Saturday, August 25, 2012

Stacking the Shelves #13


Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by  Tynga's Reviews! This meme showcases the books received, bought, or checked out from the library over the course of the past week.  



This StS is for the past three weeks. I was out of town for most of this amount of time, and while I was gone, I went a little book crazy. I also went to a Sherrilyn Kenyon book signing where I won a t-shirt during their raffle! That was so much fun! Anyway, click read more to see what I've been stacking my shelves with for the past three weeks... 


Print Books and ARCs for Review:
Amarok
By: Angela J. Townsend
Release Date: 11/20/12
A big thank you to Spencer Hill Press!
Synopsis:
Life has been hell for seventeen-year-old Emma since she moved from sunny California to a remote Alaskan town. Rejected by her father and living with the guilt of causing her mother's death, she makes a desperate dash for freedom from her abusive stepfather. But when her car skids off the icy road, her escape only leads to further captivity in a world beyond her imagining. Dragged across the tundra by a crazed mountain man and his enormous black wolf, she finds that her gentle touch and kind heart earn her the wolf's friendship, and she names him Amarok, not knowing he was once a young man. When a vicious madman--trapped in bear form by an ancient Shaman--attacks the travelers and injures Amarok, Emma must find the strength to confront her fears and free the wolf she's come to love. But there's a catch--she must face down the evil shaman, a powerful Siberian mammoth hunter from the ice age, and he has no intention of giving up his power to her.


The Dark Unwinding
By: Sharon Cameron
Release Date: 9/1/12
A big thank you to Scholastic!
Synopsis:
A spine-tingling tale of steampunk and spies, intrigue and heart-racing romance!

When Katharine Tulman's inheritance is called into question by the rumor that her eccentric uncle is squandering away the family fortune, she is sent to his estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, Katharine discovers a genius inventor with his own set of rules, who employs a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London.

Katharine is now torn between protecting her own inheritance and preserving the peculiar community she grows to care for deeply. And her choices are made even more complicated by a handsome apprentice, a secretive student, and fears for her own sanity.

As the mysteries of the estate begin to unravel, it is clear that not only is her uncle's world at stake, but also the state of England as Katharine knows it. With twists and turns at every corner, this heart-racing adventure will captivate readers with its intrigue, thrills, and romance.


Note: Sorry Joey's not in this picture. The flash washed out this beautiful cover when he was in the pictures. 


Auracle
By: Gina Rosati
I received this ARC as part of Parafantasy's ARC tours. I will send this one to the next reader on Monday!
My Review
Synopsis:
16 year old Anna Rogan has a secret she's only shared with her best friend, Rei; she can astrally project out of her body, allowing her spirit to explore the world and the far reaches of the universe.

When there's a fatal accident and her classmate Taylor takes over Anna's body, what was an exhilarating distraction from her repressive home life threatens to become a permanent state. Faced with a future trapped in another dimension, Anna turns to Rei for help. Now the two of them must find a way to get Anna back into her body and stop Taylor from accusing an innocent friend of murder. Together Anna and Rei form a plan but it doesn't take into account the deeper feelings that are beginning to grow between them.


E-Galleys for Review:
Beneath a Rising Moon
By: Keri Arthur
A big thank you to Random House and Net Galley!
Synopsis:
Keri Arthur, the New York Times bestselling author of the Riley Jenson Guardian series, takes readers to the werewolf reservation of Ripple Creek—where moon fever runs high and a savage murderer runs rampant.
 
There’s no turning back for Neva Grant. To find a killer, she must seduce the boldest male in the Sinclair pack. Her twin sister lies in a hospital bed, fighting for her life, the fourth and only surviving victim of a vicious attacker. The werewolf rangers suspect the Sinclair pack, and the only way Neva can infiltrate their close-knit ranks is to unleash the wildness within and offer herself to Duncan Sinclair.
 
Duncan’s appetite for women is legendary on the reservation. But when this new woman stirs his hunger, he finds his desire for her goes deeper than anything he’s ever felt before. When he realizes that she’s playing a game and he’s taken the bait, he is determined to push her to the breaking point. As Duncan and Neva engage in a dangerous dance, they must somehow find a way to join forces—before a cornered killer bites back.



Speechless
By: Hannah Harrington
Release Date: 08/28/12
A big thank you to Harlequin Teen and Net Galley!
Synopsis:
Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret

Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.

Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.

But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.



Confessions of an Angry Girl
By: Louise Rozett
Release Date: 08/28/12
A big thank you to Harlequin Teen and Net Galley!
Synopsis:
Rose Zarelli, self-proclaimed word geek and angry girl, has someconfessions to make…1. I'm livid all the time. Why? My dad died. My mom barely talks. My brother abandoned us. I think I'm allowed to be irate,don't you?

2. I make people furious regularly. Want an example? I kissed Jamie Forta, a badass guy who might be dating a cheerleader. She is nowenraged and out for blood. Mine.

3. High school might as well be Mars. My best friend has been replaced by an alien, and I see red all the time. (Mars is red and "seeing red" means being angry—get it?)

Here are some other vocab words that describe my life: Inadequate. Insufferable. Intolerable.

(Don't know what they mean? Look them up yourself.)

(Sorry. That was rude.)


Traded:
Silence
By: Becca Fitzpatrick
I traded one of my books for this one. I can't remember which book was traded, though. Either way, I have the complete collection, all but Finale now! Yay! I've already read this book (and the 2 before it). I love them so much that I'm collecting them! Joey obviously loves it too.
Synopsis:
The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever.

Purchased:
The Goddess Legacy
By: Aimee Carter
Please ignore the fact that my cat looks like a pirate in this picture...
My Review
Synopsis:
For millennia we've caught only glimpses of the lives and loves of the gods and goddesses on Olympus. Now Aimée Carter pulls back the curtain on how they became the powerful, petty, loving and dangerous immortals that Kate Winters knows.Calliope/Hera represented constancy and yet had a husband who never matched her faithfulness….

Ava/Aphrodite was the goddess of love and yet commitment was a totally different deal….

Persephone was urged to marry one man, yet longed for another….

James/Hermes loved to make trouble for others#151;but never knew true loss before….

Henry/Hades's solitary existence had grown too wearisome to continue. But meeting Kate Winters gave him a new hope….



Girl in the Steel Corset
By: Kady Cross
Joey loves the color red.
My Review
Synopsis:
In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one...except the "thing" inside her.

When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man....
Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of "them." The orphaned duke takes her in against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a secret.
Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help--and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.
But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on--even if no one believes her.

Masque of the Red Death
By: Bethany Griffin
Synopsis:
Everything is in ruins.

A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them.

So what does Araby Worth have to live for?

Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.

But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.

And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her.

Blue Bloods: Keys to the Repository
By: Melissa de la Cruz
Synopsis:
Lavish parties. Secret trysts. Bone-chilling murders. Angel. Demons. Midterms. The day-to-day lives of Schuyler Van Alen and her Blue Blood friends (and enemies) are never boring. But there's on-so-much more to know about these beautiful and powerful teens. Below the streets of Manhattan, within the walls of the Repository, is a wealth of never-before-revealed information about the vampire elite that dates back to the dawn of history. In a series of short stories, journal entries, and intimate letters, New York Times best-selling author melissa de la Cruz gives you the keys to the Repository and an in-depth look into the secret world of the Blue Bloods.

Won't you come inside?

Kiss of Frost
By: Jennifer Estep
I've now completed my collection of the Mythos Academy series - so far. I'll obviously buy the other installments as they're released.
Synopsis:
I’m Gwen Frost, a second-year warrior-in-training at Mythos Acad­emy, and I have no idea how I’m going to sur­vive the rest of the semes­ter. One day, I’m get­ting schooled in sword­play by the guy who broke my heart—the drop-dead gor­geous Logan who slays me every time. Then, an invis­i­ble archer in the Library of Antiq­ui­ties decides to use me for tar­get prac­tice. And now, I find out that some­one at the acad­emy is really a Reaper bad guy who wants me dead. I’m afraid if I don’t learn how to live by the sword—with Logan’s help—I just might die by the sword...

Everneath
By: Brodi Ashton
My Review
Synopsis:
Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her friends—before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever. 

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she’s forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s...


Lost in Time
By: Melissa de la Cruz
I have now completed my Blue Bloods collection - so far. I'll obviously buy the new installments as they're released. 
Synopsis:
The stakes have never been higher for the young Blue Bloods of Manhattan. After their brief yet beautiful bonding ceremony in Italy, Schuyler Van Alen and Jack Force depart for Egypt, desperate to find the elusive Gate of Promise before Jack must face his twin, Mimi, for a blood trial. A blood trial that only one of them can survive. But everything Schuyler thought she knew about the gate turns out to be a lie, and they soon find themselves ensnared in a deadly battle against the demon-born. Schuyler and Jack take up arms, only to realize that there is a much graver threat simmering in the Kingdom of the Dead.

Meanwhile, determined to save the only vampire she still loves, Mimi has followed Kingsley Martin into Hell. With the help of her new human Conduit, Oliver Hazard-Perry, Mimi makes a bargain with the Queen of the Dead that she may soon regret. When the time comes to choose between love and revenge, both Mimi and Oliver will learn the true meaning of sacrifice.

confronted by danger, betrayal, and loss at every turn, the Blue Bloods must find the will to fight - and love - another day.


Infinity
By: Sherrilyn Kenyon
This is the only book in my purchased list that I haven't read yet. I bought this at the Sherrilyn Kenyon signing so that I could get a place in line. I love all of Sherri's work, though, so I'm sure I'll adore this series as well!
Synopsis:
At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him.
Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.

Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.

But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he's next on the menu.

As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?


Books I already owned, but got signed at the event:
Night Embrace
I love Talon and his coffee obsession. He's one of my favorite Dark Hunters.
Synopsis:
Dear Reader,

Life is great for me. I have my chicory coffee, my warm beignets, and my best friend on the cell phone. Once the sun goes down, I am the baddest thing prowling the night: I command the elements, and I know no fear. For centuries, I've protected the innocent and watched over the mankind, making sure they are safe in a world where nothing is ever certain. All I want in return is a hot babe in a red dress, who wants nothing more from me then one night.

Instead, I get a runaway Mardi Gras float that tries to turn me into roadkill and a beautiful woman who saves my life but can't remember where she put my pants. Flamboyant and extravagant, Sunshine Runningwolf should be the perfect woman for me. She wants nothing past tonight, no ties, no long-term commitments.

But every time I look at her, I start yearning for dreams that I buried centuries ago. With her unconventional ways and ability to baffle me, Sunshine is the one person I find myself needing. But for me to love her would mean her death. I am cursed never to know peace or happiness— not so long as my enemy waits in the night to destroy us both.

—Talon of the Morrigantes


Unleash the Night
I know that this isn't a lot of people's favorite, but it is one of mine. I think Wren is a fantastic character, and I love his story.
Synopsis:
It's a predator-eat-predator world for the Were-Hunters. Danger haunts any given day. There is no one to trust. No one to love. Not if they want to live...
 
An orphan with no clan that will claim him, Wren Tigarian grew to adulthood under the close scrutiny and mistrust of those around him. A forbidden blend of two animals - snow leopard and white tiger - Wren has never listened to anyone when there was something he wanted. Now he wants Marguerite.

Marguerite D'Aubert Goudeau is the daughter of a prominent U.S. senator who hates the socialite life she's forced to live. Like her mother before her, she has strong Cajun roots that her father doesn't understand. Still, she has no choice but to try and conform to a world where she feels like an outsider. But the world of rich and powerful humans is never to meet the world of the Were-Hunters who exist side by side with them, unseen, unknown, undetected. To break this law is to call down a wrath of the highest order.

In order to have Marguerite, Wren must fight not just the humans who will never accept his animal nature, but the Were-Hunters who want him dead for endangering their world. It's a race against time and magic without boundary that could cost Marguerite and Wren not just their lives, but their very souls...


Acheron
This is my absolute favorite book of all time. For those of you who haven't read it, it is extremely long. However, it rips out your soul, destroys it, and gives it back to you. Acheron is the most inspiring character I've ever read, and his story is one that I've already reread dozens of times. This is one of those stories that will change your life.
Synopsis:
The most anticipated story in the blockbuster Dark-Hunter series. The never-before-revealed story of the Dark-Hunter leader, Acheron.  He was made human in order to escape death, but in death he was reborn a god. . . 

 Eleven thousand years ago a god was born. Cursed into the body of a human, Acheron spent a lifetime of shame. However, his human death unleashed an unspeakable horror that almost destroyed the earth. Then, brought back against his will, Acheron became the sole defender of mankind.

Only it was never that simple. For centuries, he has fought for our survival and hidden a past he’ll do anything to keep concealed. Until a lone woman who refuses to be intimidated by him threatens his very existence.

Now his survival, and ours, hinges on hers and old enemies reawaken and unite to kill them both.

War has never been more deadly... or more fun.


Dark Side of the Moon
This is the first Dark Hunter book I ever read. It drew me in and I became obsessed with this world. Because of this book, I've now read over 20 Sherrilyn Kenyon books. This is a great novel, and it has a lot of sentimental value for me. Additionally, I love the Pink Floyd song title for the book title.
Synopsis:
Susan Michaels was once the hottest reporter on the Beltway Beat until a major scandal ruined her life and left her writing stories about alien babies and Elvis sightings. Life as she once knew it is over, or so she thinks, but then she gets a lead on a story that could salvage her extinct career. She heads to the local animal shelter, expecting a hot news tip, which she gets in the form of a major police cover-up ... for a ring of soul-sucking vampires out to take over Seattle. So much for saving her credibility.

And if that isn't bad enough, she gets talked into adopting a cat and finds she's allergic to it. A cat that turns out to be a shapeshifter who claims to be an immortal vampire slayer on the prowl for the same corrupt cops. her first thought: seek professional help.

But as Susan's drawn into Ravyn's dark and dangerous world, she comes to realize that there's a lot more at stake than just her defunct career. Now it's no longer a question of bringing the truth to her readers; it's a matter of saving their very lives and souls.

Ravyn's life was shattered over four hundred years ago, when he mistakenly trusted the wrong human with the truth of his existence. He lost his family, his honor, and his life. Now, in order to save the people of Seattle, he's forced to confront that nightmare all over again, and to trust another woman with the secret that could destroy him.

In the world of the Dark-Hunters, life is always dangerous. But never more so than now, when a very human woman can shatter their entire world with just one story. The only question is ... will she?


Born of Night
This is from Sherri's League series, which is her sci-fi series. I adore the world she created, and this is my favorite story out of the entire series. It's heart wrenching and heartwarming. It cannot be missed. 
Synopsis:
Awakened from a drugged sleep in a cold cell, the Princess Kiara finds herself a prisoner of the merciless marauders who threaten her father's planetary kingdom. Miraculously, a rescuer appears, but behind his fearsome mask is the handsome face of a dark avenger whose outlaw touch sets her very soul aflame.

They call him Nemesis. Once a renegade assassin, now a warrior-soldier sworn to protect the innocent from the ruthless mercenaries throughout the galaxies, he has many enemies. Besieged on every side, he knows he is a danger to the beauty he saves from certain death. But the lovely Kiara stirs a hungry longing in his battle-hardened heart, spurring him into a struggle that could restore his honor and heal the wounds of a beleaguered empire -- or tear Kiara from his arms forever...



I also got to meet Sherrilyn Kenyon! She's one of the sweetest authors I've ever talked to. She is so friendly and warm to everyone she meets. You can see my dad in the back photo bombing this picture and talking to Dianna Love, along with some girl I don't know. 

Items won:
At every Sherrilyn Kenyon signing, they have raffles. They don't stop giving things away until everyone has won something. They almost cleaned out Barnes and Noble by doing this, haha! I won a t-shirt for Alterant from the Belador series written by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love.

They also had free bookmarks for us to grab at the signing. I picked up these three. I cannot wait for Styxx to come out, so when I saw that, I had to grab it. Joey looks to be excited about Styxx as well.

I won this in a blog contest giveaway. It's a hand made Shatter Me bookmark. It's hard to see because of the flash, but it's gorgeous!

Joey loves the tassels.

This is my Daemon bookmark that I won and will cherish forever! This has a ton of Daemon pics on it (as you can see). I won this from a Twitter trivia contest. 

10 comments:

  1. OH MY FREAKIN GOD!! SUPERFANTABULOUS HAUL!!! I can't wait to read The Dark Unwinding and EverNeath! And I LOVE Sherrilyn Kenyon! :D Hope you enjoy all your books! :D

    My StS post! 

    ~ Maida @ Literary Love Affair

    ReplyDelete
  2. So many books. Signings are a great way to meet authors. You got a lot of books over the last few weeks.

    Grace

    ReplyDelete
  3. I LOVED Confesssions of and Angry Girl so much! Lots of awesome books! And bookmark!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey I'm a new follower !
    I LOVE all these pictures with your cat :D !
    You got so many books and some signed books that is AWESOME !
    I really want to read Confessions of an Angry Girl I asked for it on Netgalley but I don't have an answer yet.
    And I really want to read The Dark Unwinding !
    Happy reading from France !

    ReplyDelete
  5. WOW! That's an impresive haul! :D
    I want to read Confessions of an Angry Girl badly! I hope you like them! :D

    This is what I got this week!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your cat is sooo cute! And you got some awesome books. Hope you love all of them. Happy reading!

    - Chel
    The Procrastinator's Corner

    ReplyDelete
  7. Nice haul! I really liked Beneath a Rising Moon and Speechless, hope you enjoy!
    My STS: World of Books

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh, wow, very nice haul. There are a lot of books I want to read, so happy reading :D

    My haul.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh wow awesome week! I loved Auracle!

    Giselle
    Xpresso Reads

    ReplyDelete

I love getting comments, and I also try to always return the favor! Thanks for stopping by!