Stacking the shelves

Stacking the Shelves allows us to share the books we have added to our collections - physical, virtual, borrowed, bought or received

Summary (By Goodreads)

Stop the Magician. Steal the book. Save the future.

In modern-day New York, magic is all but extinct. The remaining few who have an affinity for magic—the Mageus—live in the shadows, hiding who they are. Any Mageus who enters Manhattan becomes trapped by the Brink, a dark energy barrier that confines them to the island. Crossing it means losing their power—and often their lives.

Esta is a talented thief, and she’s been raised to steal magical artifacts from the sinister Order that created the Brink. With her innate ability to manipulate time, Esta can pilfer from the past, collecting these artifacts before the Order even realizes she’s there. And all of Esta’s training has been for one final job: traveling back to 1902 to steal an ancient book containing the secrets of the Order—and the Brink—before the Magician can destroy it and doom the Mageus to a hopeless future.

But Old New York is a dangerous world ruled by ruthless gangs and secret societies, a world where the very air crackles with magic. Nothing is as it seems, including the Magician himself. And for Esta to save her future, she may have to betray everyone in the past. 

I love the cover of this book. It is what keeps drawing me in everytime I visit Indigo/Chapters. The story too sounds so interesting. I just finished watching the last episode/season finale of Shadowhunters on Netflix this week.  The Last Magician sounded right up my alley! I bought my copy on Audible to listen to on my way to work. Anyone else a fan of audio books?

- Christinabean

Waiting on Wednesday - Wonder Woman Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is

Summary (by Goodreads)

She will become one of the world’s greatest heroes: WONDER WOMAN. But first she is Diana, Princess of the Amazons. And her fight is just beginning. . . .

Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters. But when the opportunity finally comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law—risking exile—to save a mere mortal. Even worse, Alia Keralis is no ordinary girl and with this single brave act, Diana may have doomed the world.

Alia just wanted to escape her overprotective brother with a semester at sea. She doesn’t know she is being hunted. When a bomb detonates aboard her ship, Alia is rescued by a mysterious girl of extraordinary strength and forced to confront a horrible truth: Alia is a Warbringer—a direct descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery.

Together, Diana and Alia will face an army of enemies—mortal and divine—determined to either destroy or possess the Warbringer. If they have any hope of saving both their worlds, they will have to stand side by side against the tide of war.

OMG. Did you see Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman??  And now DC has LEIGH BARDUGO writing her story??!!  WOWOWOW!! I am so excited about this. When I was little (ages ago), I used to sit in my Wonder Woman costume (my mother was an excellent seamstress) and watch Wonder Woman every week in front of the the TV.  (Yep. That's a long time ago. Linda Carter was her real name).  I can't wait for this to come out and with such as stellar author to pen it!!

- Christinabean

Waiting on Wednesday - Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is

Summary (by Goodreads)

I Needed to Win.
They Needed to Die.

Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class—and the nobles who destroyed their home.

When Sal steals a flyer for an audition to become a member of The Left Hand—the Queen’s personal assassins, named after the rings she wears—Sal jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge.

But the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the trials. And as Sal succeeds in the competition, and wins the heart of Elise, an intriguing scribe at court, they start to dream of a new life and a different future, but one that Sal can have only if they survive.

I thought that this title and summary sounded interesting.  In the interest of assassins (Throne of Glass), I just had to make mention of it!  Not sure if any of you feel the same way but I do find that more and more of the YA novels I read involve lesbian, gay and now gender fluid characters.  As long as it is introduced as an integral part of the character, I think this is great.  It shows acceptance of identity.   I think I'm going to add this title to my TBR list.  Sounds like something I might like.  You?

Waiting on Wednesday - Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass #6) by Sarah J Maas

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is

Summary (By Goodreads)

Chaol Westfall has always defined himself by his unwavering loyalty, his strength, and his position as the Captain of the Guard. But all of that has changed since the glass castle shattered, since his men were slaughtered, since the King of Adarlan spared him from a killing blow, but left his body broken.

His only shot at recovery lies with the legendary healers of the Torre Cesme in Antica—the stronghold of the southern continent's mighty empire. And with war looming over Dorian and Aelin back home, their survival might lie with Chaol and Nesryn convincing its rulers to ally with them.

But what they discover in Antica will change them both—and be more vital to saving Erilea than they could have imagined.

I am really looking forward to the continuation of Throne of Glass.  Although, there seems to be some discussion about the cover of this book.  Yes, it does not match the previous covers but this is all about Chaol's story.  Maybe it would have been better to have a drawing of Chaol and Aelin on the cover and then to have this cover on the next installment.  Or have it as a different series? I guess it depends on how Chaol's healer adventure intertwines with Aelin's.  I wonder if there will also be a novella series coming out to develop Chaol's backstory?  So many questions....

- Christianbean

Girl About Town by Adam Shankman and Laura L Sullivan

Published: May 2016

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Pages: 321

Copy Provided by: Riveted

Summary: Goodreads

Summary: 

Not too long ago, Lucille O’Malley was living in a tenement in New York. Now she’s Lulu Kelly, Hollywood’s newest It Girl. She may be a star, but she worries that her past will catch up with her. Back in New York she witnessed a Mafia murder, and this glamorous new life in Tinseltown is payment for her silence.

Dashing Freddie van der Waals, the only son of a New York tycoon, was a playboy with the world at his feet. But when he discovered how his corrupt father really made the family fortune, Freddie abandoned his billions and became a vagabond. He travels the country in search of redemption and a new identity, but his father will stop at nothing to bring him home.

When fate brings Lulu and Freddie together, sparks fly—and gunshots follow. Suddenly Lulu finds herself framed for attempted murder. Together, she and Freddie set out to clear her name. But can they escape their pasts and finally find the Hollywood ending they long for? 

Review:

I am part of Riveted, a Simon & Schuster website that allows you to read full or partial titles young adult titles from the publisher.  You usually only have about a week to access a few books but it gives you a good idea about what is upcoming or what you may have missed in the past.  The selection varies from fantasy to contemporary and it is a good chance to sample some new authors.  You can find your way to it here. A word of warning though...extended excerpts are dangerous.  Once you start reading, you may get hooked and end up buying heaps of books later on... :)

This title was a departure from what I normally read and a nice refreshing escape.  The reader is thrust back in time to the early 30s when the Depression is well underway. Many people are struggling to make a living.  Unemployment is rampant and much of America is starving.  Two people from opposite incomes experience huge life changes and somehow end up coming together.  

I enjoyed this read and I'm glad that it is only a stand-alone and not a series.  It had a rather dramatic flare and if you enjoy old movies (think Humphrey Bogart) then I think this would be a good book for you.  It was not filled with high action but the story was interesting and entertaining.  A nice change of pace from the titles I am normally drawn to.

Waiting on Wednesday - First we were IV by Alexandra Sirowy

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is

Summary (by Goodreads)

It started for pranks, fun, and forever memories.
A secret society – for the four of us. 
The rules: Never lie. Never tell. Love each other.
We made the pledge and danced under the blood moon on the meteorite in the orchard. In the spot we found the dead girl five years earlier. And discovered the ancient drawings way before that. 
Nothing could break the four of us apart – I thought.
But then, others wanted in. Our seaside town had secrets. History.
We wanted revenge.
We broke the rules. We lied. We told. We loved each other too much, not enough, and in ways we weren’t supposed to. 
Our invention ratcheted out of control.
What started as a secret society, ended as justice. Revenge. Death. Rebellion

I meant to post this last week and forgot so it is actually available in bookstores now if you are interested in checking it out.  It reminded me of a few others that I have read before like the Don't Get Mad series by Gretchen McNeil and the Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney.  Any thoughts? 

- Christinabean