Stacking the Shelves #67

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.

How are you this fine week?  We've been very busy, the kids had a ton of homework and projects this week and also "A" started submitting college applications.  Here are the additions to my shelves this week:

Purchased Books

Ashes to Ashes by Melissa Walker - I've been dying to read this one because I fell in love with the cover.  Have you read it?

All Our Yerterdays by Cristin Terrill - I've only heard good things about this one, I can't wait to read it.

Purchased (or Free) for Kindle 

Broom with a View by Gayla Twist and Ted Naifen - This book looked pretty and sounded good.

Sweet Thing by Renée Carlino - This one came highly recommended by Christina at Allodoxophobia and I trust her to to steer me wrong :)

Starters by Lissa Price - The cover is so creepy and I had been waiting to read it for a while.

Just Like a Musical by Milena Veen - I think I saw this one in a top ten of 2013.

Library 

Shadowlark by Meagan Spooner - I really enjoyed Skylark and this is it's sequel.

Mystic City by Theo Lawrence - Arianne, my partner in crime at this blog loved this one, so I want to give it a try.

For Review

These Gentle Wounds by Helene Dunbar - This book looks and sounds heartbreaking, but so good.

17 First Kisses by Rachael Allen - I cannot wait to read this one!!!

Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong - I loved Armstrong's YA series, I hope this one is as good.

Death Sworn by Leah Cypess - Who can resist that cover?  A mysterious book about magic (or lack thereof) and a mystery. 

Panic by Lauren Oliver - Now, don't shoot me, but I have to confess that I haven't read a book by Oliver.  I hope this is the first ;)

Big thanks to Flux, HarperTeen, Greenwillow and Edelweiss for these pretties!

Swag

Signed Magnet and Postcard for Over It

What is stacking your shelves this week?

Review: The Rising by Kelley Armstrong (Darkness Rising #3)

Title: The Rising by Kelley Armstrong

Published: April 2^nd, 2013 by HarperCollins

Source: Purchased for Audible

Format: Audio book narrated by Jennifer Ikeda

Age group: Young adult

Genre: Paranormal

Challenge:  Finish the Series

Grade rate: B

Things are getting desperate for Maya and her friends. Hunted by the powerful St. Clouds and now a rival Cabal as well, they're quickly running out of places to hide. And with the whole world thinking they died in a helicopter crash, it's not like they can just go to the authorities for help. All they have is the name and number of someone who might be able to give them a few answers. Answers to why they're so valuable, and why their supernatural powers are getting more and more out of control. But Maya is unprepared for the truths that await her. And now, like it or not, she'll have to face down some demons from her past if she ever hopes to move on with her life. Because Maya can't keep running forever. Old secrets are revealed and unexpected characters make a surprising return in this stunning conclusion to Kelley Armstrong's New York Times bestselling Darkness Rising trilogy.

My Review

Being a big fan of Armstrong’s Darkest Powers series, I have been invested in this companion series since the beginning.  Even if Maya is not Chloe, they are both great heroines.  The conclusion did not disappoint.

The Rising picks up right where The Calling ended and finds our heroes (at least some of them) still on the run.  One thing that I’m not too happy about is the instances of getting captured-escaping-getting captured again.  It was actually confusing, but I understand the logic behind it, especially since the story is told from Maya’s point of view and we wouldn’t know what was going on with the rest of the crew otherwise.  

The story is really fast paced; I think the whole trilogy happened in about two weeks.  It reads like a paranormal thriller with teens that have been experimented upon and have all sort of strange powers.  The best part of The Rising is that we get to see the crew from the Darkest Powers series!  I was so glad to know how Chloe and Derek are doing, although it seemed like not much time has passed between both series.  Maya and her crew realized (with the help of Maya’s biological father) that it was pointless to keep running from the cabals and it was better to come to some type of agreement.  This is basically what the story is about and how they get to that point. 

I was happy with the ending, everything got nicely tied up, BUT there is always room for more as our heroes are all still teens and will grow into their powers.  I’m very happy for Maya and her chosen love interest (pardon the theatrics but I don’t want to spoil it for you).

About the cover: The covers are all similar and pretty, nothing special though.

Stacking the Shelves #44

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.

Crazy week again.  I had a visit to the emergency room (I'm fine now after some rest), and we had to put our dog of eleven years to sleep, so not a good week...  Anyway, Mother's day is tomorrow and I'm happy and excited about that :)

Library

This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith - I loved Statistical Probability and I can't wait to start this one :)

Dark Triumph by R.L. LaFevers - Ditto about Grave Mercy.

Audible

Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins - Oh my goodness  another book in a series that I'm dying to get into.  Already listed to the first few chapters.

The Rising by Kelley Armstrong - This is the conclusion of the Darkness Rising series, should be good!

Review

Awaken by Meg Cabot - This is the conclusion of the Abandon series and just look at the gorgeous cover *sigh*  Thank you Point and NetGalley!

Won

Goddess Inheritance by Aimeé Carter - I already read and review the last installment of the Goddess Test series.  It was awesome :)  Thanks HarlequinTeen!

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

Feature and Follow Friday

Feature and Follow Friday is an awesome blog-hop hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read

This week's features are Jamie @ Fantasy Book Chick and Savannah @ Books with Bite and this week's question is:

 What are you reading right now? How do you like it?

Last night I finished Behemoth (Leviathan #2) by Scott Weterfeld and loved it.  I am also reading The Wedding Cake Girl by Anne Pfeffer for a blog tour and it is turning out to be really good too. On audio I started listening to The Calling by Kelley Armstrong.

What are you reading or recently finished reading?

Please remember to enter the "Back to the Books" Giveaway 

Stacking the Shelves #15

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.

What a week!  I sure I'm glad is almost over (I just have to survive today :) I won't bore you with the details, but lets say it involves a flat tire while going home at rush hour on 295, being stuck in traffic due to the Grand Prix (in Baltimore this weekend), an infection and an adverse reaction to the antibiotics to cure said infection.  Anyway!  It was also my birthday and I had a good time that day.

I didn't buy a lot of books this week because I'm planning on attending the Baltimore Book Festival (September 28-30) and the National Book Festival (in DC, September 22-23) and I need to save my money for that.

Library

The Calling by Kelley Armstrong - I love Ms. Armstrong's Darkest Powers series and really enjoy The Gathering, can't wait to listen to this book :)

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore - This books needs no introduction or explanation, right?

Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti - Looks like a romantic sort of book...

Purchased (or Free) for Kindle

Wings of Shadow by Anna Kyss - I believe this book was free for Kindle, I just fell in love with the cover.

Trouble in Mudbug by Jana DeLeon - This book sounds like so much fun!

Inbetween by Tara A. Fuller - I've heard good things about this one.

Purchased (Physical Books)

Foretold: 14 Tales of Prophecy and Prediction edited by Carrie Ryan - This is an anthology from fabulous authors, like Richelle Meade, Lisa McMann, Laini Taylor, Meg Cabot and more.  Is bound to be amazing!

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis - Can't resist a fairy tale re-telling or that beautiful cover.

I also received a beautiful Vera Bradley messenger bag and matching lunch box from hubby and kids.

What is stacking your shelves this week?

Please remember to enter the "Back to the Books" Giveaway 

Review: The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong (Darkness Rising #1)

Title: The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
Published: April 12th 2011 by Harper Collins
Source: Library audiobook
Grade rate: A-

Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island.

Until now.

Strange things have been happening in this claustrophobic town - from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling" out people and situations, to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel . . . . different. Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet.

In The Gathering, New York Times best-selling author Kelley Armstrong brings all the supernatural thrills from her wildly successful Darkest Powers series to Darkness Rising, her scorching hot new trilogy.
My Review

I really enjoyed Kelly Armstrong’s Darkest Power’s series, so obviously The Gathering was in my TBR list for a while, and now I had the opportunity to “read it” (I listed to the audiobook) and really liked it.

Maya is a very different character; she is pragmatic, headstrong, stubborn and a little inflexible as well.  She has a very strong set of values and a clear vision of right and wrong that can be annoying to some of her friends.  She is adopted and hit the lottery with her adoptive parents, therefore she is not that interested about her natural parents, that is, until she starts experiencing some changes. 

Daniel is a great friend and I am assuming that he also has some powers, and we will learn more about it in the next book.  He is very protective of Maya, a great friend, and has freaky good instincts.  I was a little confused as he didn’t seem to be interested in Maya in a romantic way (I don hope this doesn’t develop into a love triangle).  Rafe was a complicated character, with a shady history, and lot of baggage.  He does seem to genuinely care about Maya and is in search of answers for himself and his sister Annie, although he at least knows more than Maya. Maya’s parents are a treat, as well as some of her friends. 

The plot is new, it seems to mix two seemly different problems that I’m guessing might have to do with the same lab (Maya , Rafe and Daniel’s abilities).  The writing is very straightforward, and the forest seems to be alive and become another character as well.

The ending was a complete cliffhanger which was very cruel Ms. Armstrong!  The Calling, the second book in the series will be published in April of next year *sits down to wait*

About the cover: Maya is on the cover and we can see (or imagine) what she looks like.  The dark background paired with the blue tinged skin makes it look very mysterious.

Please check out my 200 Follower Giveaway here!

In My Mailbox #25

I had a slow week, and I did order some books, but haven't received them yet.

Library

Green Witch by Alice Hoffman - The sequel to Green Angel.  A small gem of a book, review coming soon.

Abandon by Meg Cabot - Believe it or not this is the first book by Meg Cabot that I will read (er, listen since it's an audiobook).

The Gathering by Kelly Armstrong - I already stated listening to this audiobook and so far, so good.  I did love her Darkest Powers series.

Kindle

Darkest Powers Bonus Pack by Kelly Armstrong (link to Amazon) - These are three stories that accompany the Darkest Powers series. Should be good, right?

Forbidden by Megan Curd - I saw this book in another blog and promptly got it for my Kindle.  It looks so good!

What is in your mailbox this week?

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