Stacking the Shelves (Book Haul) #2

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!

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This is my first time doing a "Stacking the Shelves" post, so I'm really excited! A few weeks ago I tried a book haul post and that went pretty well but I decided to join many other bloggers out there and be a part of this instead. The blurb about Stacking the Shelves that I included above is from the blog that started this program. I'm pretty new to this, but really excited! Books that I include will be from not only this week, but a few weeks before that. I've been sort of getting behind, but hopefully I can get back on track soon!

Books from publishers:

Penguin:

Tracked by Jenny Martin

Penguin was awesome enough to send me a hardcover copy of Tracked and also a bag, a keychain, and a bookmark!! I have been wanting to read this book for a while, so when I got it in the mail I was ecstatic! I will be reading this hopefully in the next week or so and I will have my review up as soon as I can!

St. Martin's Press:

Evolution by Stephanie Diaz

This was actually the first book that I ever requested directly from a publisher! I was so nervous and I didn't even know how to start my Email, but the publicist there was super nice and sent me a review copy! I really loved the first two books in this series, so you have no idea how happy I am to read and review this!

The Poisoned Pencil Press:

The Shadow of Seth by Tom Llewellyn

I requested this when I saw an advertisement for it on a ShelfAwareness daily email. It captured my attention when I saw that it was a YA mystery and that was when I knew that I had to request an ARC of it. It will be released in August so my review will be up really soon.

Endangered by Kate Jaimet

I requested this the same time as I requested The Shadow of Seth. I originally thought that I would like TSoS more than this one, but the opposite turned out to be true. My review for both will be up sometime this week.

BookLogix:

Nothing But Your Memories by H.B. Clementine

I requested this book through bookblogging.net and I got approved. I'm really excited to start this one since its dystopian and its been a while since I've read anything in that genre.

Self- Published:

Blood of Toma by Lauren Lee Merewether

This is another book that I requested through bookblogging.net. I'm excited to read this since it seems to have a little history in it and that really intrigues me. It was really cool how the author also sent a pen and a bookmark and signed the book. I'm really excited to read this and it seems to show a lot of promise.

Bookstore:

A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Neilen

I found a really cool bookstore this past weekend. If you purchase a book, you have the option to have a free ARC that they are done with. I found this to be a really cool idea. I went a little overboard buying books, ending up buying five, so that I could get five free ARCs. This was one of them that I picked. I really loved her other series and this one is also about the Berlin Wall. I recently read The Notorious Pagan Jones so this really got me excited.

The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender

This was another one of the ARCs I picked. Just like A Night Divided, I have read the author's work before so I knew that this would be awesome. My review will be up really soon!

Sanctuary by Jennifer McKissack

Like all the other ones, I got this at the bookstore I found. I was drawn to this one by the cover with the beach and how lonely the girl seemed. I knew nothing about this book when I picked it out, but I will tell more about it in my review.

Untwine by Edwidge Danticat

I had never heard of this one before, but it really interested me how its about twins having some sort of connection.

The Lightning Queen by Laura Resau

Last but not least, I also got this one from the bookstore. It drew me in when I read that it takes place over many years and characters.

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So that was my first Stacking the Shelves!! Stay tuned for many more!

Thanks for reading!
~Bri

Things We Know By Heart by Jessi Kirby

After Quinn loses her boyfriend in a car accident, everything changes. Not knowing how to cope without him, she tries to get closure by writing to the recipients of his donated organs. All of them write back and she is overjoyed to see them thriving with parts of him. The one person who never writes back is the recipient of his heart, Colton. Quinn feels that without meeting him she will never be able to move on. She tracks Colton down and slowly gets to know him, and even starts to have a crush on him. The only problem is that he doesn't know he has her boyfriend's heart and he doesn't want her to know about any of his heart troubles. Will they somehow manage to fall in love through all the secrets?

To start it all of, I absolutely love this cover! It is so simple, yet unique and memorable at the same time. I can honestly say that is exactly the same inside. This is a beautiful, heartbreaking story on so many levels and I honestly cannot recommend it enough!

I felt connected to all of the characters and honestly felt for them. Hearing both Colton and Quinn's stories really made me respect them more for all that they went through and how much strength they had. Even the most minor characters were 3D and had really unique things about them. This was actually a YA book where parents were present and I felt they played a huge part in the story. That made is seem even more realistic and personal to me.

Quinn annoyed me at times, like when she didn't tell Colton about him having Trent's heart and that stopped me from giving the book a higher rating than I did. I understand how she was scared to though and as much as I hate to admit it, I might have done exactly the same thing.

I loved how much this story talked about the ocean. As a person who has never been there, I can say I learned a lot more about the plants and natural formations around it.

If you want a beach read with some substance and heartbreak, this is for you! I really loved it and would definitely recommend!

***Thanks go out to HarperTeen and Jessi Kirby for sending me an autographed copy of this book! This did not influence my rating or review in any way.***

Thanks for reading!
~Bri

Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider

When Lane is sent to Latham House to try and overcome his tuberculosis, he never expects to meet Sadie. But will they both find a way to survive? And even if they do, how will they manage to stay together living so far from each other? Will they find a way to fall in love?

 

Honestly, I think the characters were the best aspect of this story. They showed so much love and elevated the amount of heartbreak in the story. If you are trying to find a cute summer romance that is about as fluffy as it gets, this is not for you. It is like an even sadder Fault in Our Stars, and weirdly I loved almost every moment of it.

 

So, if you haven't figured it out from my little blurb, both Lane and Sadie have tuberculosis like 99% of the characters in this book. They are both taking it day by day, living every one to its fullest. When they meet, at first Sadie hates Lane, but slowly learns she misunderstood him and that he actually might not be so bad. The process takes a while and she sort of annoyed me by how rude she was to him, but slowly I started to root for them to find a way to be together and somehow survive long enough to be able to get better and leave Latham House.

 

The plot was very evenly-paced and that made me stay interested in it better. I have been sort of having a problem not being able to get into books lately and I haven't had many posts because of that, but this book really helped me get out of that! If you're having trouble getting into books like I was, I really recommend trying a genre you usually might shy away from- for me that's realistic fiction. It helped me!!!

 

No spoilers, I'm just going to say that the ending was heartbreaking. I won't say if anyone breaks up, or if anyone dies so you'll have to read and find out. Just telling you now though, I just about cried and I didn't even cry when I read the Fault in Our Stars. Yep.... Its THAT sad. I can't say I didn't see it coming though, I found some foreshadowing throughout the book that hinted at it.

 

***Thanks go out to HarperTeen, Katherine Tegen Books, and EpicReads for supplying me with an ARC of this book! I really appreciate it. This did not influence my review or rating in any way.***

 

Thanks for reading!

~Bri

Riding by Cassia Cassitas

Born with a disability, Andre still manages to make the most of each day and live life to its fullest. He also manages to find his love- cycling. Competing and practicing each day he works his way up to his ultimate goal- the Olympics. This is his story.

I wasn't exactly sure what this was going to be about. The cover doesn't exactly give much away and neither did the blurb on the back. Going out on a limb, I requested it from bookblogging.net and a few days later was approved for it. I'm glad that I got to read the book, but a few parts of it fell flat.

I really liked the characters. They were so loving and supportive of each other and all of them had unique relationships with each other. You could tell there was a lot of love between them.

Andre's determination was really extraordinary. I really respected him for all that he overcame and how hard he worked to achieve his goals. I thrive to be able to do that and I really found him to be a good person. However, his character wasn't fleshed out very well and all the characters started to seem like the same person.

I didn't really like the plot. It seemed all over the place and I think it was partially because the book ranged across at least 20 years and many different countries. I couldn't really keep track of what was happening at times and I found myself confused many times throughout.

I find myself outnumbered on the Goodreads website since everyone except for me rated this book at least 4 stars. It just wasn't the book for me. Maybe you'll like it better and I respect your opinion but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

***Thanks go out to the author for a review copy of this book. This didn't influence my rating or review in any way.***

Thanks for reading!
~Bri

Hearts Made Whole by Judy Hedlund

After Caroline's father dies she continues to take care of their lighthouse, but soon the lighthouse committee decides a man needs to be in charge of it. Ryan Chambers is picked for the job but quickly realizes he doesn't know how to run a lighthouse. On top of that he can't kick Caroline and what's left of her family out on the streets. They quickly form a bond but with his past coming back to him will he finally be able to let go and start his future?

I really liked this book. The ways it deals with love and loss were realistic and I could really understand both Caroline and Ryan's feelings. I found them to be strong, realistic characters. I loved how Caroline would do anything for her family and how unselfish she was.

The plot moved very smoothly and there didn't seem to be any "loose strings" at the end. I loved how it showed that their story was over and when/if there is going to be another edition to the Beacons of Hope collection there are going to be different characters. I have not read the first one yet, but after how good this one was I will definitely be checking it out soon!

The romance in this book was really sweet. I liked how it eventually turned into real love, but until that could happen they had to face some major obstacles and loss. It was really realistic to me.

I was cool to learn that the characters in this book were based on real people. After reading I felt like that part made the book even better and it really made me respect the women from the past that helped to make gender equality how it is today. I'm not sure I would have had the courage to stand up like that and I really feel thankful that they did what they did. I've never really thought about any of that first hand until I read this book.

If you haven't read this book yet, go out and do so right now! Even though it is not YA I would still say it is suitable for teens and that it will help them see the world in a whole new way.

***Thanks go out to Bethany House for supplying me with a review copy of this book. This did not influence my rating or review in any way.***

Thanks for reading!
~Bri

Ice Kissed by Amanda Hocking

Bryn continues to protect her kingdom by guarding the Skojare queen from whoever is trying to kill her. To top it off, her relationship with Ridley is heating up but she might not be ready. Will she be able to figure everything out before the queen's attempted murderer comes back for revenge?

This book was much better than Frostfire. I could actually recognize it as Amanda Hocking's writing and it felt more connected to the Trylle series. I really enjoyed reading it.

There was romance in this book, unlike the first one which didn't have any. Definitely PG-13 stuff so little kids definitely should not be reading it. The cover makes it look like it might be suitable, but trust me it isn't.

The thing I like most about Hocking's books is how relatable the characters are. I really understand them and find myself connecting with them which is an awesome thing to feel while reading. The only characters I really didn't like were the more minor ones that weren't described as much.

The plot sometimes got boring, but overall it was pretty good. Events seemed to be evenly paced and that was another bonus for me. I will definitely read anything by this author and I honestly believe that after you read the Trylle series you will be hooked. I fell in love with this world and after I read Crystal Kingdom I can assure you that I will be heartbroken that it's over. I cannot recommend this series enough!

Thanks for reading!
~Bri

Win The Rings by K.D. Van Brunt

The U.S. Army captures any shifters and trains them for their own gain. Jace has been their property for most of her life. Unlike her, Gray has been running from them most of his life. What will happen when Jace is sent to capture Gray?

I dragged through this book. For me it seemed really slow paced and not much seemed to be happening. I just couldn't get into it and it took me a REALLY long time to finish.

The writing in this book was very good. The author seemed really experienced and how good the words flowed seemed to make the book more enjoyable for me. This was the one aspect that kept me reading and stopped me from DNF-ing it.

Some of the characters' actions really annoyed me. At times I felt myself cringing at some of the things that I felt were sort of dumb. I understand that no character can be perfect though and that makes the story more interesting.

There wasn't much (if any) romance in this book and that was a nice change from some other YA. I also liked how it had some military stuff in it, but I just wish it had more. I feel that would have made the book appeal to a wider range of people.

I might recommend this based on what other books you enjoyed. If you want a YA dystopian with little romance and military, then this book is for you. If you want something like The Hunger Games or Divergent, look elsewhere.

***Thanks go out to the author and BookBlogging.net for sending me a review copy of this book. This did not influence my review in any way.***

Thanks for reading!
~Bri

The Notorious Pagan Jones by Nina Berry

Pagan is a fallen star, sent to jail after accidentally killing her family while driving drunk. When she gets the chance to get out of jail as long as she stars in a movie in Berlin, she jumps at the chance. But political unrest between East and West Germany are growing and Pagan is seeing them all happening. Will she be able to stay sober to stay in the movie, and will the political unrest affect her?

All of the characters were so well thought out and I could really tell how historically accurate everything was. I really felt like I was in Berlin at this time.

As you can see, I really loved this book. The plot was very well thought out and had just enough things happening at a given time to make it perfectly spaced out. I didn't feel at all like there were any boring parts and I loved that.

The characters were all 3D. I felt like I knew each one of them like they were my best friend, but I also liked how they sometimes surprised me. Pagan was a kick-butt heroine and I loved that. I also liked how there wasn't insti-love and she was still trying to get over Nicky.

I had no problems with this book and I really loved it. I would strongly recommend it for people who want to read some things about the Berlin Wall. I loved how unique it was and how it wasn't fluffy at all like I thought it would be. In ways it reminded me of Nancy Drew and I really liked that.

***Thanks go out to Goodreads Firstreads and Harlequin Teen for providing me with an ARC of this book!***

Thanks for reading!
~Bri

Book Tour!!!!!
A Curse of Ash and Iron by Christine Norris

Genre: historical-fantasy romance

 

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

 

Date of Release­­: May 21, 2015

 

Cover Artist: Alexandria Thompson

Find Online: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads

 

Description:

 

Benjamin Grimm knows the theater is much like real life. In 1876 Philadelphia, people play their parts, hiding behind the illusion of their lives, and never revealing their secrets.

 

When he reunites with his childhood friend Eleanor Banneker, he is delighted. His delight turns to dismay when he discovers she has been under a spell for the past 7 years, being forced to live as a servant in her own home, and he realizes how sinister some secrets can be. She asks for his help, and he can’t refuse. Even if he doesn’t believe in ‘real’ magic, he can’t abandon her.

 

Ellie has spent the long years since her mother’s death under the watchful eye and unforgiving eye of her stepmother. Bewitched and hidden in plain sight, it seems no one can help Ellie escape. Not even her own father, who is under a spell of his own. When she sees Ben one evening, it seems he is immune to the magic that binds her, and her hope is rekindled along with her friendship.

 

But time is running short. If they do not find a way to break the spell before midnight on New Year’s Eve, then both Ellie and her father will be bound forever.

 

I was lucky enough to be picked as one of the may reviewers for Ash and Iron at Curiosity Quills Press. I will have my review up really soon, but for now this is information about the book. I'm about half way through and so far its really good. I usually hate steampunk, but this is written in such a way that it doesn't really get on my nerves like other books in that genre. As far as I am in the book right now, I can honestly say that it is a good, memorable book that I can't stop thinking about. I am going to write my review for it really soon so check that out! Also, be sure to check out this book and all the other books part of the may review tour (shown above).

Thanks go out to Curiosity Quills for including me on this tour!
~Bri