Stacking the Shelves: June 4th

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! For me, it also includes Audible books since I have a 40 minute drive to and from work in the mornings. I always try to have one print book and one audiobook in progress at the same time.

This week, I received a few of books to review, one from NetGalley, and bought a new audiobook. Here is my haul for the week:

Five out of the six books above were given to me in one form or another.  I am lucky enough to be on Penny Reid's ARC list so just received Grin and Beard It in my e-mail a few days ago.  I've loved every Penny Reid book I have read so far so I'm really looking forward to this one as well.  Also in my e-mail, I was given Chakana in exchange for an honest review.  It promises to be Indiana Jones-esque and who doesn't love a good adventure?

From NetGalley this week, I was approved for The Curse of Tenth Grave, which is part of the Charley Davidson series, one of my favorites.  I was so excited to get this one and plan to start it asap. Between looked interesting while I was browsing so I requested and received this one also.

Through snail mail, I got Last Ride to Graceland.  I am a reviewer for SheReads.org and this is one of our books of summer.  I love the cover art on this one.

Finally, I just purchased and began listening to Queen of Shadows from the Throne of Glass series.  I have to say this series is one of the best fantasy series I have read in a while.  I use every excuse in the book to find extra time to sneak in a few extra minutes. Fabulous!

What did you stack on your shelves this week?  Happy reading!!

                                                                                                                                     

Series Review: Finishing School Series

A couple of years ago, I first read Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate Series and fell in love with it. There was something about the author's style, mixed with the old-world steampunk setting, and engaging characters that pulled me right in. I read the whole series in less than two weeks and then went through a short withdrawal, unable to find a new book that satisfied for a while.

With Carriger's Finishing School Series, I found that same joy as soon as I began the first book, Etiquiette and Espionage. This time, I purchased the Audible version and was delighted with the narrator. Having the story told with the British accent was an added bonus, a perfect accompaniment to the story.

The books follow the main character, Sephronia, and her friends as they begin finishing school. However, this isn't your ordinary finishing school. These girls are not only learning manners, fashion, and etiquette, but also poisons, weaponry, and diversion, all while attending the most popular balls and shopping for the latest fashion accessories. The girls bond while attending school in the flying dirigible and deal with all of the normal teenage dramas with a good deal of espionage added in.

I'm being honest when I say that I couldn't wait to drive to work in the morning and take the dog for a walk in the afternoon. I listened every chance I got and enjoyed every minute. I found myself wanting to talk with a British accent and wishing I could have my own small mechanical sausage dog. I couldn't have asked for more. Such fun to read, with much action while still keeping a light-hearted feel to the stories. I highly recommend the Finishing School Series for both young adults and adults if you are a fan of the steampunk genre. If you are looking for something more edgy but just as engaging, try the Parasol Protectorate books. I will definitely be reading everything I can get my hands on from Gail Carriger!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Review: Library of Souls

As much as I loved Library of Souls, finishing it is slightly bittersweet because it is the last book in the Miss Perigrine trilogy as far as I know.  Finding a book or series that really has that special something, one that you never tire of rereading or recommending, doesn't happen very often.  Miss Perigrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Hollow City, and Library of Souls, all by Ransom Riggs, all go into my top books of all time, especially the first book in the series, which included amazing photos to accompany the story.

Library of Souls continues where Hollow City left off, with our main characters Jacob, Emma, and their companions searching for Miss Peregrine and the other captive Ymbrynes and friends.  All the while, they are either avoiding or being chased by Hollowgasts or Wights.  The story is fast-paced and full of suspense as you wonder if some of the characters we have come to know will live or die. There are some fabulous photos in this story also but I didn't find them to be quite as intriguing as they were in the first two books. However, I loved that this book really focused on Jacob and his growth as a peculiar.  He spends a lot of time doubting himself but finds that when it really counts, he is able to achieve.  He also learns that it is ok not to be the hero all the time and no one feels less about him when he fails.  Jacob basically finds his place in the world and everything wraps up nicely.

Although there could be the possibility of other adventures for Jacob and his friends, it does seem as though it is over.  I will however, be returning to the world of the peculiars often to visit and these books by Ransom Riggs will always be fondly remembered.

Synopsis from Amazon:
The adventure that began with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and continued in Hollow City comes to a thrilling conclusion with Library of Souls. As the story opens, sixteen-year-old Jacob discovers a powerful new ability, and soon he’s diving through history to rescue his peculiar companions from a heavily guarded fortress. Accompanying Jacob on his journey are Emma Bloom, a girl with fire at her fingertips, and Addison MacHenry, a dog with a nose for sniffing out lost children.
 
They’ll travel from modern-day London to the labyrinthine alleys of Devil’s Acre, the most wretched slum in all of Victorian England. It’s a place where the fate of peculiar children everywhere will be decided once and for all. Like its predecessors, Library of Souls blends thrilling fantasy with never-before-published vintage photography to create a one-of-a-kind reading experience.

Review: Nightfall

So, I was browsing in the bookstore while waiting for my son and his friends to come out of the movie theater when Nightfall caught my eye.  I had never read anything by this author before but I loved the cover and the teaser sounded promising. Normally, I try not to buy hardcover books due to their cost, but I figured my son could read it too so it would be worth the money.

Synopsis from Amazon:
On Marin’s island, sunrise doesn’t come every twenty-four hours—it comes every fourteen years. Now the sun is just a sliver of light on the horizon. The weather is turning cold and the shadows are growing long. Because sunset triggers the tide to roll out hundreds of miles, the islanders are frantically preparing to sail south, where they will wait out the long Night. Marin and her twin brother, Kana, help their anxious parents ready the house for departure. Locks must be taken off doors. Furniture must be arranged. Tables must be set. The rituals are puzzling—bizarre, even—but none of the adults in town will discuss why it has to be done this way. Just as the ships are about to sail, a teenage boy goes missing—the twins’ friend Line. Marin and Kana are the only ones who know the truth about where Line’s gone, and the only way to rescue him is by doing it themselves. But Night is falling. Their island is changing.


What did I think? Well, I liked it.  It was different and the plot was fairly original although I did have some deja vu here and there of other popular stories/fairy tales. The characters were likable and as before they were even left behind, I began developing theories.  While my basic idea of what was going to happen when night fell was correct, the story ended up being a bit more fantastical than I originally thought.  There were some imaginative creatures and an added mystery/subplot involving one of the main characters in the story which was quite interesting.  All in all, the book was fun and unique with a decent amount of adventure and suspense.  My 12 year old son is now enjoying it as well, and while he usually has one book at home and one at school, he is enjoying this one enough to be traveling with it back and forth.  I would have liked to have seen a bit more of an ending but maybe there will be a sequel in the future that will answer my lingering questions and ideas about what happens to the characters next.