Goddess Offerings (45) / Stacking the Shelves (27)

Whew. Okay, I haven't done a Stacking the Shelves post in a loooooong time, so I'm just gonna list the books I got over the past few weeks. (There's supposed to be video but Youtube upload is taking forever, so I'll just photos instead.)

Which of these have you read? Are they good? Yes? No? Why?

Stacking the Shelves hosted is by Tynga's reviews! So leave a comment below and share your own haul!

For review:

The Three by Sarah Lotz (signed)
The Reckoning by Kerry Wilkinson
True Fire by Garry Meehan

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
Soulmates by Holly Bourne
The Manifesto on How to be Interesting by Holly Bourne

The Only Thing to Fear by Caroline Tung Richmond
Bungee Cord Hair by Ching Yeung Russell
Hidden in Plain Sight by Su-Lin Ang
Not in the Stars by Pauline Loh

Asylum by Madeleine Roux
Sanctum by Madeleine Roux

Better than Perfect by Melissa Kantor
The Pretty App by Katie Sise
Sorceress by Claudia Gray

The Amazing Wilmer Dooley by Fowler DeWitt
Maid of Deception by Jennifer McGowan
Magnolia by Kristi Cook
Play Me Backwards by Adam Selzer

Bought (from the National Bookstore sale):

Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini
Etiqueete & Espionage by Gail Carriger
The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban
The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

Thanks so much Penguin Teen, Pan Macmillan Australia, Usborne, Sarah Lotz, awesome publishing friends, Simon & Schuster and Scholastic!

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Waiting on Wednesday (151): An Ember in the Ashes + A Wicked Thing

I know, I know... 2014 is not yet over, but I am so very excited because we have some amazing 2015 books! I for one can't wait to read them, so I am highlighting two 2015 books that I would love to read!

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

Title: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Release Date: April 28th 2015
Published by: Razorbill

Want? Add to your Goodreads list! 

Summary (from Goodreads):

Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told.

LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.

ELIAS is the academy’s finest soldier— and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor.

When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself.

Vow your blood and body to the empire.
Keep your heart for yourself.

Why I'm waiting for An Ember in the Ashes:

Can someone just give me a copy of this book, please? Kidding aside, I've been hearing a lot of buzz about this book, especially during SDCC, where it was highlighted as one of the must read novels next year. The author was a former Washington Post editor, and thought the book hasn't even been released, the film rights has already been acquired by Paramount in a SEVEN FIGURE DEAL. But again, aside from those pieces of news, I think the main premise of the novel is nothing short of interesting, and I for one cannot wait to read this. it's an "echo of Rome", and having recently read and finished Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen, which this book somewhat reminds me of, I am so very intrigued to know if this book delivers what the summary promises.

Title: A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas
Release Date: February 24th 2015
Published by: Harper Teen

Want? Add to your Goodreads list!

Summary (from Goodreads):

Rhiannon Thomas's dazzling debut novel is a spellbinding reimagining of what happens after happily ever after.

One hundred years after falling asleep, Princess Aurora wakes up to the kiss of a handsome prince and a broken kingdom that has been dreaming of her return. All the books say that she should be living happily ever after. But as Aurora understands all too well, the truth is nothing like the fairy tale.

Her family is long dead. Her "true love" is a kind stranger. And her whole life has been planned out by political foes while she slept.

As Aurora struggles to make sense of her new world, she begins to fear that the curse has left its mark on her, a fiery and dangerous thing that might be as wicked as the witch who once ensnared her. With her wedding day drawing near, Aurora must make the ultimate decision on how to save her kingdom: marry the prince or run.

Why I'm waiting for A Wicked Thing:

A retelling of Sleeping Beauty? Where have you been all my life? This is why I really love retellings, and it's not just because I get to read a re-imagining of a favorite, or a fairytale I've read growing up, but because of things like this: what happens after happily ever after? This book sounds like something that I will enjoy reading, and because hey! It's Sleeping Beauty! I like how nothing's like what it was in Aurora's world... very curious to know what will happen after she wakes up.

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So what are you waiting for this week? Share your picks!

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Review: We Are the Goldens by Dana Reinhardt

I'm not too sure how to put into words what I feel for this book.

Title: We Are the Goldens by Dana Reinhardt
Release Date: May 27th 2014
Published by: Wendy Lamb Books
Source: Publisher (Thanks Ms. Jenny!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

Nell knows a secret about her perfect, beautiful sister Layla. If she tells, it could blow their world apart.

When Nell and Layla were little, Nell used to call them Nellayla. Because to Nell, there was no difference between where she started and her adored big sister ended. They're a unit; divorce made them rely on each other early on, so when one pulls away, what is the other to do? But now, Nell's a freshman in high school and Layla is changing, secretive. And then Nell discovers why. Layla is involved with one of their teachers. And even though Nell tries to support Layla, to understand that she's happy and in love, Nell struggles with her true feelings: it's wrong, and she must do something about it.

There are various reasons why I love this book, but I'm only listing two. One, obviously is because I have an older sister (and a twin brother) and I definitely know what it feels like to live in the shadow of someone who is just "more" than you think you'll ever be, and yet they're someone you virtually spend your life with. Nell grew up believing that she and Layla are the same, Nellayla. But as they grow older, Nell realized that they're not, and while Layla is the Golden sister everyone knows, and she'll always be "N. Golden", Nell still adored, looked up, idolized and believed in her older sister. But what if she's not what everyone thought she was?

As two people, Nell and Layla grow up experiencing life differently and Nell as the younger sister wanted to know everything about her sister. Nell is a complicated mix of emotions, envy, and always that nagging, lingering feeling inside her that asks 'why not her?' and 'why is it always Layla?'. I felt for her at that point, and I understand that feeling, sisterhood. You want to be there, and the way both of their feelings were portrayed were heartfelt and convincing. I was frustrated, worried, afraid and disappointed like Nell was, and surprisingly, like Layla. This was written in Nell's point of view, but I loved how I was able to also take a peek in Layla's life, see what's behind that seemingly perfect facade. It was fascinating, interesting and somewhat terrifying.

My second reason: Dana Reinhardt's masterful writing style. When I first read The Summer I Learned to Fly, it took a lot for me not to cry. The way she was able to convey what Nell feels through everything just gets to you. You're not human if you don't feel anything while reading this book. She was able to craft Nell and Layla, two sisters seemingly inseparable, as similar characters and yet different in ways that matter. Dana Reinhardt made sure both sisters navigated through teenage life the way a teenager should: they make mistakes, fall in and out of love, get confused, get hurt, get frightened, get angry, desperate. It's a painful, but amazing experience in more ways than one.

Felix deserves a special mention in this book. He's this adorable, charming guy, the perfect example of that right person you're looking for all your life, but was there in front of you all along, loving you in the way he knew how. He's funny and sarcastic and caring, a boy who's all smiles but also vulnerable and afraid of the trials life is throwing his way.

We Are the Goldens is a memorable read for me. The concept of family, sisterhood and the lengths one must go to in order to keep a secret, to preserve the fragile bonds between two people growing up, experiencing life and love and what they're willing to do to keep everything 'perfect' was written in such a simple, mysterious way, the suspense holding you off the last minute. And you wait, and wait, and wait some more until it was time to reveal everything. Until you start to wonder, what happens next? One can only guess.

That familiar pinch to the heart, that lightning quick searing pain, the bittersweet emotions welling up, gone the moment you feel it and then you find yourself saying "Ah, yes... this is how it feels when I read a Dana Reinhardt book". I loved and hated the feelings her books always make me feel right after I finish reading them. This is a good one.

Content (plot, story flow, character):

The 1 star was left off because of my frustration for Layla... she was such an idiot, blinded by love. And she was supposed to be the rational Golden, the one with the good head on her shoulders. I felt so bad for Nell because it always had to be her who lies, who keeps secrets, and what does Layla do? *sigh*

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
The expressions on their faces tells everything you need to know about the book.

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[Teaser] Dangerous Boys by Abigail Haas

If you've been following the blog for quite a while, you know I've read Abigail Haas' Dangerous Girls (I reviewed it here!) and while I had mixed feelings for the books, I am terribly excited for Abigail's next book, Dangerous Boys!

And today, I am posting a teaser from the book days before its release, check it out:

How was it? Creepily intriguing, right?

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Dangerous Boys by Abigail Haas
Release date: August 14, 2014
Buy the book: Amazon / iBooks

From the critically-acclaimed author of DANGEROUS GIRLS comes a new dark, twisted thriller…

"It all comes down to this: Oliver, Ethan, and I."
Three teens venture into an abandoned lake house one night. Hours later, only two emerge from the burning wreckage. Chloe drags one Reznick brother to safety, unconscious and bleeding. The other is left to burn, dead in the fire. But which brother survives? And is his death a tragic accident? Desperate self-defense?
Or murder?
Chloe is the only one with the answers. As the fire rages, and police and parents demand the truth, she struggles to piece the story together - a story of jealousy, twisted passion and the darkness that lurks behind even the most beautiful faces.

Early praise:

"Dangerous Boys is a taut, compelling thriller balanced on the razor's edge of suspense. I could not put it down, and could not stop grinning wickedly as I raced through the pages." -- Leah Raeder, USA Today bestselling author of Unteachable
"Abigail Hass is a master at her craft! This is a special book and a special author. This is the kind of storytelling and writing that stick with you no matter how much time passes." -- The Book Geek Blog
"As with Dangerous Girls, the closing left me with a huge, admittedly rather twisted smile on my face. I don't know how Haas manages to turn me into such a gleefully evil creature." -- Dahlia Adler, blogger.
"Dangerous Boys was an intense, psychological read which was full of suspense and drama,...Abigail Haas has a way of writing books which reel you in and keep you there, hooked and addicted until the very last page." -- Goodreads.com

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