Stacking the Shelves #63

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 had an exhausting week, but I also managed to take Monday off and hubby and I went to the movies and we watched Thor, which was really good.  I also managed to get a few lovely new additions to my shelves. 

Purchased (or Free) for Kindle

One & Only by Viv Daniels - Viv Daniels is a pen name for the wonderful Diana Perfreund and I can't wait to read it.

Fire Country by David Estes - I can't remember who recommended this book, but thanks to whomever it was :)

The Iron King #0 by Julie Kagawa - The Iron Fey is one of my favorite series and I cannot wait to read this illustrated version. Go Ash!

Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano - I didn't love DeStafano's Chemical Garden series, but the writing was actually one of the best things about it and I'm very curious about this one. 

While You're Away Part I: Our First Encounter by Jessa Holbrook - The amazing Rachel from Fiktshun speaks very highly about this series and I decided to give it a try.

Unbreathable by Hafsah Laziaf - Hafsah, from Icey Books and Icey Designs wrote her first book!  She's also an incredible designer (after all, she design my blog!)  

Purchased Books

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - I just finished The Book Thief on audio book last night and cried so hard!  It is without a doubt one of the best books ever! I purchased a copy of the book because I intend to spread the word to all my friends.

Purchased for Audible

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke - There is something about this cover that I love. I hope it lives up to my expectations.

Won

The Perfect Match by Kristan Higgins - I won this book from the fabulous Jen at Jenuine Cupcakes and I've heard wonderful things about it.

Have you read any of these?  Have you seen any good movies lately?  What's stacking your shelves this week?

Top Ten Covers I Wish I Could Redesign

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

This week's TTT is really hard!  Although I love covers and it's the first thing that makes me want to read a book, I don't keep track of the ones I don't like.  Also, lately books in a series have the tendency of changing (like Shatter Me or the Immortal Rules) or the covers of the whole series gets changed (like Anna and the French Kiss or Dairy Queen).  Anyway, here's what I came up with:

1.  Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne - I don't know why (and I haven't read the book), but this one doesn't work for me.  I'm not sure what it is, but it may be the fame around the picture.

2.  The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling - Uninspiring. 

3.  Nameless by Lili St. Crow - I think it's the font on the title and the lack of contrast that ruins it for me.

4.  This Side of Salvation by Jeri Smith-Ready - Too plain?

5.  When the World was Flat by Ingrid Jonach - Besides the font and the ribbon, nothing else draws my eye to this cover. 

6.  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - I adore this book, but not its cover.

7.  The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson - This is one of the best series I've ever read, but I didn't like any of the covers. 

8.  The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider -  I don't find the cover relevant to the story or even pretty. 

9.  Sever by Lauren DeStefano - What's up with the weird green cover?  The previous ones are gorgeous!

That's all I could come up with guys.  What covers do you wish to redesign?

Top Ten Best / Worst Series Endings

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

When I started gathering my answers I found out two things: First, that I'm hopelessly behind in a LOT of series (aka unfinished!), and second, that fortunately I have more 'Best' endings than 'Worst'

BEST

1. Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter series) - I don't have to explain, do I?

2.  Timeless by Gail Carriger (Parasol Protectorate) - This series is steampunk at its best.  I'm very happy with the ending, even if there is wide open for much more and I think I read somewhere that there will be a companion series soon. 

3.  Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi (Under the Never Sky series) - I just finished this one yesterday and this book is AMAZING!  If you haven't read this series, you really should. 

4.  The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson (Fire and Thorns series) - Another beloved series that ended recently.  I'm so happy for Hector and Elisa and their kingdom. An epic ending :)

5.  The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa (Iron Fey series) - A book from Ash's point of view, a quest, and Puck to boot. What else could you ask for?

6.  Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead (Vampire Academy series) - Dimitri, Rose... You get the idea, right?

7.  Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles (Leaving Paradise series) - This is a duet and it's so good!  I love this series, the ending was perfection!

Worst

8. Gone by Lisa McMann (Wake series) - I really enjoyed the series, up until this book actually.  Janie turned into an indecisive mess and the ending was so open that it drove me crazy.

9. Sever by Lauren DeStefano (The Chemical Garden series) - Honestly, this series redemption is DeStefano's writing.  The magic of Wither was gone in the second book and this one was a hot mess. And everything got fixed and honky dory in the last chapter :(

10. We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han (The Summer series) - What was that? Belly wanting to get married at 18?  Everyone falling in place for the weirdest wedding in history?  And then we get a sort of epilogue for an ending?  What happened in between?!

What is in your top ten this week? Have you read any of these? Do you agree or disagree with me?

Top Ten Memorable Secondary Characters

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

This list can be a mile long if I let it, so I'll do my best to curve my enthusiasm :) Here are some memorable secondary characters:

1. Phin from Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore - Phin reminds me of Dr. Brennan of the series Bones, she takes everything literally and likes to apply science to everything.  She is also loyal and good to the core (see my review here).

2.  Storm from the Fire and Thorns series by Rae Carson - He is an enemy prince that swears fealty to Elisa and helps here a lot, he really grew on me by the end (see my review here).

3.  Too many to count (Lord Akeldman, Biffy, Ivy Hisselpenny, Professor Lyall, Floote, etc) from the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger - What an amazingly good series, I just adore these books and all the characters in it!

4.  Cecily from the Chemical Garden series by Lauren DeStefano - At the end I think I liked Cecily better than any other character in the series because she was not afraid to fight for what she wanted, play dirty and do what needed to be done (see my review here).

5.  Puck and Grimalkin from the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa - Puck I hope that you find your happy ending someday!  You are so funny, loyal and such a good friend. Well, Grim is a cat... you get it right? (see my review here).

6.  Dr. Barlow from the Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld -  I sure would like to work for Darwin's descendant, wouldn't you?  In a time were men are in control of everything, she's not afraid to fight for what she wants (see my review here).

7.  James from the Goddess Test series by Aimée Carter - I also wish you a happy ending James!  He is a god with a lot of confidence and his share of bad luck too, but at the end he proved to be a great friend to Kate and Harry (see my review here).

8.  Sam from the Deadly Cool series by Gemma Halliday - Sam is one of the greatest friends ever! She would do anything for Heartley, even if it means lying and bending the truth a little bit (see my review here). 

9.  Isaac from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - Just because I cry everything that I see his eulogy for Gus *sniff* (see my review here)

10. Jules from the Revenants series by Amy Plum - Poor Jules had the misfortune to fall for his best friend's girl, how I wish for your happy ending too.  Jules is a true best friend, he is protective, sexy and funny(see my review here).

As I said, I can go on and on... So, what's in your Top Ten this week?

Review: Sever by Lauren DeStefano (The Chemical Garden #3)

Title: Sever by Lauren DeStefano

Published: February 12^th, 2013 by Simon & Schuster

Source: Library

Format: Audio book

Group age: Young Adult

Genre: Dystopian

Challenge(s): 2013 Finish the series

Grade rate: B+

With the clock ticking until the virus takes its toll, Rhine is desperate for answers. After enduring Vaughn’s worst, Rhine finds an unlikely ally in his brother, an eccentric inventor named Reed. She takes refuge in his dilapidated house, though the people she left behind refuse to stay in the past. While Gabriel haunts Rhine’s memories, Cecily is determined to be at Rhine’s side, even if Linden’s feelings are still caught between them. Meanwhile, Rowan’s growing involvement in an underground resistance compels Rhine to reach him before he does something that cannot be undone. But what she discovers along the way has alarming implications for her future—and about the past her parents never had the chance to explain. In this breathtaking conclusion to Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden trilogy, everything Rhine knows to be true will be irrevocably shattered.

My Review

Finally!  Someone did what needed to be done!  Let me now get ahead of myself, but Sever was my favorite of the books in the series. 

Woo, hoo!  I made it to the end of the series :)  I have to say that Wither was nice, but I really didn’t care for Fever as much (see my review here), since it seemed to be the narrative of one calamity after another.   Sever was full of twists and turns and more action that we saw in the first two books.  Also, Cecily and Linden are in this one a lot more, which I enjoyed. 

The story starts where we last saw Rhine, in the hospital, when she is about to get discharged.  Linden takes her to his uncle’s house to stay until she recovers.  Reed is the complete opposite of Vaughn and I liked him a lot.  Rhine finally finds Rowan, but the encounter is tainted by my last favorite person in the series.   Rowan is strong, even if he places his faith in the wrong person.

Oh Linden!  It was so hard for him to come to terms with what his father was and to put his wives’ wellbeing before his own blind faith in Vaughn.  I admire how DeStafano made Linden, the presumptive villain and girl snatcher, into such an endearing character.  I truly believe that Rhine loved him and if circumstance had been different, she could have been happy with him.

Vaughn keeps on being his evil and manipulative self and his reach is very far and wide, although we get to understands his motives in this book, I still hate him.  Kudos to Cecily for doing what needed to be done!   Gabriel is not in the book until the very end and I’m sad to say that I never really liked him.

The writing continues to be the most redeeming quality of the series.  It is lyrical, beautiful, absorbing… listening for these books was almost like someone reading poetry to me.  So full of feeling, whatever those were: sadness, despair, pain, fear and even love.

I don’t know how to describe the ending, other than DeStefano tied all the loose end rather nicely.  It is, against all odds and the premise of the series, a happy ending.

Some quotes for you:

“We'll squeeze every second that we can from our lives, because we're young, and we have plenty of years to grow. We'll grow until we're braver. We'll grow until our bones ache and our skin wrinkles and our hair goes white, and until our hearts decide, at last, that it's time to stop.”

“Maybe hope isn't the most dangerous thing a person can have. Maybe love is.”

“I don't dare touch her. Loss is a knowledge I'm sorry to have. Perhaps the only thing worse than experiencing it, is watching it replay anew in someone else--all the awful stages picking up like a chorus that has to be sung.”

“It isn’t a perfect place. There are no perfect places. But nobody cares about perfection when there are sand castles to build and kites to chase, children that are being born, old hearts that are giving in.”

About the cover:  The covers are all full of items that symbolize part of the story, but I’m sorry, I can’t get pass that awful green color (the color of hope?)

Top Ten Books I Thought I'd Like More / Less Than I Did

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

Here are five books I thought I I'd like More and five that I thought I'd like less:

More

1.  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - I was doubtful at first because I expected a very sad book (I mean, children with cancer!).  I 'm glad I read this book, because, although it was sad, it was also incredibly good.

2.  Angelfall by Susan Ee - I was hesitant to read another angel book. But this dystopian is absolutely amazing!

3.  Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson - I think I was unsure about this one because I really don't like the cover, BUT this series is SO good. I fell in love with the story and with the awesome heroine.

Stacking the Shelves #40

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.

Hello gorgeous people! I haven't done a STS in a while because of the holidays and I had my mom, sister, and nice visiting from Puerto Rico for Spring Break.  We had a great time and now I back to reading and blogging again.  I am trying to control my book buying since I'm attending a few book festivals before BEA next month and need to save for those.  Without further ado, this is what I got in the last couple of weeks:

Purchased (Physical Books)

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell - With this cute cover and a blurb from John Green, I'm destined to love this one!

Purchased (or Free) for Kindle

Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden - I already read this one and it was really good. Review to come soon :)

Die for Her by Amy Plum - I'm a big fan of the Revenats series, and this one is a short ebook (#2.5) before the conclusion to be published later this year.

Forever My Lady by Jeff Rivera - This one was free and it sounded interesting.

Library

Blameless by Gail Carriger  - The Parasol Protectorate is an amazing adult paranormal-steampunk series.  I got book #3 in audio book.

Unremembered by Jessica Brody - This one was my WOW a while ago and I can't wait to read it.

Mind Games by Kiersten White - I really like Ms. White's Paranolmancy series, I can't resist this beautiful cover.

Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza - I've heard wonderful things about this book and the cover is to die for, right?

Sever by Lauren DeStefano - I'm not sure I like this crazy cover, but since I read the first two books, I want to finish the series.  Got this one in audio book as well. 

For Review

Wish by Beth Bracken and Kay Fraser - This book is illustrated with amazing pictures. Thank you to Capstone for the opportunity 

Dare You To by Katie McGarry - Pushing the Limits is one of the best books I read last year and this one should be equally awesome. Thank you Harlequin Teen.

The Rose Throne by Mette Ivie Harrison - I'm a sucker for pretty covers!  I read this one already and it was pretty good. Thanks to Egmont.

Breathless by Brigid Kemmerer - I adore the Elemental series!  This one is book 2.5 and it's about Nick (I love me some Merrick bothers!) Thanks Kessington.

Book Related (sort of...)

I found this cute stickies in Barnes & Noble. Aren't they adorable?

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