Stacking the Shelves #74

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.

Hi there gorgeous people!  I didn't do a STS last week because I only got one book :( I didn't do much better this week, but I have big news to share with you. 

Reading with ABC is moving to WordPress! Yes, the wonderful Ashley from Nosegraze and Creative Whim now also has open her Book Host and decided to take the plunge.  She will be moving my blog next week for its new home and I'm really excited about it!  Hopefully this move will be seamless to most of you. Please be patient while I learn my way around WordPress.  

Are you in WordPress already?  Do you love it? Do you have any advice for a rookie?  Any wonderful plugins that I must have?

Here are some posts you might have missed in the past two weeks:

Audiobook review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Guest post and Giveaway: Searching for Beautiful by Nyrae Dawn

Review: The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Discussion: Love Triangles in YA

Review: Stracrossed by Josephine Angelini 

The Beauty Edition

Review: Panic by Lauren Oliver 

Discussion: New Trends in YA

Here is what's stacking my shelves this week:

Purchased (physical books)

Shadow of the Mark by Leigh Fallon - I really enjoyed Carrier of the Mark, the first book in the series. Besides, who can resist this beautiful cover?

Kindle

Lumiére by Jackeline Garlick - Not sure how I came to get this one, but it looks awesome :)

When Lighting Strikes by Brenda Novak - Romance *sigh*

Gilded by Christina L. Farley - I've seen some pretty good reviews about this book and I got it for Kindle with the audio as well (see below)

Audible

Landry Park by Bethany Hagen - This is another book that seems to be liked by many.

Gilded by Christina L. Farley - See above

For Review

Get Happy by Mary Amato - I loved Amato's Guitar Notes and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

What's stacking your shelves this week?

Top Ten Books with a School as Setting

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

These are my Top Ten books that have a regular high school or a boarding school as part of the setting:

1.  Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock - The school and college setting is more prevalent in other books of the series.  Love it!

2.  Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling - I don't have to explain about Hogwarts, do I? 

3.  My Ex From Hell by Tellulah Darling - This book takes place at a boarding school and it's a based on Hades and Persephone's myth.  Hilarious!

4.  Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout - Let me just say that I wouldn't be able to concentrate with Daemon poking me in the back with a pen.

5.  Storm by Brigid Kemmerer - The whole Elemental series applies here. Although, nothing good seems to happen at school for the Merrick boys :(

6.  Guitar Notes by Mary Amato - The main characters meet by exchanging notes while using the same music practice room. Such a sweet story.

7.  Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - You didn't think that I would forget about this amazing book, right?  Boarding school in Paris, sign me up!

8.  Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry - Such a good book!  An intense but amazing read that starts with with Echo tutoring Noah. 

9.  Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday - I love this series!  A mix of school angst and mystery. So funny!

10. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins - Another magical boarding school. What'ts not to like?

You know me and I can probably keep on going, but I'm in a hurry today, so this is it!

What's on your Top Ten this week? 

Top Ten Books I Wish Had Sequels

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

This one should be easy because this happens to me all the time!  What do I mean by this?  Well, I read a book and then keep wishing for more.  Even if the ending was entirely satisfying  it seems like I always want to know more. It's a curse I must bear!  

1.  The Distance Between Us by Kasie West - There were too many open questions at the end.  I want to know what happens with Caymen's grandparents and how she adjusts to her new life.

2.  Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan - I want for Dash and Lily!

3.  The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen - This includes probably all her books anyway!  I always want to know more about the wonderful characters she creates.

Top 10 of 2012: Best Couples of 2012

Top 10 of 2012 is a meme hosted by these wonderful blogs: Fiktshun, A Life Bound by Books, Confessions of a Bookaholic, Two Chicks of Books, andMagical Urban Fantasy Reads

Today's Top Ten is a 'fill-in-the-blank' from several choices and I selected couples (the romantic in me was begging me to!).  These are from books that I read this year. Here they are:

1.  Marianne and Phillip from Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson - I raved about this book in my post on Monday, I just adore the Austen-like story and its amazing characters.  

2.  Echo and Noah from Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry - What I love most about this couple is that together they become whole, a better version of themselves.  They get each other at a deeper level that it's had to understand.

3.  Elder and Amy from A Million Suns by Beth Revis - Although I wasn't sure that these two were ever going to become a couple, they went through a lot and managed to get to the other side together.  I can't wait to see what happens next!

4.  Lyla and Tripp from Guitar Notes by Mary Amato - Lyla and Tripp are not a romantic couple (although I can wish and use my imagination, right?), but they are so attuned to each other and it reflects on the music they write together. 

5.  Deryn and Alek from Behemoth by Scott Westerfield - How I waited for this moment!  Behemoth is the culmination of the Leviathan series and it was an amazing ride.  I wish with all my heart that we could continue with the adventures of Deryn and Alek now that they are a couple (even if they are undercover :)

6.  Meghan and Ash from Iron's Prophesy by Julie Kagawa - I may have cheated a little with this one, as Iron's Prophesy is a novella, but Ash and Meghan are one of my favorite couples of all time.  Love them!

7.  Ismae and Gavriel from Grave Mercy by R.L. LaFevers - What I like the most about this couple, is that Ismae deserved love after the type of life that she had before she met Gavriel.  He is so patient, tender, and considerate with Ismae, that it's a pleasure to see read.

8.  Kate and Henry from Goddess Interrupted by Aimée Carter - Poor Henry deserves his happy ending!  Although, this one was not my favorite in the series (The Goddess Legacy was better), I can't help but wish that this couple makes it at the end. *fingers crossed*

9.  Augustus and Hazel from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - What can I say? I don't want to give anything away for those of you who haven't read it yet (btw, where have you been?), but I do have to say that I adore this couple's innate understanding of each other and their ability on finding the positive while still dealing with a devastating disease. 

10. Carmella and Howie from Wish I Could Have Said Goodbye by Shari A. Brady - Howie came to Carmella's life in the moment that she needed him the most and brought light to her darkness.  Even if she made some terrible mistakes, I am positive that they can make it at the end. 

What is in your Top Ten of 2012 today? 

Top Ten New-to-Me Authors I Read in 2012

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

Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

1.  John Green - How did I survive without reading his books? The Fault in Our Stars is one of my favorite books EVER!!

2.  Jenny Han - I read the Summer series this year because it was profusely recommended to me by a friend, and I loved it.

3.  Sarah Maas - Throne of Glass is one of my favorite reads this year.  Love Celaena!

4.  Wendy Higgins - Another amazing series that started this year, reading Sweet Evil is a must.

5.  Julianne Donaldson - Edenbrook is a very clean historical romance that reminds me so much of Jane Austen's style, I really adore this book.

6.  Brigid Kremmerer - She is the author of the Elemental series (Storm and Spark), I love the Merrick brothers and you will too. Oh, and she's from Maryland too!

7.  Mary Amato - I knew, just by reading the synopsis of Guitar Notes that I would love it. And guess what?  I was not mistaken.

8.  Rae Carson - I finished reading Girl of Fire and Thorns last week and loved it!  I enjoy strong female characters and Elisa really grew on me. 

9.  Tammara Webber  - If you haven't read Easy, you should get it, right now! (I'm not kidding, log into Amazon right now)

10. Katie McGarry - Pushing the Limits is also one of my favorite reads of this year.  Go and check it out :)

What's in your Top Ten this week?

Top Ten Contemporary YA Books

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

I'm going to try to limit myself to my Top Ten favorite contemporary young adult books, but I'm making no promises. 

1.  The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen - Sarah Dessen is one of my favorite authors, I'll read anything she writes; but this book remains my favorite. 

2.  Breathe by Abbi Glines - Breathe has one of my favorite YA couples of all time; a perfect romance :)

3.  The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson - This book is pure poetry and lyrics in motion.  It's emotive, bittersweet, and so especial.

4.  Guitar Notes by Mary Amato - This is a recent read for me and I adore the writing style and also Tripp's personality and the way his friendship with Lyla develops. 

5.  Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan - This book is quirky and oh, so funny!  I love this one :)

6.  Easy by Tammara Webber - Easy is an amazing book.  The characters are incredible, the plot amazing and the romance to die for!

7.  Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry - One of my favorite books so far this year, Pushing the Limits has amazing characters that have to deal with a lot, at a very young age and grow with each's other help. 

8.  Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday - This series is so funny, full of mystery, technology, the ins and outs of life in high school and some amazing characters too! 

9.  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - Another favorite this year is John Green's masterpiece.  This book is hard to describe for me because is that good. 

10. Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles - This series is another great read. Again, amazing characters overcome so much and learn to do so with the help of a really beautiful relationship. 

Other books in this list (told you I couldn't stop at 10!) are: Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles, Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols, Willow by Julia Hoban, If I Stay by Gayle Forman, and Wish I Could Have Said Goodbye by Sari Brady.   

What is in your Top Ten this week?  Have you read any of these?  What are your favorite contemporary books? 

Review: Guitar Notes by Mary Amato

Title: Guitar Notes by Mary Amato

Published: July 24^th, 2012 by Egmont

Source: Library

Format: Hardback

Challenge(s): Library, Debut Author

Grade rate: B+

On odd days, Tripp Broody uses a school practice room to let loose on a borrowed guitar. Eyes closed, strumming that beat-up instrument, Tripp escapes to a world where only the music matters.

On even days, Lyla Marks uses the same practice room. To Tripp, she’s trying to become even more perfect—she’s already a straight-A student and an award-winning cellist. But when Lyla begins leaving notes for him in between the strings of the guitar, his life intersects with hers in a way he never expected.

What starts as a series of snippy notes quickly blossoms into the sharing of interests and secrets and dreams, and the forging of a very unlikely friendship.

Challenging each other to write songs, they begin to connect, even though circumstances threaten to tear them apart.

From beloved author Mary Amato comes a YA novel of wit and wisdom, both heartfelt and heart­breaking, about the power of music and the unexpected chords that draw us together. (From the Egmont Website).

My Review

Oh, how I love this book!  Don’t get fooled by the B+ grade, it is an awesome read.  I just had a minor issue with the ending.

This story starts by Lyla and Tripp sharing the same high school music room, but on different days.  As a way to communicate with each other they start leaving notes in the guitar case.  What starts as harmless and fun banter turns into a true meeting of the minds and a beautiful friendship.

Lyla seems perfect to others, but she is far from it.  Yes, she is pretty, smart, very talented, but she has allowed her dad and her best friend to push her into a life she really doesn’t want for herself.  Ironically, she sort of pushes Tripp into things that are out of he’s comfort zone; however, in Tripp’s case that it’s a good thing.  Tripp is so funny!  He is (as he is fond and proud to say) odd. Tripp loves music to the point that it’s the only thing that holds an interest to him.  I loved Tripp’s relationship with his mom and how he took revenge on her for everything she did to him (hilarious!)

Tripp’s mom cares deeply for him and it’s trying to get him to be more social, the only way she knows how.  Anna, Lyla’s best and only friend, is no friend at all. She is always jealous of her, full of envy, and pushes (aka bullies) Lyla to do things she has no desire of doing and prevents her from doing what she loves.  I don’t understand why Lyla allowed this to go on for so long. Lyla’s dad is extremely protective (with good reason) and also expects too much from her.

The plot is well thought out and the reading is quick since the book is a combination of notes, texts, emails, and conversations. I really enjoyed the writing style and the story, but I have a minor issue with the end.  First, I know that what Tripp and Lyla have is really special, they have a connection of minds and they understand each other in a way few people can.  I was a little disappointed that their relationship didn’t develop into something more (and really, this is my problem I guess). Second, the ending was quite abrupt.  I mean, everything was going fine and then, BAM!  Something really horrible (and cliché) happens, and it seems like the story ends so fast.

Here are some great quotes from the book:

“The Termite storms out. He sticks out his tongue at the door as it slams. Is he immature? Yes.  If maturity means you can grow up and take away the one and only thing that gives meaning to your son’s life, then why would anyone strive for maturity?” - Tripp

“She sings, ‘I like the sound of your name in my ear’. She stops and blushes. ‘I didn’t mean you you. I mean it doesn’t have to be based on anything true, right?” – Lyla

“’Here’s my Thrum Theory. I think every soul vibrates at a certain frequency’, he explains. ‘It’s sort of like each soul has a sound that is its signature – and your soul just wants to feel the vibrations of this sound. I think the vibrations of my soul and the vibrations of the guitar match each other, which is why it feels so right for me to play it’.” - Tripp

One of the things that I find the most amazing is that Ms. Amato and her writing partner Bill Williams wrote and recorded all the songs (they can be found here) that Tripp and Lyla wrote together.

About the cover:  I find the cover very appropriate and really pretty.

Have you read Guitar Notes?  Have you read a similar book? 

Stacking the Shelves #18

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.

I have a bigger Stacking the Shelves this week, because last weekend I was at the DC National Book Festival (you can see that post here).  This week has been really hectic between work and the amount of homework that my boys get, I hope to get caught up with email, reviews and posts this weekend. 

Purchased (Physical Books)

Persuasion by Brenda Joyce - Just because I like to read romance once in a while and I couldn't resist the title.

Forever by Judy Blume - I'm reviewing this book for Book Journey's 'Banned Book Week' 

Goliath by Scott Westerfeld - I already finished Goliath, I loved this series!

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian - I couldn't resist the cover AND these fabulous authors.

Tilt by Ellen Hopkins - Please don't throw any stones my way, but I have never read one of Ellen Hopkins' books before, therefore I figured that it was time I started.  What do you think?

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn - This is one of by favorite books ever!  I read it from the library and now I have my very own copy :)

Supernaturally by Kiersten White - It's about time for me to get caught up with this series. 

The Diviners by Libba Bray - I've heard wonderful things about this book. Did you read it already?

Purchased for Kindle

Callum & Harper by Fisher Amelie - I got this one because of a book recommendation in Goodreads.

Ceaseless by Abbi Glines - the last book in the Existence series, can't wait to read it!

Library

Guitar Notes by Mary Amato - I also finished this one and loved it!  Review to come soon!

Miracle by Elizabeth Scott - I didn't have good luck with the last book I read by this author, but I decided to give a try to this one.

Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas - Got this one in audio book to keep me company in my commute. So far, so good.

The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze - The cover is what draw me in.  I hope is good!

For Review

Valley of Dust by Karoleen Vry Brucks - Such a beautiful cover, right?  It sounds good too.

Matt Archer: Monster Hunter by Kendra C. Highley - Creepy cover, uh? Sounds amazing too!

Thank you to both authors for the opportunity to review these books :)

What's stacking your shelves this week?  Have you read any of these?

Please check out the giveaways going on right now! Look at the upper right corner of the blog for details!