Stalking the Shelves (2) - Shannon's Book Haul

Stalking the Shelves is a play on Stacking The Shelves which is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. The meme title so closely matches our blog name that we decided to make a small change to it. Stalking the Shelves is just a fun way to show off the books we've been buying, borrowing and hoarding. LOL

I have put myself on a book buying ban until after my family trip in July (13th-19th) so I don't have a whole lot to show this week. All books shown are ones I received between June 18th-30th.

Gifted:

~Struck by Jennifer Bosworth (signed)

~Cinder by Marissa Meyer (signed) - My Review

~Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer

(Thanks to my awesome sister Carrie for the signed books and Kate for the ARC!)

For Review:

~The Diviners by Libba Bray 

~What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton

~The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse

~Spark by Brigid Kemmerer

~Tempting Fortune by Jo Beverly 

(Thanks to Little Brown, Lisa M. Stasse & Kensington for the review books!)

Won:

~Team Human by Justine Larbalestier & Sarah Rees Brennan

~Beta by Rachel Cohn

(Thanks to Epic Reads/HarperTeen & Rachel Cohn for the giveaways!)

So that's it for me this go around.
 What's taking up space on your shelves?

Review: The Summer I Turned Pretty

Need to Know Info:

Title: The Summer I Turned Pretty
Author: Jenny Han
Format: Paperback, 276 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR
Release Date: August 6th, 2010

Synopsis from Goodreads
Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

Carrie's Review:
Too much hype? Too old for YA? These are the questions I am asking myself right now. I just finished reading The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han. I decided to read it after hearing everyone raving about the series on Twitter and seeing it on everyone’s summer must read lists. Here is the thing though, I just didn’t love it. Why didn’t I see what everyone else did? Did I miss something? That is the way I feel right now. So what did I think? What just didn’t work for me? Let me tell you…

“Belly” was my main problem with the book and she is the narrator and main character. Not a good sign for me. I thought she was cute and fun at the beginning but as the plot started to thicken I quickly became annoyed. I found her clueless and self-absorbed. A typical sixteen year old, you say? I should cut her some slack, maybe? This is where I wonder if I’m too old for YA. I wanted to empathize with her, I really did. I know I wasn’t a perfect teen either but something was missing for me when it came to “Belly” and I just didn’t root for her like I was probably meant to.

The plot development was interesting however. I enjoyed the way “Belly” told the story alternating between past summers and the present to bring us up to speed with everyone. I thought the end “surprise” was a bit predictable though. I had it pegged for awhile and it always frustrates me to feel smarter than the main character. I really just wanted to shake her and tell her to open her eyes. It wasn’t that hard to see. Also for someone so in love with a certain boy; she didn’t really try and talk to him about his emotions at all. If they were such good friends I found it odd that she would just brush off this behavior that was so out of the ordinary for him.

The romance part of the story was lacking for me as well. I didn’t think any of the guys were particularly swoon-worthy. The main love interest was mysterious I will give him that but I needed more; something to make me root for him and her as a couple. It just wasn’t there in my opinion. Lastly was the very end. The last chapter left me hanging. Did I miss something? Where are they going?

I stayed away from YA contemp for awhile because I just couldn’t handle a lot of teen “angst” in books. Then I found if the story was compelling enough I could look past it and even found myself really connecting with the characters. However, that just didn’t happen for me this time. So there you go. Am I over-analyzing this book? Were my expectations to high? I really hate when I don’t love a book that everyone else seems to adore. Sigh.

Rating~

Release Me (Cover Reveals) #18

Our "Release Me" posts focus on upcoming novels that have recently had their covers revealed. We love to help spread the word about new books, so we hope you'll get excited about these. Maybe you'll even discover a few titles you hadn't heard of before. All links go to goodreads so you can find out more about the books and easily add them to your "to-read" pile.

~The Shadow Society by Maire Rutkoski

RD: October 30th, 2012 from Farrar, Straus and Giroux

 ~That Time I Joined the Circus by J.J. Howard 

RD: April 2013 from Scholastic Point

~Under the Bridge by Michael Harmon

RD: November 13th, 2012 from Random House Children's Books

 ~17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma

RD: March 2013 from Dutton Juvenile 

~Rootless by Chris Howard 

RD: November 1st, 2012 from Scholastic

~Inhuman by Kat Falls

RD: March 2013 from Schoastic

~Deep Betrayal (Lies Beneath #2) by Anne Greenwood Brown

RD: June 2013 from Delacorte BFYR

~Revel by Maurissa Guibord

RD: February 12th, 2013 from Delacorte BFYR

~Hollow Earth by John Barrowman & Carole E. Barrowman

RD: October 30th, 2012 from Aladdin

~Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill

RD: October 23rd, 2012 from Little Brown

~Prophecy by Ellen Oh

RD: January 2013 from HarperTeen

~Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook

RD: January 29th, 2013 from Harper Children's Books

 ~The Look by Sophia Bennett

RD: May 1st, 2013 from Scholastic

~Boundless (Unearthly #3) by Cynthia Hand

RD: January 22nd, 2013 from HarperTeen

Had you already seen or heard about most of these books? Find anything new? Which covers do you like best? Which ones have you the most excited? Sound off below!

Outlander Read-A-Long: Week 2 (Ch. 8-14) Answers

Week 2 of the Read-A-Long is now over. Hope you all had fun answering the questions I gave you for Chapters 8-14. If you'd like, you can check out my answers below.

Chapter 8 – 14 Questions & Answers

1. Claire has been given the task of healer at the castle. She must adapt her nursing skills for the time and learn what herbs and etc. will cure each particular ailment that is presented to her. Do you have any home remedies that were passed down to you (cure for a cold, bee sting or what have you)?

My dad is a doctor so you would think I would be able to answer this question better but honestly the only thing I can think of is tea with lemon or honey to calm a sore throat or mild cough. My mother-in-law is from Europe and she has lots more home remedies but of course I can’t think of any off the top of my head.

2. What do you think would be the biggest challenge of living in the past? (Clothing, hygiene, food, etiquette or etc.)

For me it’s a toss-up between hygiene (I’m not sure I could live without indoor plumbing and hot showers) and not having equal rights as a woman. Being told who to marry and feeling like the only value I have is giving my husband sons.

3. Do you have a favorite character, scene or quote so far? If so, share it with us.

I’m sure this won’t come as a surprise to anyone but Jamie is by far my favorite character. In these chapters I have two quotes that stuck out for me.

The serious one:

“There are things that I canna tell you, at least not yet. And I'll ask nothing of ye that ye canna give me. But what I would ask of ye---when you do tell me something, let it be the truth. And I'll promise ye the same. We have nothing now between us, save---respect, perhaps. And I think that respect has maybe room for secrets, but not for lies. Do ye agree?”

The one that made me giggle:

“Where did you learn to kiss like that?” I said, a little breathless. He grinned and pulled me close again. “I said I was a virgin, not a monk,” he said, kissing me again. “If I find I need guidance, I’ll ask.”

4. What did you think about the addition of the blood bond in the wedding ceremony? Is this something you would do with the one you love?

In theory I think the blood bond is romantic but in reality I probably would have fainted. Blood makes me really queasy. Now matching tattoos I could totally do. lol

5. Are you reading along closely with the scheduled chapters or are you ahead or behind?

I have read ahead. I am currently on Part Four – Chapter 24. I was trying not to get too far ahead but sometimes Jamie just calls to me.

 

To get this week's questions for Chapters 15-21 head over to Tangled Up in Blue and Jess will hook you up with those. 

Also don't forget the official Twitter hashtag for the read along is #OutlanderRA – You can use it to tweet your read along posts, updates or just comment about the book while reading it! Happy Read-A-Long Everyone!

In My Mailbox #27

Hey everyone, Carrie here again. I haven't done one of these posts in a few weeks so I wanted to share my lovelies with you now.

All books shown are ones I bought or received between May 27th - June 23rd. In My Mailbox is a meme created by Kristi@TheStorySiren, its purpose is to encourage blogger interaction, as well as highlight books for our readers. IMM is not only for books you have received through the mail, but also library,borrowed, and bought books.

For Review (courtesy of the publisher):

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

A Violet Season by Kathy Leonard Czepiel

Bought:

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (signed)

This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

The Forbidden Sea by Sheila A. Nielson

Won:

Partials by Dan Wells

(thanks to Jacinda @ The Reading Housewives of Indiana)

Borrowed (from the library):
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Witchlanders by Lena Coakley
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
Persuasion by Jane Austen

  

Bought (for my Nook):
Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
The House of Velvet and Glass by Katherine Howe
Easy by Tammara Webber

Well that is it for me. What did ya'll get in your mailboxes?

Carrie's Abridged Reviews (2)

Okay guys are you ready for another round of abridged reviews? Here goes…

Graceling by Kristin Cashore – 5 hearts

Loved this book sooooo much! Kristin has created such wonderful characters; strong and fierce yet vulnerable and flawed. The story is well written, well-paced and shows a wide range of depth. We see the characters grow and relationships form and we get lots of great action along the way. Can't wait to start Fire now!

Side note: I listened to the audio book and I thought the narration was excellent. It was done by a cast so each character had their own unique voice. It was perfect!

Fire by Kristin Cashore – 2 hearts

I loved Graceling so much and couldn't wait to start Fire. When I started I didn't realize that Fire was a prequel to Graceling and that there would be all new characters in this one. With that aside I was intrigued to see how the stories would intertwine. However, I just couldn't get into this one. I felt like I was constantly waiting for something exciting to happen and I just didn't fall in love with any of the characters like I did in Graceling. Sigh. Fingers crossed that Bitterblue takes me back to the series I fell in love with.


The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab – 3 hearts

Victoria's writing style is reminiscent of old fairytales and folklore of old. The writing is definitely what kept me reading. I found the pacing however a bit slow. It seemed to take a long time to get to the end and then the end was gone in a flash. I guess I was hoping for a bit more. The same can be said for the characters of Cole and Lexi.

Heist Society by Ally Carter – 4 hearts

A fun read indeed. Ocean's Eleven style with teens. Cool characters, interesting plot and great pacing.

Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr – 3 hearts

I adored How to Save a Life so I was excited to read this one. I love Sara Zarr's writing and her honest dialogue but man this book is sad. I had a very hard time relating to the main character Deanna as well. These are just my initial thoughts however so I'm going to think on it some more.


First Comes Love by Katie Kacvinsky – 4 hearts

It's always a good sign when a book makes me cry! I like being emotionally invested in the outcome of the story. These characters pulled at my heartstrings for sure!

The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman – 5 hearts

I think this book has it all; mystery, intrigue, action and suspense. Great character and plot development. The story sucked me in from the first line and didn't disappoint. People are describing it as a YA Da Vinci Code and I can see why. On a side note: I listened to the audio book and I thought the narrator did an excellent job with the different languages as well as her accents. I highly recommend this one!

Insurgent by Veronica Roth – 4 hearts

Another fast paced & wild ride. I wish I had re-read Divergent before hand as I was a little confused at the beginning also I will freely admit that the dynamic between Four and Tris drove me slightly bananas in this book. Just sayin! I personally liked Divergent better but Insurgent had a lot to live up to. Don't get me wrong, I was thoroughly entertained and I can't wait to see what the next installment has in store for us.

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles – 4 hearts 

A really great story with interesting and complex characters. Loved the romance and sexy times, I can't help it...I'm a girl! I will definitely be reading more from this author soon.

Top Ten Tuesday (5) - Books On Our Summer TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish

Once again its been over a month since we participated in Top Ten Tuesday. If you haven't noticed we love alternating between different memes but this week's TTT topic of Top Ten Books On Our Summer TBR List, just had to get answered. Check out the books we picked:

Carrie's Top 5:

1). Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

2). A Want So Wicked by Suzanne Young

3). Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

4). This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

5). Lucid by P.T. Michelle

I decided to just pick books that are releasing this summer. All of these are ones I am dying to read. With the exception of Shadow of Night & my pre-order of This Is Not A Test, I don't own any of these...yet. It's gonna be a great summer for books! :D

Shannon's Top 5:

1). In Honor by Jessi Kirby

2). Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

3). Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

4). The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

5). Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

I own all of these books but just haven't had a chance to read them yet. Now before you judge me just know THIS summer they're gonna get read!!!

Outlander Read-A-Long: Chapters 8-14

Welcome to the second week of The Outlander Read-A-Long. Thanks so much for stopping by and taking part!
I hope everyone is enjoying the book and excited to read more! First though I'm going to answer the questions from Chapters 1-7 that Jess @ Gone With the Words asked last week.

1. Outlander is a well-known book. Before you cracked it open, what were your expectations or assumptions about this story? Or did you jump into it with a blank slate?

I really wasn’t quite sure what to expect honestly. I was excited for the historical fiction element and a bit nervous about the romance element. I don’t really read “romance” books so I wasn’t sure if there would be corset busting and what have you.

2. Claire’s husband, Frank, is fascinated with learning more and more facts about his family tree, which extends back pretty far. Do you or anyone in your family keep a family tree? How many years/generations back does it go? If not, have you ever considered or attempted to create one?

Yes, my mom is a genealogy buff. She has traced both sides of our family pretty far back. I’m not sure how many generations back she has gone though. Her father’s side of the family traces back to Scotland though which is fun.

3. How did you find Claire’s initial conclusion as to her surroundings after waking up from going through the stones? Did you think that was a reasonable conclusion?

I could see how she would think she was in the middle of a reenactment at first. Growing up in the South we take our Civil War reenactments very seriously so I’m sure the Scots do as well.

4. How about her composed, rational way of dealing with the fact she’s traveled back in time. Did you find it believable? Do you think you would have acted the same way?

Claire definitely handled herself better than I would have. I’m pretty sure I would have slapped someone for suggesting I was a whore. lol

5. At this point in the story, what are your feelings or expectations on Claire and Jamie? Is Frank still a factor for you?

I am a little past chapter 7 now so I have to say that I am ready for some kissing. Yep, I said it. I know she is married but come on already and kiss him. Frank who? lol

Bonus Question: Frank encounters a man outside of the inn where he and Claire are staying. He is afraid it might have been a ghost. What do you believe it was? Do you have any predictions or suspicions on what that was about?

I honestly have no idea but I was kind of offended that he would jump to the conclusion that it was a past lover. How rude! (Says the girl hoping Claire kisses Jamie…obviously I have issues!) 

Now onto our questions, which will cover Chapters 8-14. 

1.  Claire has been given the task of healer at the castle. She must adapt her nursing skills for the time and learn what herbs and etc will cure each particular ailment that is presented to her. Do you have any home remedies that were passed down to you (cure for a cold, bee sting or what have you)? 

2. What do you think would be the biggest challenge of living in the past? (Clothing, hygiene, food, etiquette or etc.)

3. Do you have a favorite character, scene or quote so far? If so, share it with us.

4. What did you think about the addition of the blood bond in the wedding ceremony? Is this something you would do with the one you love?

5. Are you reading along closely with the scheduled chapters or are you ahead or behind?
 
Next week the Read-A-Long will move onto Jess @ Tangled Up in Blue and she's be asking questions for Chapters 15-21.

The official Twitter hashtag for the read along is #OutlanderRA – Use it to tweet your read along posts, or if  you want to comment about the book while reading it!
  
Here’s the schedule for the Read-A-Long,
including which blogs are participating as co-hosts:

June 11th

Questions for chapters 1-7 announced at Gone with the Words

June 18th

Questions for chapters 1-7 answered & questions announced for chapters 8-14 at Stalking the Bookshelves

June 25th

Questions for chapters 8-14 answered & questions announced for chapters 15-21 on Tangled up in Blue

July 2nd

Questions for chapters 15-21 answered & questions announced for chapters 22-28 on Into the Hall of Books

July 9th

Questions for chapters 22-28 answered & questions announced for chapters 29-35 on Logan E. Turner

July 16th

Questions for chapters 29-35 answered & questions announced for chapters 36-41 on The Reading Housewives

July 23rd

Questions for chapters 36-41 answered on Gone with the Words. The end.

Each Monday, that week’s host will also have a linky for participants to link-up their discussion questions so everyone can hop from blog to blog and see other reader’s thoughts!

There's still time to Sign Up!!!
 
If you're interested in taking part in the Read-A-Thon, it's not to late! You can sign-up for the Outlander read-a-long here.