’s Reviews. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the latest books you have added to your shelves, physical or virtual.  This means you can include books you buy in store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course e-books! Here is my haul from this week.

Free on Amazon Kindle

It’s been a little quiet this week. From Amazon I purchased NightDrake by Lara Adrian, which was free, and iBooks sent me my pre-order of Never Never: Part Two by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher. Looking forward to reading more of that one!

Pre-ordered from iBooks

From the public library I downloaded the e-book of The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski.

Downloaded from the public library

And that was it! Keep an eye out for my reviews of these in coming weeks. So what new books did you pick up this week? Let me know in the comments.

Talon, by Julie Kagawa

Format: audiobook, 12 hours and 32 minutes, narrated by Caitlin Davies, MacLeod Andrews and Chris Patton

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Published: October 28, 2014

ISBN: 9781483024776

Genre: YA paranormal

Back cover blurb: Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they’re positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon’s newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember’s bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.

My review: I may have been one of the few people who didn’t much like Kagawa’s Iron Fey, mainly because I’m not a big fan of fairies, but dragons are another matter entirely. I really liked this, even though there was the usual YA love triangle and Ember seems more human than dragon most of the time. I’m definitely Team Garret and cannot wait until the next book is released next week.

My rating: 4/5

Amazon

Stacking the Shelves #6

Hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

Welcome back to Stacking the Shelves, a regular meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga’s Reviews. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the latest books you have added to your shelves, physical or virtual.  This means you can include books you buy in store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course e-books! Here is my haul from this week.

Purchased from Audible

Audible‘s half-price sale continued and I just couldn’t help myself. I purchased Pop Goes the Weasel by M.J. Arlidge, Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch, The Madness Underneath and The Shadow Cabinet by Maureen Johnson, Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, Blood On Snow by Jo Nesbo, and The Dangers of Dating a Rebound Vampire by Molly Harper. Whew!

Approved Netgalley requests

Netgalley approved my request for Single Woman Seeks Revenge by Tracy Bloom and Heat Exchange, the first of Shannon Stacey‘s new Boston Fire series. Looks good, if the cover is anything to go by!

Downloaded from public library

From the local public library, I downloaded A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray on audiobooks. I’ve heard a lot of good things about this book.

Purchased from Amazon

My only other purchase this week was from Amazon, and was True Love Way by Mary Elizabeth.

Wow, that looks like heaps! Keep an eye out for my reviews of these in coming weeks. So what new books did you pick up this week? Let me know in the comments.

All the Bright Places, by Jennifer Niven

Format: Audiobook, 11 hours 4 minutes, narrated by Ariadne Meyers and Kirby Heyborne

Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group

Published: January 6, 2015

ISBN: 9780553552225

Genre: YA fiction

Back cover blurb: The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Elle Fanning!

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.
Includes a PDF Help Line Resource Guide and a Note Read by the Author.

My review: There was a lump in my throat when I finished this. Sadly, I know too many people who have taken their own lives, or tried to, and this book made me remember them all with so many emotions. It was a little slow to grab me at first, but the ending is powerful and I hope the young people who read this get the message. Heart-breaking.

My rating: 4/5

Amazon

The Selection, by Kiera Cass

Format: Audiobook, 8 hours 7 minutes, narrated by Amy Rubinate

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Published: April 24, 2012

ISBN: 9780062132659

Genre: YA fiction, romance

Back cover blurb: For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself—and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

My review: This is definitely The Hunger Games meets The Bachelor, and while the character names were cringeworthy – King Clarkson? Really? – the story wasn’t too bad and suits a YA readership level. The prince is swoony and I’m rooting for him to get the girl, even though she’s a bit flaky at times and might not really deserve him. Sure, I’ll read the next book – the covers are very pretty.

My rating: 3/5

Amazon

 

Stacking the Shelves #4

Hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

Welcome back to Stacking the Shelves, a regular meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga’s Reviews. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the latest books you have added to your shelves, physical or virtual.  This means you can include books you buy in store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course e-books! Here is my smaller-than-usual haul from this week.

Checked out from the library

From my local public library I checked out Talon by Julie Kagawa on audiobook. I like dragons so I hope this new series of hers is a good one. The second book, Rogue, is coming out soon.

Purchased from iBooks

New Zealand iBooks had another sale… yeah, I know, I’m a sucker for them – and I grabbed Hope Flames by Jaci Burton for $1.99.

Purchased from Amazon

My only other purchase this week was from Amazon. Since I enjoyed the Kricket series by Amy A. Bartol so much, I decided to start her earlier series, and picked up Inescapable.

Three books is plenty for one week, I think. My TBR list is enormous! Keep an eye out for my reviews of these in coming weeks. So what new books did you pick up this week? Let me know in the comments.

Stacking the Shelves #3

Hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

Welcome back to Stacking the Shelves, a regular meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga’s Reviews. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the latest books you have added to your shelves, physical or virtual.  This means you can include books you buy in store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course e-books! Here is my haul from this week… and yes, I don’t know when I’ll get the time to read them all!

Library audiobooks I checked out

From my local public library I checked out two audiobooks: All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven and The Selection by Kiera Cass. Such pretty covers!

e-ARC from Netgalley

Netgalley granted me access to Mug Meals by Dina Cheney, and you can read my review here.

Purchased from iBooks

New Zealand iBooks had Paullina Simons’ early books on sale at $4.99 each, so I picked up Bellagrand and Children of Liberty, both prequels to the amazing The Bronze Horseman, which is one of my favourite books of all time.

Purchased from Amazon

Amazon had an 18-book bundle, Red Hot Lovers, on sale for 77c which had a book in it I had wanted to read by Daisy Prescott. On its own the book was $3.99, so I grabbed the 77c bundle just for Daisy Prescott’s Ready to Fall. Also on Amazon, I snapped up the freebie novella Valentine by Samantha Young, which was in Alex Margaret’s Stacking the Shelves last week. Thanks for that tip, Alex!

Purchased from Audible

There was also a two-for-one-credit sale at Audible, through which I grabbed The Beautiful Ashes by Jeaniene Frost and Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas. I really need to read Throne of Glass – it’s been on my TBR for ages, and Jeaniene Frost is pretty much an auto-buy for me.

Not bad for one week, eh? I’d better get reading and listening! Keep an eye out for my reviews of these in coming weeks. So what new books did you pick up this week? Let me know in the comments.

This Side of the Grave, by Jeaniene Frost

Format: ebook, 280 pages

Published: February 22, 2011 (first published February 1, 2011)

Publisher: HarperCollins

Back cover blurb:

Danger waits on both sides of the grave.

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her vampire husband Bones have fought for their lives, as well as for their relationship. But just when they’ve triumphed over the latest battle, Cat’s new and unexpected abilities threaten to upset a long-standing balance . . .

With the mysterious disappearance of vampires, rumors abound that a species war is brewing. A zealot is inciting tensions between the vampires and ghouls, and if these two powerful groups clash, innocent mortals could become collateral damage. Now Cat and Bones are forced to seek help from a dangerous “ally”—the ghoul queen of New Orleans herself. But the price of her assistance may prove more treacherous than even the threat of a supernatural war . . . to say nothing of the repercussions Cat never imagined.

My review:

Cat and Bones are as smexy as usual, but I have to say the thinish plot didn’t grip me as much as some of the earlier books. The scenes with Don were heartbreaking, but I loved the ending and am keen to read the next book to find out where that goes.

Vlad continues to intrigue me, so I’m glad he’s getting his own spinoff book. I just wish she’d write one for Ian!

My rating: 4/5

Related articles

• First Drop of Crimson, by Jeaniene Frost (mrsaubergine.wordpress.com)
• My Book Boyfriend- Bones (bookishtemptations.com)