Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your bookshelf, be it the physical one or your digital one!
So the headway continues while I am working on the Mailbox Monday list. Not much else to report, oh yeah! I will post an update, with something I am working on and again I look forward to all the suggestions you have. I hope to hear from all of you and the books that you are reading!
Mailbox Pickup:
Title:A Touch Mortal
Author: Leah Clifford
Format: Hardback
Release Date: February 22nd, 2011
Release Date: February 22nd, 2011
Eden didn't expect Az.
Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.
Yeah.
So long happily-ever-after.
Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.
She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else's game. Her heart is her own.
And that's only the beginning of the end.
Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.
Yeah.
So long happily-ever-after.
Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.
She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else's game. Her heart is her own.
And that's only the beginning of the end.
Well the start of another series. I picked up the first two books in the A Touch Trilogy; I have the last one on the way, but for now I will list the two that have shown up and give my stance on the first book. So here is A Touch Mortal, and frankly I love the cover. Most have teen books have this preppy, pretty/gorgeous girl that every guy's mouth waters over. This girl is different, she is pretty but not your typical skinny girl pretty. I love the hair, and how just one eye is staring at you, almost begging you to get closer.
Rereading the synopsis, I realize why I fell in love with this book. Eden sounds like this independent, strong-willed girl who screams badass. As well, being a paranormal romance type series, I found this to be a better stronger version of the Fallen series. For one Eden seems to know what she wants, and frankly isn't afraid to go after it, or say what she thinks either, unlike Lena. I have high hopes for the characters in this book, and I am curious to see what the drama is, what the battle between heaven and hell is in this book.
Rereading the synopsis, I realize why I fell in love with this book. Eden sounds like this independent, strong-willed girl who screams badass. As well, being a paranormal romance type series, I found this to be a better stronger version of the Fallen series. For one Eden seems to know what she wants, and frankly isn't afraid to go after it, or say what she thinks either, unlike Lena. I have high hopes for the characters in this book, and I am curious to see what the drama is, what the battle between heaven and hell is in this book.
Title: A Touch Morbid
Author: Leah Clifford
Format: Hardback
Release Date: February 28th, 2012
Release Date: February 28th, 2012
Eden won the battle-she saved her true love from the darkest evil. But the war has only just begun. With secrets swirling around her, powerful allies unraveling, and life-and death-as she knows it eroding, Eden and those she loves tread dangerous ground. Can she trust anyone? Will her unearthly powers be her salvation or her downfall? A sweeping, dark, and sexy paranormal romance that will haunt readers with an inventive mythology and a cinematic New York City filled with shadows and longing.
Title:Bitterblue
Author: Kristin Cashore
Format: Hardback
Release Date: May 17th, 2011
Release Date: May 17th, 2011
The long-awaited companion to New York Times bestsellers Graceling and Fire
Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck's reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle--disguised and alone--to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.
Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck's reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn't yet identified, holds a key to her heart.
Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck's reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle--disguised and alone--to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.
Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck's reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn't yet identified, holds a key to her heart.
The great high-fantasy novelist is back! Kirstin Cashore comes back strong with Bitterblue the companion to Graceling and Fire. Now while I haven't read those books yet, I have finished Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta, and well you'll have to wait on that review, but it was a great read. Now when I picked up this book, I hadn't heard of Finnikin of the Rock and I was going to use this as my introductory into the genre. However that may have been true, but Melina took the spotlight, unintentionally.
Bitterblue has a simple message that makes me smile, I love books that turn their head and take a look at their past , and ask a simple question of "Is there anything we can learn from." This book does just that and it makes me smile, just because there is always something to learn form the past. Even in your own universe.
Title: Ashes of Twilight
Author: Kassy Tayler
Format: Paperback
Release Date: November 13th, 2012
Release Date: November 13th, 2012
Wren MacAvoy works as a coal miner for a domed city that was constructed in the mid-nineteenth century to protect the royal blood line of England when astronomers spotted a comet on a collision course with Earth. Humanity would be saved by the most groundbreaking technology of the time. But after nearly 200 years of life beneath the dome, society has become complacent and the coal is running out. Plus there are those who wonder, is there life outside the dome or is the world still consumed by fire? When one of Wren's friends escapes the confines of the dome, he is burned alive and put on display as a warning to those seeking to disrupt the dome’s way of life. But Alex’s final words are haunting. “The sky is blue." What happens next is a whirlwind of adventure, romance, conspiracy and the struggle to stay alive in a world where nothing is as it seems. Wren unwittingly becomes a catalyst for a revolution that destroys the dome and the only way to survive might be to embrace what the entire society has feared their entire existence.
A dystopian novel based on living in a hole. I was wondering though, who decides to live in a coal mine anyway? I mean it just seems silly to me. But I'll give you that, if you knew that the end of the world would be by a comet, and there was a nearby coal mine, I would more than likely take my family there as well. However, I don't think I would stay there as long as what they have. It's an escape plan, not a hope for a new home. I would like to come out of the hole in a while and try to find my home and rebuild and start over.
In this book though, it's not that simple. Society is a dome in a coal mine? That makes almost no sense, and when Wren's friend escapes he's burned alive? That's just gruesome, but I am wondering did the society do it, or was it something with the atomsphere? Well the next line answers that, "The sky is blue." So the society burns their own people as a warning message. That's a great start for a dystopian novel, and I hope that this book holds up.
In this book though, it's not that simple. Society is a dome in a coal mine? That makes almost no sense, and when Wren's friend escapes he's burned alive? That's just gruesome, but I am wondering did the society do it, or was it something with the atomsphere? Well the next line answers that, "The sky is blue." So the society burns their own people as a warning message. That's a great start for a dystopian novel, and I hope that this book holds up.
Title: Clockwork Angel
Author: Cassandra Clare
Format: Hardback
Release Date: August 31st, 2010
Release Date: August 31st, 2010
Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.
Clockwork Angel by the fantastic Cassandra Clare. She put out a series that's still going, the Mortal Instrument series, and this is the start of a new series, the Infernal Devices series. I picked up the following books in this series, and not the initial book, because there was a time when Barnes and Noble put the other too books on sale, and kept this book at regular retail price. Now I'm not saying I'm cheap, but I just didn't have the funds to pick up the series in the correct order; which saddens me.
My question with this series, is it a companion series next to the Mortal Instrument series or is it a whole new universe? I bet the feeling it's a companion series, which saddens me. I just hate seeing stories that don't have an end in sight. If the story is going on for a long duration, I would ask that the story being superb. Look at the Dresden Files series, because of how great the series, and how well the books intertwine together the series is still going strong. So if this is going to be anything of a decent duration, please be superb and don't lose that hope for any reason!
