Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews
From Listia:
From Tor Teen:
From Abrams:
From Spencer Hill Press and Source Books Jabberwocky:
Stacking the Shelves [3]
September 30, 2013
{Review} Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Author: Kendare Blake
Publisher: Tor Teen
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Horror
Release Date: October 17th 2011
Purchase: Amazon | TBD
Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.
So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.
When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.
And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.
This book was creepy, dark and intensely fascinating. I'm not used to reading horror, just watching it, but this was just simply amazing! I can't tell you how many times I had to put the book down just because it creeped me out. I caught myself occasionally peering around the pages of my book thinking that something was there in the room with me, and since I read mainly at night in my room, it just added to the effect.
Theseus Cassio, or Cas to his friends, hunts ghosts. And he's not your typical ghost hunter. He doesn't go around trying to catch EVPs, take photos or try to talk with them. He literally hunts them, as in slaying ghosts. It's a family "business" so to speak. His father had the gift and now Cas does as well. After his latest kill he is drawn to Thunder Bay, Ontario for his newest gig, Anna Korlov. He soon finds out that she is not all that she appears to be. Soon he finds himself asking questions and going on a journey to get the questions answered.
The characters were simply amazing. However, at first, before I found out Cas was indeed a boy, I had thought he was a girl. Blake soon made it clear that he was, in fact, a boy, and cleared up any confusion. Cas is strong willed and very independent. He is on a journey to avenge his father's death and has been training himself for the moment he will encounter the demon that took his father's life. With any hero there has to be something that drives them to do what they do, and Blake delivers with Cas.
Anna is definitely hell on wheels. She is your classic ghost folklore, like the Woman in White, but instead of haunting highways, she is haunting her old home and killing whatever or whoever dares enter it. She has pretty much given up hope until she meets Cas, who, for some reason, she spares.
The rest of the characters were also great. Thomas and Carmel were just a great pair, and I can't wait to read the second book to see what enfolds for them.
I really enjoyed the take on this story. As I previously stated, this one had me on the edge of my seat and literally scared at points. I would highly recommend this book to anyone 15 and older due to use of the "F" word and some gruesome violence.
September 28, 2013
Halloween Read-a-thon
Ok, so I decided to start my own Read-a-thon to get rid of all the Halloween theme books that are sitting on my TBR shelf. When I say Halloween-theme, I mean Ghosts and anything else Paranormal, like Vampires, Werewolves, Zombies, etc. Now, I'm not sure if I will be able to host any giveaways, but I do have one lined up for the end of the month.
I've already started reading towards my goal. I've read 2 books that contain ghosts and I'm currently working on reading Anna Dressed In Blood, which I will add towards my full goal of cleaning up my shelf. If you want to participate, I will provide the linky for you to sign up and join me.
Feel free to host your own giveaways and/or challenges. You can also save the banner for your post. You don't have to be a blogger to sign up.
Here is the list of books I plan on reading:
1.
2.
3.
4. Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe
5. Arise by Tara Hudson
6. Delia's Shadow by Jaime Lee Moyer
7. Alice In Zombieland by Gena Showalter
8. Unleashed by Nancy Holder
September 24, 2013
Waiting On Wednesday #WoW @DisneyHyperion @jenlynnbarnes
This week my book is:
The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.
What Cassie doesn’t realize is that there’s more at risk than a few unsolved homicides— especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own.
Sarcastic, privileged Michael has a knack for reading emotions, which he uses to get inside Cassie’s head—and under her skin. Brooding Dean shares Cassie’s gift for profiling, but keeps her at arm’s length.
Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than Cassie could ever have imagined. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive.
September 23, 2013
{Review} Constable & Toop by Gareth P. Jones
Author: Gareth P. Jones
Publisher: Amulet Books
Genre: MG, YA, Paranormal, Ghosts
Release Date: October 8th 2013
Source: Publisher
Purchase: Amazon | TBD
Something mysterious and terrible is happening throughout Victorian London: Ghosts are disappearing. When this reaches the attention of the Ghost Bureau, the diligent but clueless Mr. Lapsewood, a paranormal paper-pusher, is sent to investigate, and what he discovers is grave. The Black Rot has arrived—a voracious spiritual infestation whereby empty haunted houses suck in unsuspecting ghosts and imprison them. Lapsewood’s investigation weaves through the plotlines of several other memorable characters—both living and dead—including an undertaker’s son who can see ghosts, a serial throat-slasher reminiscent of Jack the Ripper, an evangelical exorcist, and many more. The living and dead must work together if they hope to destroy the Black Rot—before it destroys both the ghost and human worlds.
Sam Toop is what is known in the afterlife as a Talker. He can see and hear Them (ghosts) and help the spirits with unfinished business to help them cross through the Unseen Door. However, he is very reluctant with this gift and sees it as a burden, until the Black Rot takes over both worlds and puts both worlds in jeopardy.
I really like how the author wrote this. He took dialects from different backgrounds and brought them together in this book. So it wasn't just all English, it had some southern drawl to it as well. Jones really brought the characters to life and gave them great personality. I especially like Mr. Constable with his wise anecdotes and calm personality and then Tanner, the Rogue ghost with his stubborn streak.
The ghosts in this story are just simply awesome. With different deaths and reasons for hanging around and not going through the Unseen Door. But with good there is evil, and there are a few forces at work here that try to come in the way of the good. I won't give away who is evil, only that I suspected it right away with the revealing of a certain character.
I believe that this a great story and anyone from the age of 10 and up would enjoy this book.
September 21, 2013
Tackle Your TBR Read-a-thon: Wrap-Up
Well this is my 2nd (and final) weekly update for the Read-a-thon. I have been trying to update about every two days, but I get so busy and then my internet has been up and down all week (again) and its really frustrating. Then my daughter and I both got sick. So sad to say that it doesn't look like I'm going to be able to finish my goals for this Read-a-thon.
My Goals:
I plan on reading 4-5 chapters each night in my books.
The books I plan to read are:
1.
2.
3. The Dollhouse Asylum by Mary Gray (ARC for blog tour)
4. Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter
5.
6. Constable & Toop by Gareth P. Jones
Sunday (9/8):
Books currently reading: None
Today's finished books: Venom by Fiona Paul
Total finished books: 1/5
Titles of finished books: Venom
Monday (9/9):
Books currently reading: Dead Girls Don't Lie
Today's finished books: none
Total finished books: 1/5
Titles of finished books: Venom
Tuesday (9/10):
Books currently reading: Goodbye, Rebel Blue
Today's finished books: none
Total finished books: 1/5
Titles of finished books: Venom
Wednesday (9/11):
Books currently reading: Goodbye, Rebel Blue
Today's finished books: Goodbye, Rebel Blue
Total finished books: 2/5
Titles of finished books: Venom; Goodbye, Rebel Blue
Thursday (9/12):
Books currently reading: Shattered Souls
Today's finished books: none
Total finished books: 2/5
Titles of finished books: Venom; Goodbye, Rebel Blue
**I took a break from reading this day**
Friday (9/13):
Books currently reading: Shattered Souls
Current Page: 122
Today's finished books: none
Total finished books: 2/5
Titles of finished books: Venom; Goodbye, Rebel Blue
So the rest of this week, I've been re-cooperating and slowly reading Constable & Toop (which is a really great read so far).
How did everyone else do?
September 18, 2013
Waiting on Wednesday #WoW @cmeyerbooks @HMHCo
This week my book is:
Beauty's Daughter: The Story of Hermoine and Helen of Troy by Carolyn Meyer
What is it like to be the daughter of the most beautiful woman in the world? Hermione knows . . . her mother is Helen of Troy, the famed beauty of Greek myth. Helen is not only beautiful but also impulsive, and when she falls in love with charming Prince Paris, she runs off with him to Troy, abandoning her distraught daughter. Determined to reclaim their enchanting queen, the Greek army sails for Troy. Hermione stows away in one of the thousand ships in the fleet and witnesses the start of the legendary Trojan War. In the rough Greek encampment outside the walls of Troy, Hermione’s life is far from that of a pampered princess. Meanwhile, her mother basks in luxury in the royal palace inside the city. Hermione desperately wishes for the gods and goddesses to intervene and end the brutal war—and to bring her love. Will she end up with the handsome archer Orestes, or the formidable Pyrrhus, leader of a tribe of fierce warriors? And will she ever forgive her mother for bringing such chaos to her life and the lives of so many others?
September 17, 2013
Introducing Unbreakable by Kami Garcia
I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.
When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, she doesn't realize that paranormal forces are responsible--not until mysterious identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into her room and destroy a deadly spirit sent to kill her.
Kennedy learns that her mother's death was no accident, and now she has to take her place in the Legion of the Black Dove--a secret society whose five members were all murdered on the same night, leaving the Legion in the hands of the next generation: a misfit group with unique skills.
As the new members race to find the only weapon capable of destroying the demon, they use their individual talents to battle paranormal entities and earn their rightful place in the Legion--except for Kennedy.
If she is truly the missing piece of the puzzle, can she stay alive long enough to find out--without losing her heart in the process?
Protect Yourself. What you can't see CAN hurt you.
Kami Garcia is the #1 New York Times & international bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures Series and the author of UNBREAKABLE, the first book in the Legion Series, releasing October 1, 2013.
BEAUTIFUL CREATURES has been published in 50 countries and translated in 39 languages. The film adaptation of Beautiful Creatures released on February 14, 2013, from Warner Borthers, starring: Viola Davis, Jeremy Irons, Emma Thompson, Emmy Rossum, Alice Englert, and Alden Ehrenreich.
Kami has always been fascinated by the paranormal and believes she's very superstitious. When she is not writing, Kami can usually be found watching disaster movies, listening to Soundgarden, or drinking Diet Coke. Kami lives in Maryland with her family, and their dogs Spike and OZ (named after characters from the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Unbreakable is the first solo novel from New York Times Bestselling author Kami Garcia. Unbreakable releases on October 1st but you can read the first 7 chapters for free on Amazon. You can also enter below to win Unbreakable swag including jewelry that has the symbols for the book on it.
{Review} Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey
Author: Mary Lindsey
Publisher: Speak/Penguin
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Release Date: December 8th 2011
Source: Gifted
Purchase: Amazon | TBD
Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries.
Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.
When I first saw this book, I automatically fell in love
with the cover. I mean, heck, who wouldn’t, have you seen it? It sat on my
shelf for a good while, I won’t lie, but I finally decided to take it out and
take it for a spin, so to speak. I am so glad that I did. The story was
fantastic, with a little romance, horror, mystery and a little of a tearful
ending. It’s a great mix you can’t beat!
Lenzi believes she is going crazy like her father when she
is confronted by voices of the unseen. Her boyfriend, Zak, is a bit of a possessive
jerk and her mom is a workaholic (from what I gathered). Enter Alden.
Mysterious and handsome with an explanation of what is happening to Lenzi, even
if she doesn’t want any part of it.
The characters in this story are amazing. Lenzi is the
stubborn sort of heroine but became a very strong person towards the middle of
this book, which I think was good for her. She finally got a sense of what she
wanted and went for it. Alden was also amazing and a good support system for
Lenzi. I think they complimented each other perfectly. He was constantly there
for Lenzi, even when her boyfriend became a possessive, drunken, jerk.
The story was awesome. It had a little bit of budding
romance with a bit of a darker history. As Lenzi started to embrace who she
was, she became stronger as a person. Lindsey knows how to add dark twists
to the story, and she delivered quite well. There were a few chilling spots
here and there, which was a nice take. Then there were even some spots where I
had actually CRIED! I don’t usually cry when reading a book, but when you
become attached to the characters, its hard not to.
I love stories that can keep me engrossed in what is going
on and keep me wanting more. But I love more than anything the aspect of the
paranormal. When you have those two things in a story, you know its just going
to be anything short of amazing.
September 16, 2013
Dead Girls Don't Lie Blog Tour
Welcome to the Offical Blog Tour for Dead Girls Don't Lie by Jennifer Shaw Wolf and hosted by Book Nerd Tours!
The Tour runs from September 12 - September 21
Jennifer Shaw Wolf grew up on a farm in the tiny town of St. Anthony, Idaho. She spent cold Idaho mornings milking cows in the dark and attended a school where Hunter’s Education was part of the sixth grade curriculum. She’s always been a writer, whether it was sewing together books to read to her little brothers or starting an underground newspaper in sixth grade. She met the love of her life at Ricks College, (now BYU Idaho), after he dropped her on her head. She graduated from Ricks and then Brigham Young University, Provo with a degree in Broadcast Communications. Now she lives in beautiful, green, (rainy) Lacey, Washington with her husband and four kids. She loves to produce videos, ski, ride horses, and read, but really all she has time for is chasing kids and writing.
Rachel died at two a.m . . . Three hours after Skyler kissed me for the first time. Forty-five minutes after she sent me her last text. Jaycee and Rachel were best friends. But that was before. . .before that terrible night at the old house. Before Rachel shut Jaycee out. Before Jaycee chose Skyler over Rachel. Then Rachel is found dead. The police blame a growing gang problem in their small town, but Jaycee is sure it has to do with that night at the old house. Rachel’s text is the first clue—starting Jaycee on a search that leads to a shocking secret. Rachel’s death was no random crime, and Jaycee must figure out who to trust before she can expose the truth.
September 15, 2013
Shelley Coriell Book Giveaway
So, I am a huge fan of Shelley Coriell. Ever since I read Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe, her debut novel. He books are just amazing! So, in honor of her upcoming book, Goodbye, Rebel Blue (coming out October 1st), I am giving away both ARC copies to 1 winner in the US!
One lucky winner will win both of these amazing books! You can read my reviews by clicking on the titles below.
Rules:
1. Must be at least 15 years of age or older
2. Contest is US only
3. Giveaway is from 9/15/13 to 10/1/13
4. Once winner is selected you have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected
September 14, 2013
Tackle Your TBR Read-a-thon: Saturday's Update + Recap
My Goals:
I plan on reading 4-5 chapters each night in my books.
The books I plan to read are:
1.
2.
3. The Dollhouse Asylum by Mary Gray (ARC for blog tour)
4. Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter
5.
6. Constable & Toop by Gareth P. Jones
Sunday:
Books currently reading: None
Today's finished books: Venom by Fiona Paul
Total finished books: 1/5
Titles of finished books: Venom
Monday:
Books currently reading: Dead Girls Don't Lie
Today's finished books: none
Total finished books: 1/5
Titles of finished books: Venom
Tuesday:
Books currently reading: Goodbye, Rebel Blue
Today's finished books: none
Total finished books: 1/5
Titles of finished books: Venom
Wednesday:
Books currently reading: Goodbye, Rebel Blue
Today's finished books: Goodbye, Rebel Blue
Total finished books: 2/5
Titles of finished books: Venom; Goodbye, Rebel Blue
Thursday:
Books currently reading: Shattered Souls
Today's finished books: none
Total finished books: 2/5
Titles of finished books: Venom; Goodbye, Rebel Blue
**I took a break from reading this day**
Friday:
Books currently reading: Shattered Souls
Current Page: 122
Today's finished books: none
Total finished books: 2/5
Titles of finished books: Venom; Goodbye, Rebel Blue
September 12, 2013
Tackle Your TBR Read-a-thon: Thursday's Update
Tuesday:
Books currently reading: Goodbye, Rebel Blue
Today's finished books: none
Total finished books: 1/5
Titles of finished books: Venom
Wednesday:
Books currently reading: Goodbye, Rebel Blue
Today's finished books: Goodbye, Rebel Blue
Total finished books: 2/5
Titles of finished books: Venom; Goodbye, Rebel Blue
Thursday:
Books currently reading: Shattered Souls
Today's finished books: none
Total finished books: 2/5
Titles of finished books: Venom; Goodbye, Rebel Blue
{Review} Goodbye, Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell
Author: Shelley Coriell
Publisher: Amulet Books
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Release Date: October 1, 2013
Source: ARC for review
Purchase: Amazon | TBD
Rebecca Blue is a rebel with an attitude whose life is changed by a chance encounter with a soon-to-be dead girl. Rebel (as she’s known) decides to complete the dead girl’s bucket list to prove that choice, not chance, controls her fate. In doing so, she unexpectedly opens her mind and heart to a world she once dismissed—a world of friendships, family, and faith. With a shaken sense of self, she must reevaluate her loner philosophy—particularly when she falls for Nate, the golden boy do-gooder who never looks out for himself. Perfect for fans of Jay Asher’s blockbuster hit Thirteen Reasons Why, Coriell’s second novel features her sharp, engaging voice along with realistic drama and unforgettable characters.
Shelley Coriell is an amazing author. Her first book, Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe (my review can be found here), was her phenominal debut novel and Rebel Blue is nothing short of amazing itself. It has extraordinary characters and a amazing story. As with her first novel, I finished this book in just over a day, I found that I had read the first half of the book while laying in bed and I just couldn't wait to read the rest.
Rebel is a loner, she prefers it that way, ever since her mother died. Not too many people understand her with her snide and cocky remarks, and not too many people want to be her friends, except for Kennedy Green. But as fate takes a nasty turn, Rebel finds herself doing something she never thought she would do.
As with most books, the reader is left with wanting more. This book was about doing things on your bucket list. I was hoping the author would have gone into a little more about Rebel's list. I would have liked to see how that turned out. But, I was still perfectly happy with ending. This book has inspired me to make my own bucket list because it reminds you that life is too short and anything can happen.
September 11, 2013
{News} Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl to Write Spinoff
#1 BESTSELLING AUTHORS KAMI GARCIA &
MARGARET STOHL
RETURN TO THE WORLD OF BEAUTIFUL
CREATURES WITH ALL-NEW SERIES
Series launches with Dangerous Dream to be published as an enovella on December 17,
2013,
followed by Dangerous Creatures in hardcover and digital formats on May 6, 2014
New York, NY [September 10, 2013] – Little, Brown Books for Young
Readers will publish Dangerous Creatures, a new young adult book series from
Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, it was announced today by Megan Tingley, the
division’s Executive Vice President and Publisher. Dangerous Creatures returns
to the world of Beautiful Creatures, Garcia and Stohl’s #1 New York Times bestselling series and international sensation,
which was recently made into a major motion picture.
The Dangerous Creatures series will follow Link and Ridley, two
fan-favorite characters from Beautiful Creatures. Readers will catch up with
Ethan, Lena, and Link as they graduate from high school and get ready to leave
the small Southern town of Gatlin, along with Link’s sometime girlfriend,
Ridley. The series will launch on December 17, 2013, with Dangerous Dream, an enovella that will tie Dangerous Creatures to
the world of the original series. Dangerous
Creatures, the first book in the new series, will be published
simultaneously in hardcover, ebook, and audio formats on May 6, 2014.
“Our fans have supported Beautiful Creatures and both of us from the
beginning, and we are so grateful. This is for them,” said Kami Garcia and
Margaret Stohl. “We can’t wait for them to return to Gatlin with us this
December. We have more than a few surprises in store for them.”
“We are ecstatic with the massive success of Beautiful Creatures, which
has sold nearly 3.5 million copies to date,” said Megan Tingley. “We’re eager
to satisfy Kami and Margaret’s passionate fans with the swift release of a
riveting enovella just in time for the holidays, and a brand-new novel the following
spring.”
To celebrate the announcement of the new series, Kami Garcia and
Margaret Stohl will answer fans’ questions during a live Twitter chat on
Tuesday, September 17, at 4:00 p.m. PST/7:00 p.m. EST. Fans can ask questions
about the new series using the hashtag #DangerousCreatures.
Beautiful Creatures is a #1 New
York Times, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Publishers
Weekly, IndieBound, and internationally bestselling young adult book
series. The series includes Beautiful
Creatures (2009), Beautiful Darkness
(2010), the ebook Dream Dark (2011), Beautiful Chaos (2011), Beautiful Redemption (2012), Beautiful Creatures: The Official
Illustrated Movie Companion (2013), and Beautiful
Creatures: The Manga (2013), and has been translated into thirty-nine
languages and sold in fifty countries. Beautiful
Creatures was made into a major motion picture in early 2013 from Alcon
Entertainment and Warner Brothers, staring Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert,
Viola Davis, Emma Thompson, and Jeremy Irons, and was written and directed by
Academy Award-nominee Richard LaGravenese.
Kami Garcia’s solo debut novel, Unbreakable,
will be published on October 1, 2013. The first book in the highly anticipated
Legion series, Unbreakable is a
romantic paranormal thriller described by Ransom Riggs, author of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,
as “tense and deliciously twisty . . . a breath-stealing midnight run through
some of the creepiest locales I’ve seen rendered in fiction.” Eagerly awaited
by her fans around the world, Garcia’s forthcoming novel has been praised by Kirkus Reviews for its “cinematic,
gripping ghost scenes…[The ending] will leave readers reaching for the next
book.” Publishers Weekly hailed, “The
reality [protagonist Kennedy] is living is a page-turner.” The book has been
sold in fifteen foreign territories thus far.
Margaret Stohl’s solo debut novel, Icons,
was published in May 2013. Icons is
the first book in Stohl’s sci-fi series set in a near-future Los Angeles and
was praised by The Magician’s Lev Grossman, who stated, “I love this
book.…It’s full of passion and deep truths and the kind of power that people
only find when they’re driven far, far past their limits.” Booklist added, “The strong messages of questioning authority,
daring to resist injustice, and loyalty to one’s group will resonate with teens
who loved The Hunger Games.”
Icons is being developed into a major motion picture by Alcon
Entertainment, the studio behind Beautiful
Creatures, with a screenplay penned by Massy Tadjedin. The second book in
the Icons series, Idols, will be
published in July 2014.
Check out their interview here at Hollywood Crush
Check out their interview here at Hollywood Crush
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