Stacking the Shelves (4)

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Hey guys. It's been so busy this past week, so that's why there was no review Friday. I was studying for my Nursing Board Exam and interviewing for a job (which I got! YAY!)

But despite my hectic schedule, I managed to procure an impressive book-haul this week. Take a look....

Books I Bought: 

Legend by Marie Lu
Leisl and Po by Lauren Oliver (absolutely GORGEOUS cover!)
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Books Traded: 

Shadow and Bone (ARC) by Leigh Bardugo

Books for Review: e-ARCs from NetGalley and Edelwiess  

Spark by Brigid Kemmerer (Thank you K-Teen)
Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazer (Thank you Flux)
Princess Academy: Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale (Thank you Bloomsbury)
Butter by Erin Jade Lange (Thank you Bloomsbury)
What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang (thank you HaperCollins!)
Defiance by CJ Redwine (thank you HarperCollins!)

(I will add pictures or a video either tonight or tomorrow).

What do you all think? I literally jumped up and down for joy when HarperCollins approved me for What's Left of Me and Defiance. Both were featured on my WoW and I have been dying to get my hands on a copy! So yay! What did you all get to stack your shelves? I want to know. :D

Giveaway: Debut Author

There are a TON of awesome debut authors this year. And I am extremely proud to giveaway a copy of on my favorite debuts: Storm my Brigid Kemmerer. If you haven't read it yet, here's your chance. Check out my review here, and see if it's the for you. Then enter in the giveaway and you could win! Plus, I'll throw in some signed bookmarks for the lucky winner.

Rules:
1. Must be 13 years or older
2. Must be a blog follower
3. Must live in US
4. Winner must respond within 48 hours of e-mail with address (otherwise, I reserve the right to choose another winner). 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wow: The Crown of Embers

Wow: The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

Release: September 18, 2012

- - - -

(Summary from Goodreads)

Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy.

- - - -

I want this book. So bad. The Girl of Fire and Thorns was amazing and this book has been on my top 10 most anticipated titles of 2012. Seriously, though, the cover is gorgeous and the summary promises to be a fun and epic adventure. I can't wait to explore more of Elisa's word and I can't wait to see her grow even more as a character. 

And if you haven't read The Girl of Fire and Thorns, go and enter my giveaway, NOW! Today is the last day you can enter. And if I get more than 250 entries, the winner will ALSO get Sarah J. Maas' e-novellas. 

- - - -

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly Meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine. Book bloggers present upcoming books they can’t wait to read and share their enthusiasm about new releases.

Recommendation: The Girl of Fire and Thorns

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Release: September 20, 2012 

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble 

- - - - 

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one. 

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can't see how she ever will. Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

- - - -  

This book, quite simply, was amazing. I don't know how else to describe it. 

Elisa is the youngest daughter, supposedly destined for something great. She's never believed it, though, constantly drowning her doubts in food and comparing herself to her older sister. Her prettier and well-spoken sister. 

When Elisa is arranged to marry the King Alejandro, I admit, I felt this was going to be a pretty predictable read. But it wasn't. Elisa's journey is full of twists and turns and she meets people along the way that I grew to love: Humberto, Cosme, and others. The last 100 pages, no joke, made me cry and I applaud Carson for taking the road less traveled!! It was an ending I didn't expect and, at first, it didn't settle well with me. I wanted to throw my book because I was upset! 

And then I thought about it, and smiled. 

Carson obviously knew what she was doing, and I trust that Elisa and her relationship between her possible love interest will be more developed in the second book. This first book was merely a view into Elisa's fascinating world and Elisa's growth as a character. She goes from someone who is overweight and full of self-pity, to a Queen people can look up to. It was so very satisfying to see this growth. 

RATING: 5 SLICES 

Stacking the Shelves (3)

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Last week? I got ZERO books, so I didn't post a Stacking the Shelves. 

This week? I got two books. It's not a lot, but I am SO EXCITED to share these books with you all. Take a look at THIS: 

Yes, that is an ARC of Throne of Glass. The very book that I have been raving about since I first started this blog. It is...a dream come true. AND IT IS SIGNED! Needless to say, I started reading the moment I got it, and IT IS MAGICAL. It is everything I had hoped it would be. Thank you, Sarah!

And, as if that isn't enough I also got this for review: 

Did you read that? For review! I requested this book on NetGalley and I WAS APPROVED. Thank you Harlequin Teen for providing this e-ARC. 

That's it! Short and sweet, but VERY exciting. 

Review: A Midsummer's Nightmare

A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger 

Release: June 5, 2012

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble 

- - - -

Whitley Johnson's dream summer with her divorcé dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met his new fiancée and her kids. The fiancée's son? Whitley's one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great.

Worse, she totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn't her stepbrother...at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.

Filled with authenticity and raw emotion, Whitley is Kody Keplinger's most compelling character to date: a cynical Holden Caulfield-esque girl you will wholly care about.

- - - - -

Whitley Johnson is NOT pleased. 


She has looked forward to spending time with her dad--just the two of them--when he picks her up and surprises her with with a new fiancé and future step-siblings. 


It's safe to say that Whitley is very, very bitter. She parties hard to forget her pain and loneliness. What I loved about this book, however, was Whitley's voice. It's very distinctive and believable. From the first page, I was hooked---and this is coming from someone who's actually pretty conservative and the total opposite of Whitley. But she's not the only character I grew to love. 


Bailey, her future stepsister, was sweet and adorable. Harrison, Whitley's friend, was charming and funny. And Nathan, her future stepbrother, was...a far more complicated character than I expected him to be. And I liked him. A lot. I didn't care too much for Whitley's parents or her future step-mother, Sylvia (although, I am glad Kelpinger made a step-mother that was actually nice.) 


Was this book cliched? Yes. In a lot of ways. But Keplinger's writing and Whitley's voice made the read so enjoyable and worthwhile. I really feel like I should write more, but honestly, the book is pretty short, simple, and fun. Can't wait to see what else Keplinger comes up with next. 


**ARC provided by NYMBC. Thank you!**

RATING: 4 SLICES

Cover Reveal: The Collector

Just last week, I was introduced to a new book coming out next year: The Collector. Check out the goodreads summary and see what you think...

- - - 

He makes good girls...bad. 

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence has made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple, weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal opportunity collector and doesn’t want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within 10 days.

Dante doesn’t know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky, Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect—he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector, and uncover emotions deeply buried.

- - -

And NOW I have the pleasure of revealing the cover (thanks to Entangled Publishing)

I like it! A lot! The use of grey, white, red, and black, the simple text...and the background. What do you all think of the summary and/or the cover?