Stacking the Shelves

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

This week I received - 

Summary (by Goodreads)

In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .

But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.

Pulses will race throughout this thrilling fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.

I LOVED reading Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series.  It is one of my favourites.  The Bloodlines series is just as cozy as we see a spinoff of a few minor characters from the original series.  What I like most is that it is like sitting down and catching up with an old friend.  Watch for my review of this one coming soon!

- Christinabean

Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

Published: October 1st 2013

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Pages: 305

Copy: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Supernatural meets The Da Vinci Code in this action-packed paranormal thriller, the first book in a new series from New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia. I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

Suspense, romance, and the paranormal meet in this chilling urban fantasy, the first book in a new series from Kami Garcia, bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures novels


Wow, what a powerful book.  I've heard it described as Supernatural meets the Da Vince Code, or Supernatural meets Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, but personally I'd have to add in a bit of Demon's Lexicon and just a touch of Ghostbusters.  If you put all of those together, you just begin to get an inkling of what is going on in this amazing book.

Ms. Garcia has put together a rag tag bunch of orphans and has dropped them into the proverbial deep end - only there's no-one there to save them except themselves - and they do save each other, several times.  Priest, the youngest, is a genius and loves to make weapons (he's what made me think of Ghostbusters, he does amazing things with water guns!)  Alara is from money but is more than happy to share what she's got if it will help kill the demon.  I particularly enjoyed the way her character opened up and warmed to Kennedy.  Lucas and Jared?  Well, they are tall dark and handsome twins - a love triangle waiting to happen, and of course it does, but I enjoyed the way it was handled. The boys may look alike, but that's where the similarities end.  Kennedy, the main protagonist, is broken, and we find out more about the reasons why as the story goes on.  She doubts herself and her abilities and she is thrust into some really nasty situations where she has to make split second decisions, and not always the right ones.

Unbreakable was a powerhouse of supernatural tension, romance and mystery that was a pleasure to read.  I can't wait to see what comes in the second installment.

Follow Friday

Friday Follow is a blog hop that was started by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we will answer!  This is a great opportunity for bloggers to network and interact. 

This week’s question – 

Tell us at least one new or unusual thing you’ve done in 2013.

I did something that I have wanted to do for a long, long time.  I took my favourite book series - The Mortal Instruments - used the runes from the book and turned them into a personalized tattoo...which I had tattooed onto my lower back this fall.  Yup.  I would share it but it is so personal that I don't want other copying the design...stingy, I know.  :)

Welcome to the Paperback Princesses! Make yourself at home, take a look around our blog and let us know what you think in the comments section. We would love to hear what you have to say about our posts. We often try to comment on your comments as well so feel free to start a conversation! Since there are two of us running the show, we always have a variety of titles and event postings. Be sure to check out our own personal meme page. Check out Fantastic Fairytales, Let's Hear it for the Boys, In Case you Missed it and a few others. We try to not only focus on new YA books but also great titles from the past.

The Trap by Andrew Fukuda

Published: November 2013

Publisher: St Martin's Griffin

Pages: 320

Copy Provided by: Bought

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

After barely escaping the Mission alive, Gene and Sissy face an impossible task: staying alive long enough to stop an entire world bent on their destruction. Bound on a train heading into the unknown with the surviving Mission girls, Gene, Sissy, David, and Epap must stick together and use everything they have to protect each other and their only hope: the cure that will turn the blood-thirsty creatures around them into humans again. Now that they know how to reverse the virus, Gene and Sissy have one final chance to save those they love and create a better life for themselves. But as they struggle to get there, Gene's mission sets him on a crash course with Ashley June, his first love . . . and his deadliest enemy.

Review:

FINALLY!!  Book #3...the final installment of The Hunt!  I was so excited to read this and devoured it in just a couple days (that is a miracle for someone who doesn't have much time).  The entire series is fast paced and thrilling and doesn't seem to ever slow down.  The Trap is no exception.  

STOP READING HERE IF YOU HAVEN'T READ BOOK 1 AND 2.  THERE ARE SPOILERS!!

So here it is - Gene, Sissy, David and Epap have made it onto the train with other Mission occupants and are headed to the city.  Some will survive and some won't.  It will be a horrifying experience and nothing is as it seems.  Will they finally have the reunion with Gene's father that they have been craving?  How many other humans are out there?  Can they free them all?  Or is the human population quickly becoming extinct?  Will Gene and Sissy be able to reverse the virus and change everyone back?  We finally have the answers to all of these questions...and I gotta tell you, blood will be shed.  Characters will die and nothing is as it appears.  

As much as I loved this series (and I really did), the conclusion did not hold me as the rest of the series did.  I was expecting an explosion of understanding and all I thought was - that's it?  It's over?  It was an interesting way to wrap things up but didn't have the same "omph" as the momentum from the rest of the series.  Sorry, don't mean to burst any bubbles.  Still a recommended read but the ending didn't have the impact I was hoping for.   My conclusion - Come along for the ride.  Immerse yourself in the story and be open to the ending.

This would be an excellent "guys" read but also has appeal to girls as there is a minor love triangle throughout the series.  If you enjoyed the Hunger Games and Twilight, you will enjoy The Trap.  Be prepared for some gruesome descriptive scenes with vampires and their ummm...bodily fluids.  There seemed to be excessive oozing in this last book.  :)

Waiting on Wednesday - Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd

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)

To defeat the darkness, she must first embrace it.

Months have passed since Juliet Moreau returned to civilization after escaping her father's island—and the secrets she left behind. Now, back in London once more, she is rebuilding the life she once knew and trying to forget Dr. Moreau’s horrific legacy—though someone, or something, hasn’t forgotten her.

As people close to Juliet fall victim one by one to a murderer who leaves a macabre calling card of three clawlike slashes, Juliet fears one of her father’s creations may have also escaped the island. She is determined to find the killer before Scotland Yard does, though it means awakening sides of herself she had thought long banished, and facing loves from her past she never expected to see again.

As Juliet strives to stop a killer while searching for a serum to cure her own worsening illness, she finds herself once more in the midst of a world of scandal and danger. Her heart torn in two, past bubbling to the surface, life threatened by an obsessive killer—Juliet will be lucky to escape alive.

With inspiration from Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this is a tantalizing mystery about the hidden natures of those we love and how far we’ll go to save them from themselves.

I haven't read The Madman's Daughter but book #2 certainly sounds intriguing...looks like another series to add to my list!

Stacking the Shelves

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

This week I received - 

Summary (by Goodreads)

True love—and world war—is at stake in the conclusion to The Pledge trilogy, a dark and romantic blend of dystopia and fantasy.
Charlie, otherwise known as Queen Charlaina of Ludania, has become comfortable as a leader and a ruler. She’s done admirable work to restore Ludania’s broken communications systems with other Queendoms, and she’s mastered the art of ignoring Sabara, the evil former queen whose Essence is alive within Charlie. Or so she thinks.

When the negotiation of a peace agreement with the Queendom of Astonia goes awry, Charlie receives a brutal message that threatens Ludania, and it seems her only option is to sacrifice herself in exchange for Ludanian freedom.

But things aren’t always as they seem. Charlie is walking into a trap—one set by Sabara, who is determined to reclaim the Queendoms at any cost.

I love Kimberly Derting titles....The Body Finder series is one of my favorites and so is The Pledge.  The Offering is the final title in this series.  A huge Thank You to Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me this one.  Mwah!

How to Love by Katie Cotugno

Published: October 2013

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Pages: 389

Copy Provided by: Bought

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

Before: Reena Montero has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember: as natural as breathing, as endless as time. But he’s never seemed to notice that Reena even exists…until one day, impossibly, he does. Reena and Sawyer fall in messy, complicated love. But then Sawyer disappears from their humid Florida town without a word, leaving a devastated—and pregnant—Reena behind.

After: Almost three years have passed, and there’s a new love in Reena’s life: her daughter, Hannah. Reena’s gotten used to being without Sawyer, and she’s finally getting the hang of this strange, unexpected life. But just as swiftly and suddenly as he disappeared, Sawyer turns up again. Reena doesn’t want anything to do with him, though she’d be lying if she said Sawyer’s being back wasn’t stirring something in her. After everything that’s happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer LeGrande again?

In this breathtaking debut, Katie Cotugno weaves together the story of one couple falling in love—twice.

Review:

I don't read a lot of YA Contemporary fiction but every now and again I crave something heart-breakingly achey to remind me of what it is like to experience the craziness of hormonal love.  How to Love fits the bill! When I first read the summary blurb I was angry at this Sawyer guy.  Leaving a girl alone and pregnant only to resurface in her life again years later!  The nerve!  How dare he!  But as the story unfolds, we see that nothing is as black and white as it seems.  Reena has been tiptoeing in a precarious life limited by her need to please everyone except for herself.  When Sawyer arrives, he disrupts this delicate balance and throws her off her game...but in the process, helps her re-ignite some of her old passions again.  

I LOVED this book.  Miss Cotungo, you made me believe in love all over again....thank you!