Saturday, September 28, 2013

StS [4]


Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews, which is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. You can read more about the creation of Stacking the Shelves by visiting the official launch page here.
It's being a while since I made one of these, so I will try to add everything of the past weeks. As in:
From August 24, 2013 to October 5, 2013

 Read these past weeks (in order):



First Row:

  • The Pool Theory, by: Alexa Nazzaro
  • Deceived, by: Julie Ann Lindsey
  • Sweet Temptation (Sweet #4), by: Maya Banks
  • The Rise of Hotel Dumort (The Bane Chroniles #5), by: Cassandra Clare & Maureen Johnson
  • The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds #1), by: Alexandra Bracken
  • In Time (The Darkest Minds #1.5), by: Alexandra Bracken
  • Water (Akasha #1), by: Terra Harmony
Second Row:

  • Air (Akasha #2), by: Terra Harmony
  • Fire (Akasha #3), by: Terra Harmony
  • Earth (Akasha #4), by: Terra Harmony
  • The Transfer (Divergent #0.1), by: Veronica Roth
  • Autumn (Dog Days #1), by: Sierra Dean
  • Forbidden: Discover the Legend (Wolf Sirens #1), by: Tina Smith
  • Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy #1), by: Sarah Rees Brennan
Third Row:

  • The Spring Before I Met You (The Lynburn Legacy #0.25), by: Sarah Rees Brennan
  • The Summer Before I Met You (The Lynburn Legacy #0.5), by: Sarah Rees Brennan
  • Untold (The Lynburn Legacy #2), by: Sarah Rees Brennan
  • Wallbanger, by: Alice Clayton
  • Sacrifice of Love (The Grey Wolves #7), by: Quinn Loftis
  • Saving Raphael Santiago (The Bane Chronicles #6), by: Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan
  • Fangirl, by: Rainbow Rowell
  • Sweet Possession (Sweet #5), by: Maya Banks


Re-Read these past weeks:


 
City of Bones (TMI #1) by: Cassandra Clare - Paper Towns by: John Green

Currently Reading:

Incarnate (New Soul #1) by: Jodi Meadows

To be Read this Week:
I try not to define my future reads, because I may say that I'm going to read a book, but then I open another one. But I will try to read the full New Soul series, well, the books that are out for now, and maybe the last book of Sweet series, Sweet Addiction. If I have time, I will read Elfin, by: Quinn Loftis.

[R] Sweet Possession, by: Maya Banks

Sweet Possession
(Sweet #5)
by: Maya Banks

★★★★½

She’s a singer who lives for the spotlight—and can’t resist her adoring fans… Outrageous and out-of-control, Lyric Jones is a spoiled pop star who lives hard and fast, always outrunning her past and the nightmares that haunt her. She’s used to getting what she wants—groupies included—because she can’t stand to be alone. So in bed, it’s the more the merrier, even if it means closing off the deepest part of herself…

He’s a hands-on bodyguard—and a one-woman man. There is nothing Connor Malone wants to do less than babysit the celebratty songstress while she’s on vacation. But part of him relishes taming Lyric and showing her what it’s like to be possessed—body and soul—by one man. And though Lyric’s crazy antics nearly drive Connor to the edge, his quiet intensity penetrates her defenses, leaving them both vulnerable to the secrets that could topple Lyric from the stage.

Monday, September 23, 2013

[R] Fangirl, by: Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl
by: Rainbow Rowell

★★★★★

A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.

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?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?


Sunday, September 22, 2013

[R] Sacrifice of Love, by: Quinn Loftis

Sacrifice of Love
(The Grey Wolves #7)
by: Quinn Loftis

★★★★★

As one evil falls, another rises in its place. The powerful witch, Desdemona, has finally been killed by an alliance of wolf, elf, and fae. But Reyaz, brother to Cypher the warlock king, has vowed retribution for a life that was taken from him. Now Cypher must decide not only how to protect his newfound mate and his people, but also how to destroy the only family he has left. Meanwhile, Jen’s pregnancy progresses and the fateful due date draws ever nearer. The thought of losing Decebel’s child constantly threatens to overwhelm her. With each passing day, Decebel grows more distant, causing Jen to wonder what toll the impending loss of their child is taking on him. Unbeknownst to Jen, in an act of desperation to protect his unborn child and mate, Decebel strikes a deadly bargain with the Great Luna—his life in place of his child’s. There is only one way for that to happen; the bond between he and Jen must be broken.

As Jen as Decebel struggle through their darkness, another kind of darkness is infiltrating Fane’s heart. Doubts and questions linger as he tries to cope with the emotions brought on in the aftermath of Desdemona’s curse. He knows what happened wasn’t real, but still he can’t rid himself of the terrible images seared into his memory. Jacque is his light, the one who keeps the darkness at bay, yet he won’t let her inside to do just that.

Sally continues to learn what it means to be a gypsy healer and Costin struggles to protect her as she runs full speed ahead to help her wolves, heedless of her own safety. She sees her best friends struggling, each enduring their own trials. She’s desperate to help them, but can she keep them safe?

With all of these things hanging heavy over the heads of the Serbia and Romania packs, their attention is divided. The wolves do not even realize a threat has slowly infiltrated their midst. Will they recognize the threat in time to save the lives that precariously hang in the balance?

Against this backdrop of darkness, choices will be made, fears will confronted, and the ultimate sacrifice will be made. Will the wolves stand together to defeat the threats arrayed against them, both from within and without? Will love conquer all? Or will the beleaguered wolves finally succumb to their demons?

Saturday, September 21, 2013

[R] Wallbanger, by: Alice Clayton

Wallbanger
by: Alice Clayton

★★★★★

Caroline Reynolds has a fantastic new apartment in San Francisco, a KitchenAid mixer, and no O (and we’re not talking Oprah here, folks). She has a flourishing design career, an office overlooking the bay, a killer zucchini bread recipe, and no O. She has Clive (the best cat ever), great friends, a great rack, and no O.

Adding insult to O-less, since her move, she has an oversexed neighbor with the loudest late-night wallbanging she’s ever heard. Each moan, spank, and–was that a meow?–punctuates the fact that not only is she losing sleep, she still has, yep, you guessed it, no O.

Enter Simon Parker. (No, really, Simon, please enter.) When the wallbanging threatens to literally bounce her out of bed, Caroline, clad in sexual frustration and a pink baby-doll nightie, confronts her heard-but-never-seen neighbor. Their late-night hallway encounter has, well, mixed results. Ahem. With walls this thin, the tension’s gonna be thick…

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

[R] Untold, by: Sarah Rees Brennan

Untold
(The Lynburn Legacy #2)
by: Sarah Rees Brennan

★★★★½

Free from bonds, but not each other.

It’s time to choose sides… On the surface, Sorry-in-the-Vale is a sleepy English town. But Kami Glass knows the truth. Sorry-in-the-Vale is full of magic. In the old days, the Lynburn family ruled with fear, terrifying the people into submission in order to kill for blood and power. Now the Lynburns are back, and Rob Lynburn is gathering sorcerers so that the town can return to the old ways.

But Rob and his followers aren’t the only sorcerers in town. A decision must be made: pay the blood sacrifice, or fight. For Kami, this means more than just choosing between good and evil. With her link to Jared Lynburn severed, she’s now free to love anyone she chooses. But who should that be?

Sunday, September 15, 2013

[Short Review] The Summer Before I Met You, by: Sarah Rees Brennan

The Summer Before I Met You
(The Lynburn Legacy #0.5)
by: Sarah Rees Brennan

★★★★★

“Take care of your spirit, Kami,” said Megumi. “And don’t burn the place down.” 

Kami grabbed both the suitcases and headed for the cabin she was sharing with Liz and Angela. Liz walked with her, and on their way Kami stopped.

“My Sobo was exaggerating,” she said earnestly. “There have been very few fires.”
Same as The Spring Before I Met You, but this story is a happy one. You could say that everyone was happy at the end. We see POV from someone that did not appear in Unspoken, neither mentioned. Lily, whose last name is more long than a river, make a cricket camp with around of 30 kids. Kami and Angela are there to help her, more Kami than Angela though.

Its a funny story and happy one too, as I said. The camp was very active and funny. Except of the part when Kami's Sobo died. In Unspoken she is already dead, but seeing how she was with Kami and then knowing how Kami felt when her Sobo died was sad. At least she had Jared with her to console her. I keep saying that the end of Unspoken was the worst. I want them together not alone by each other. Ugh. Guess that I need to read Untold to know.

I recommend this short story. Its funny!

Saturday, September 14, 2013

[Short Review] The Spring Before I Met You, by: Sarah Rees Brennan

The Spring Before I Met You 
(The Lynburn Legacy #0.25)
by: Sarah Rees Brennan

★★★★★

This story introduces us to one of the main characters of Unspoken, Jared Lynburn. Seeing him as the broken, dangerous, closed-off teenager that he appears to be from the outside allows us to anticipate all of the insight we'll have into his character when we get inside his head--which we will, since he's the heroine's "imaginary friend."

Very strange. I got no other word to describe the story. It was not lovely, nor happier, but neither was a tragedy, kind of sad but no more. Strange because it doesn't have a known character POV. The story takes place before Unspoken, so we got a young teacher counselor making her POV.

Hearing about Jared from other person is not new, but hearing from someone that he did not talk in the head is new. Mariel, the counselor, is a paint teacher too, but she got to meet Jared by being her counselor. He did not talk much, but the strange thing is that he did talk. But only of Kami, his supposed imaginary friend which we know that she is more real than snow. He talks about her feeling so happy that I was sad all over again after the end of Unspoken. I still denying the fact that they are not connected anymore and that they didn't end in good terms at the end. Its sad to see a old relationship crumbs like that.

I discover another thing. The Lynburn family didn't know of Jared's existence! I was not aware of that fact. I don't know what I thought, but that was never in my mind. *sighs* Read this story. Its short and good.

[R] Unspoken, by: Sarah Rees Brennan

Unspoken
(The Lynburn Legacy #1)
by: Sarah Rees Brennan

★★★★½

Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.

But all that changes when the Lynburns return.

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

[R] Forbidden, by: Tina Smith

Forbidden: Discover the Legend
(Wolf Sirens #1)
by: Tina Smith

★★☆☆☆

When Lila unwillingly moves to the country town of Shade, she can’t imagine the life-altering events that lie in wait for her. Shade has a curfew and has always been surrounded by myths. A central feature of the town is its famous statue of Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, whose spirit is said to protect the innocent.

Lila falls in with a group of intriguing teenagers with luminescent eyes and soon she is drawn into the shadowlands of fantasy and reality, where destiny collides.

A mysterious local girl, Cresida, warns her to stay away, but Lila is drawn to them like a moth to a flame.

Cresida knows their fatal secret and she is honour-bound to protect those who are endangered. But she underestimates Lila’s passion for the mysterious and charismatic clan of youths. Lila begins to feel a call she cannot ignore. Yet her heart is filled with vulnerable desires that begin to turn the underworld upside down, for both hunter and hunted, as she learns they have been waiting for her…

Inspired by the legend of the mythical femme fatale, Wolf Sirens is an intimate tale of unrequited and forbidden love in the underworld, a masterpiece of romance fantasy.

Saturday, September 7, 2013

[R] Autumn, by: Sierra Dean

Autumn
(Dog Days #1)
by: Sierra Dean

★★★★★

Cooper Reynolds’s life is going to the dogs… literally.

As if being a high school senior in a small Texas town wasn’t hard enough, Cooper has bigger things to worry about than who he’ll take to prom and whether or not the Poisonfoot Padres will win homecoming. He has less than a year before his eighteenth birthday, when a curse placed on his family will doom him to live in coyote form forever.

The last thing he needs to complicate his already messed-up life is a girl, but fate has other plans in mind for him when it brings Eloise “Lou” Whittaker to Poisonfoot. She’s grouchy, sarcastic and has no love for her new Texas home, but she might be exactly the right person to help Cooper break the curse.

The clock is ticking, and Cooper will have to decide if he’s willing to let Lou in on his dirty little secret before it’s too late.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Earth - By: Terra Harmony

Earth (Akasha #4)
by: Terra Harmony

3.5 of 5 stars

After an elemental apocalypse, the fate of Earth hangs in the balance.

The hunt for Micah in a world that has gone dim leads Kaitlyn straight to Shawn and One Less. While struggling to survive, she battles a side of her that is as dark as the rest of the planet. In the exciting conclusion to The Akasha Series, our heroine is no longer a part of The Seven or One Less. Now she is on Team Kaitlyn; who will join her?





Thursday, September 5, 2013

The Transfer - By: Veronica Roth

The Transfer: A Divergent Story
(Divergent #0.1)
by: Veronica Roth

5 of 5 stars

More Four! Fans of the Divergent series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth will be thrilled by "The Transfer," the first of four new short stories told from Four’s perspective. Each brief story explores the world of the Divergent series through the eyes of the mysterious but charismatic Tobias Eaton, revealing previously unknown facets of his personality, backstory, and relationships.





Monday, September 2, 2013

[R] Fire, by: Terra Harmony

Fire
(Akasha #3)
by: Terra Harmony

★★★★☆

Elemental magic is a weapon of power, on both sides of the war.

The Seven has another leader, Kaitlyn is a new mother, and everyone is busy building their armies. During one battle, the secret to Akasha is discovered, and the race to master it is on. With all eyes on the prize, what matters most gets left behind. It is up to Kaitlyn to preserve the planet in the wake of the pure destructive power of Akasha, and the humans who wield it.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

[R] Air, by: Terra Harmony

Air
(Akasha #2)
by: Terra Harmony

★★★★☆

She carries more than elemental powers. In ‘Air’, the sequel to ‘Water’ of the Akasha Series, Kaitlyn has a secret. One she won’t be able to hide much longer. As the strongest Gaia the planet has ever seen, she must face mankind’s greatest enemy as he campaigns for ‘One Less: Depopulation’. Everything depends on Kaitlyn fully embracing her role as Gaia. Her family. The Seven. The Earth. Something has to give, and it won’t be Kaitlyn.

[R] Water, by: Terra Harmony

Water
(Akasha #1)
by: Terra Harmony

★★☆☆☆

Elemental powers in the palm of her hand...and it won't be enough to save her. When Kaitlyn Alder is involuntarily introduced to a life of magic, she becomes part of an organization hell-bent on saving the Earth. Just as her new-found life holds promises of purpose, romance, and friendship, the organization divides and a rogue member holds Kaitlyn hostage. Now one of the most terrifying men the human race has to offer stands between her and Earth's survival.

Paper Towns - By: John Green

Paper Towns
by: John Green

5 of 5 stars

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life - dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge - he follows.

After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues - and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer Q gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew.