Stacking the Shelves #38

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which we feature all the book goodness that we received, borrowed or purchased during the previous week. All links are to Goodreads.

Another busy week at work!  I have been working in the evenings and weekends too, which doesn't leave me much time for reading and I plan to remedy that this weekend!  I didn't get many books this week, but I'm planning to make a much delayed trip to the bookstore soon :)

Purchased (or Free) for Kindle

The Inconvenient Duchess by Christine Merrill - I really enjoy historical romance and this one was a freebie.

The Last Bride of Ballymuir by Dorien Kelly - Another freebie that looks really good :)

Pivot Point by Kasie West - Hannah from The Irish Banana raves about this book, thus I had to get it.  Cant wait to read it!

Purchased (Physical Book)

Boundless by Cynthia Hand - I love Unearthly and even though I haven't read Hallowed yet, now I have all the books in the series and plan to finish it soon.

Won

Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff - I won this one from The Twins Read, which is a great thing as I've been dying to read it.  Thanks! 

That's it for me!  What's stacking your shelves this week?

Top Ten YA Male Characters to Pine For

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish 

This week we have a Top Ten freebie and we get to choose our very own Top Ten.  This is my list of the dreamiest, handsomest, best male characters in YA:

1. Prince Ash from the Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa – Oh, my gosh!  I don’t even know where to start.  If you are familiar with my blog you know I absolutely adore Ash.  He is the epitome of every desirable characteristic in a man. LOVE ASH *period*

2. Jace from the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare – Jace is handsome, loyal, loving, and he knows how to fight for what he wants.

3. Zach from the Shade Series by Jeri Smith-Ready – You have to appreciate a guy with an accent that is comfortable enough to wear a kilt, right?

4. Tucker from the Unearthly series by Cynthia Hand – Tucker is so sweet, romantic, accepting, and loyal, I love him!

5. Edward Cullen from the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer – I know that a lot of you might not agree, but I happen to be a Twilight fan and I am Team Edward all the way!

6. Jax Stone from Breathe by Abbi Glines – Jax is not only handsome, rich and famous, but one of the best human beings I ever read about.  He is so caring and romantic that I have read the last part of this book many times.

7. Tod from the Soul Screamer series by Rachel Vincent – I have to confess that I was a fan of Nash until book three, after that I changes to be a Tod fan.  I think he’s the best of the brothers, what do you think?

8. Jay from the Body Finder series by Kimberly Derting -  I love Jay, he is so in love and he is not afraid to show it and put Violet first. Always.

9. Etienne St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins – Oh St. Clair!  Although he’s judgment was a little off for a while there, he was triumphant at the end.  He is handsome and charismatic, but not perfect.  Love you!

10. Harry Potter from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling – Love Harry Potter (what’s not to love?) after all he is the chosen one.  Harry is loyal, a great friend, and so courageous. 

I am dying to see your Top Ten this week!

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In My Mailbox #30

IMM is a weekly meme inspired by Alea at the Pop Culture Junkie and hosted by the wonderful Kristi at The Story Siren.  All links are to Goodreads

Purchased Books

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand - The long awaited (at last for me!) sequel to Unearthly. Yeah Team Tucker!

Angel Burn by L.A. Weatherly - I love the cover for diis book and I also love books about angels (a you can tell from the book above :)

Switched by Amanda Hocking - I've heard wonderful things about this series and this now cover is amazing.

Purchased for Kindle

The Soulkeepers by G.P. Ching - Another beautiful and disturbing cover, but it sounds like a good series too.

Blue Sky Days by Marie Landry - I featured this book as my WOW a few weeks ago, so naturally I was eager to get it.

The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood - I had Poison Diaries in my TBR list for a while and when Amazon offered it for .99 cents, I couldn't say no.

For Review

Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter - Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Teen for sharing the amazing sequel to The Goddess Test.  I can hardly wait to  visit with Kate and Henry!

Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Shultz - I really enjoyed Spellbound and can't wait to read its sequel. Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Teen for the opportunity.

Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin - Thanks to Putman for sharing this book, it sounds like so much fun!

Library

Witchlanders by Lena Coakley - Another book that has been in my TBR wish list to a little while, I hope it's as good as it sounds.

Supernaturally by Kiersten White - Need I say more my dear Evie?

What is in your Mailbox this week? 

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Top Ten Favorite Books I Read in 2011

I’d read some really wonderful books this year and it is hard to narrow it down to only Ten, but I’ll do my best.  These are books that I’ve read this year, not necessarily published this year though.  (And I still have tons more waiting in my bookshelves and my Kindle!)

1. Divergent by Veronica Roth

2. Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry

3. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

4. A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

5. The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

6. Die for Me by Amy Plum

7. Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

8. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

9. The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

10. Ann and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Other close contenders are: Breathe by Abbi Glines, Forever by Maggie Stiefvater, If I Die by Rachel Vincent, and Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting.

What is in your Top Ten this week?

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Top Ten Books I Bought Because of Their Cover

Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish

I don’t own some of these books, I do try to take advantage of my library when I can, but they are books that I grabbed because of their beautiful covers.  Click on the link to see the covers in Goodreads. 

1. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand – Beautiful book and cover.

2. Die For Me by Amy Plum – Again, a gorgeous cover let to a wonderful story. Not disappointed at all. 

3. Eyes Like Starsby Lisa Mantchev – This is the first book of the Theather Illuminata Series, which is very different and all the covers are just as beautiful.

4. Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston – Another great series about fairies, war, betrayal, and an epic romance.

5. Crave by Melissa Darnell – I just recently finished reading this book that I requested from NetGalley, who could resist a cover like that?

6. Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel – I wouldn’t call the story beautiful precisely, but I did like the story and the way vampires are portrait here.

7. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa – The beginning of one of my favorite series, I grabbed this book at the story just because I loved its cover.

8. Falling Under by Gwen Hayes – Not the best story out there, but very entertaining, I will still grab the sequel.

9. Glimmerglass by Jenna Black – I really like Dana, she is such as strong character, even when she is in danger all the time. 

10. Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon – This book was part of my Waiting on Wednesday a while back, just due to the gorgeous cover.  I am cheating a little here because I haven’t read this book yet.  I did order it last week though, does that count? 

What is in your Top Ten this week?

Review: Unearthly

Title: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Published: January 4, 2011 by HarperTeen
Source: Library

 In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Review
Uhm...Where do I start with this one?  Ok, let me start by saying that I love books about angels.  I found some aspects of the story refreshing, for example, Clara knows exactly what she is and that there is a higher purpose to her life (no pressure.)  I also liked that the love triangle doesn't last that long (although I'm sure it will come into play in the rest of the series) and that Clara is a strong lead character.  There is also a certain air of mystery and secrecy that surrounds Clara's family and the angel-bloods in general that I liked.
I have to warn you that this series is highly addictive, I just wished that the ending wasn't such a cliffhanger (don't you think?)  Apparently there is a lot involved in being an angel-blood.
*Sigh* Ah, Tucker.  Since it's all the rage to choose sides in books now I confess myself to be in 'Team Tuck'.  He is not only handsome, but understanding, loving, considerate, etc. (I can keep going on and on...)  Christian is not a bad character, but he is absent for a big chunk of the story and I didn't identify with him as much.
The next installment of the series is called Hallowed and I'm not sure when it will be published, but I can assure you that I will read it!
About the cover: When I saw the book in the store I thought is was beautiful, BUT after reading the book I don't think it represents the story at all.  There are two other covers (UK/Paperback)  in Ms. Hand's blog that I liked a lot more that this one.