Stacking the Shelves - June Edition

A weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews

It's that time again, it's time for my monthly Stacking the shelves. I meant to post this last Saturday but with travel for the holiday and life in general I didn't get the chance. But I did want to still highlight some of the books I got last months so it's a week late. You don't mind, right?

I actually did much better in June and didn't pick up as many books as in previous months. I had a few periods where my book buying ban was tested but I held firm. I only bought three books (which is my self-imposed limit, and two were audiobook so yay! And I've mentioned my serious addiction to Netgalley and how I'm trying to be better about not impulsively requesting books from there. Well I may have backslid a little bit on that last month. I wasn't as bad as I have been but I did have some impulsive picks.

But I did get some books I am really excited to read and a few I already read and enjoyed.

Bought 

Ivory and Bone by Julie Esha - My Review
This sounded like a really fantastic and creative historical fiction novel and it was. I really enjoyed it and it's probably one of my top five debuts this year.

With Malice by Eileen Cook - My Review
Whereas this one is in my top five books of the year. I thought it was a totally amazing mystery and thriller. It had me on the edge of my seat and I didn't guess the twist which is rare and exciting.

Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine - My Review
I love this series so much! The sequel was coming out so I needed a refresher on this book so I picked up the audio and loved it. It was amazing!

For Review

Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehring - Add to Goodreads

This is mystery with an LGBT protagonist which I am really excited to read. I regretted not getting a copy at BEA but I was surprised by Macmillan granting my wish on Netgalley.

Summerlong by Peter S. Beagle - Add to Goodreads

Peter S. Beagle, author of The Last Unicorn, which I love, is coming out with a new book. I'm so excited to read. It sounds like a great new modern fairy tale/magical realism read.

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff - Add to Goodreads

Oh man, I seriously cannot wait for this book. It is so up my alley it's like Cassi-nip. I love the book Jay cowrote with Amie Kaufman so I'm excited to read something just him.

Iron Cast by Destiny Soria - Add to Goodreads
This debut sounds absolutely amazing. It's a historical fantasy set in Boston after WWII which already is something I would be interested in but add to that a cool magical system and prohibition type gangsters. Plus that cover!

Lucy and Lihn by Alice Pung - Add to Goodreads

This sounds like an interesting coming of age story and in my quest to read more YA contemporaries I picked this one up from Netgalley. Plus I love the pitch of Gilmore Girls meets Fresh Off The Boat. 

Last Night a Superhero Saved My Life by Leisa Mignogna (and more) - Add to Goodreads

I picked this short story collection up on Netgalley because I love superheroes and I love a lot of the authors who wrote for it. But I'm not a big short story fan so I'll probably read this very slowly and maybe not even all of it.

A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess- Add to Goodreads

I am so excited about this YA Fantasy. It sounds so interesting and dark. If a book says it takes place in an "alternate Victorian London" I am on board. But then you add that to the idea of playing with the "chosen one" trope. Can't wait to read it. 

Those are the books that I got in June. What books did you get? Are you excited for any of these? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: Learning to Swear in America by Katie Kennedy

Title: Learning to Swear in America Written by: Katie Kennedy Published: July 5, 2016 by Bloomsbury (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Brimming with humor and one-of-a-kind characters, this end-of-the world novel will grab hold of Andrew Smith and Rainbow Rowell fans.  An asteroid is hurtling toward Earth. A big, bad one. Yuri, a physicist prodigy from Russia, has been called to NASA as they calculate a plan to avoid disaster. He knows how to stop the asteroid: his research in antimatter will probably win him a Nobel prize--if there's ever another Nobel prize awarded. But Yuri's 17, and having a hard time making older, stodgy physicists listen to him. Then he meets Dovie, who lives like a normal teenager, oblivious to the impending doom. Being with her, on the adventures she plans when he's not at NASA, Yuri catches a glimpse of what it means to save the world and save a life worth living.  Prepare to laugh, cry, cringe, and have your mind burst open with questions of the universe.

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

This is probably closer to 2.5 stars if I am being entirely honest. I didn't hate it, but so much of this book didn't work for me. I'm picky when it comes to the contemporaries I read and this one unfortunately fell on the list of ones that aren't for me.

One thing I did like about this book was the concept of a Russian physicist in the United States. It had a really fun fish out of water feel to it as Yuri tried to navigate American life both at work and outside of the JPL. There were some fun moments as he encounters things that we see as ubiquitous but probably make no sense from the outside. It was fun seeing him not understand the nuances of the language and culture and then slowly figure it out throughout the book. It was the one thing that made the character more likable.

Because the thing is, these characters are not very likable. And I mean Yuri is not supposed to be, I think. He's arrogant and self-centered at the beginning of the book. As a science prodigy he has a right to be confident in his abilities but it doesn't do him any favors in the likability department. But throughout the book he has okay development and ends up redeeming himself a little. It just didn't make that big an impact overall to me. But I wish I could say the same for the secondary characters. Many of them felt a little flat, especially the love interest Dovie. And because of that I couldn't connect with the romance which made things a little difficult especially towards the end of the book.

I think my biggest criticism of this book however is the pacing. Something about the flow didn't work for me. At the beginning things seemed to move from moment to moment very quickly. There was drama and a goal to reach towards. Then it met the goal and there was still a substantial amount of book left but no drama. I think that there was just a lot of falling action and that is something that I never like. But this is a fast read, at just under 350 pages it only took me a few days of reading despite the pacing that didn't work for me.

But I also think my concerns with the pacing may have had something to do with the plot, which didn't quite work for me either. I don't know exactly what the resolution of the story was. It was almost like there are two concurrent plot lines. One with the asteroid and one with Yuri. As a plot-driven reader I think I connected more with the former and lost interest when we were left with the latter. But I also didn't feel like the two worked together as well as they could have. Some of the moments of character development and themes about humanity felt a little forced to me, especially towards the end when I felt like there was no drama. In general I just think there was a lot going on here and the book may have benefited from a little bit of a narrower focus.

On the whole Learning to Swear in America is not a bad read, it is just not my find of contemporary. I liked the fish out of water concept and the apocalyptic fiction angle but I didn't connect with the characters and the problematic pacing and plot development made this not work for me.

I give Learning to Swear in America by Katie Kennedy 6.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Bypass or Borrow. Despite my criticism I don't want to not recommend this book. It wasn't for me but I think certain contemporary readers will like it. If you are the kind of reader who enjoys a character-driven story with a fish out of water character then check this out. But if you are looking for a fluffy contemporary that balances fun and serious, this may not be the book for you.

Have you read Learning to Swear in America? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Audiobook Review: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Title: Will Grayson, Will Grayson Written by: John Green and David Levithan Published: April 6, 2010 by Dutton (Penguin Group) (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible) Synopsis: Will Grayson meets Will Grayson. One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two strangers are about to cross paths. From that moment on, their world will collide and lives intertwine.  It's not that far from Evanston to Naperville, but Chicago suburbanites Will Grayson and Will Grayson might as well live on different planets. When fate delivers them both to the same surprising crossroads, the Will Graysons find their lives overlapping and hurtling in new and unexpected directions. With a push from friends new and old - including the massive, and massively fabulous, Tiny Cooper, offensive lineman and musical theater auteur extraordinaire - Will and Will begin building toward respective romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history's most awesome high school musical.

There are some books that just make you smile like an idiot while you read them, this is one of those books. Everything about the writing and the audio for this book just made me so happy. It was the perfect summer read with quirky characters, tons of humor, and character development that left me smiling when I finished.

I could say that I picked this up because I was looking for an audiobook to listen to on a long drive over the holiday weekend and I wanted a fun contemporary but that would only be half true. I picked this book up because it is narrated by two of my favorite narrators. And boy did they do a fantastic job here. Both MacLeod Andrews and Nick Podehl are brilliant at telling stories in a fun but serious way. Whether it is fantasy, science fiction, or contemporary they can develop a world and interesting characters in such a fantastic way. There is so much emotion in their voices and that was so perfect for this book.

 And they are perfect for this book because when it comes right down to it, this is a story full of emotion. But what I liked is that it doesn't beat you over the head with it. It walks that fine line between serious and humorous. At times it makes you laugh, then it makes you think, then it makes you feel sad (though admittedly not really all that sad). I love when contemporary reads are able to do that seamlessly and this definitely did. It had a pretty satisfying ending but along the way there are a few bumps.

It's tough to say if this is a coming of age story, a romance, both, or neither. Sure, there were romantic elements for both Wills but that really wasn't the focus which, I gotta say, I liked. It also had a really great story about friendship and acceptance but that may was kind of secondary too. The heart of this story is really about both finding out who you are and realizing those who love you will love you as you are. Both Will Graysons don't have an easy time figuring that out throughout the book which adds to a surprising amount of conflict both internally and externally. But the interesting thing is that they don't really go through a big change. By the end of the book their main development mostly is just being okay with who they are and their lot in life.

But that's what I liked about both main characters is that they did have good development throughout the book despite this not feeling like a cliche coming of age stories. Both of they're lives aren't easy but they are figuring them out. They weren't easy to like at times and are far from perfect. One Will Grayson, the MacLeod Andrews one, is incredibly surly. There are of course reasons for his hard exterior but at times he definitely comes off kind of mean and off-putting, but I think it worked. The other Will Grayson, the Nick Podehl one, is pretentious, at times self-centered, and often indecisive in the worst possible way. He doesn't know what he wants but what he really wants, I think, is to not have to decide. Throughout the book both characters soften a lot and start figuring out what they want and going for it. I liked their development despite it not being a typical coming of age story.

But we have to talk about the secondary characters. The one that ties them together and arguably the best secondary character is Tiny Cooper. The very out best friend of one will and love interest of the other. I loved Tiny for being 100% himself even when it's hard. Plus more than one of the funniest moments in the book came courtesy of Tiny. Then there is Jane who was not involved very much but was pretty likeable. Plus their parents who were all involved and engaged in a realistic way (a surprisingly refreshing thing for YA). In general I thought the characterization here was really good and two amazing narrators brought the characters alive.

On the whole this was a really good contemporary read and a fantastic audiobook. It walked the line between serious and funny with quirky characters who had good development throughout the book.

I give Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. This is a definite read for fans of contemporaries. I may be late to the game on this one but if you're later than me, pick it up. Plus it's really a fantastic audiobook so if you like them then you need this. And if you are looking for a fast read to make you smile then pick this up.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Swan Riders by Erin Bow

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: The Swan Riders Series:  Prisoners of Peace #2  Author: Erin Bow Published: September 20, 2016 by Margaret K. McElderry (Simon and Schuster) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Greta Stuart had always known her future: die young. She was her country's crown princess, and also its hostage, destined to be the first casualty in an inevitable war. But when the war came it broke all the rules, and Greta forged a different path. She is no longer princess. No longer hostage. No longer human. Greta Stuart has become an AI. If she can survive the transition, Greta will earn a place alongside Talis, the AI who rules the world. Talis is a big believer in peace through superior firepower. But some problems are too personal to obliterate from orbit, and for those there are the Swan Riders: a small band of humans who serve the AIs as part army, part cult.  Now two of the Swan Riders are escorting Talis and Greta across post-apocalyptic Saskatchewan. But Greta’s fate has stirred her nation into open rebellion, and the dry grassland may hide insurgents who want to rescue her – or see her killed. Including Elian, the boy she saved—the boy who wants to change the world, with a knife if necessary. Even the infinitely loyal Swan Riders may not be everything they seem. Greta’s fate—and the fate of her world—are balanced on the edge of a knife in this smart, sly, electrifying adventure.

Why I'm Waiting 

I was kind of blown away by how much I liked The Scorpion Rules. At first it seemed like a typical dystopian kind of story with a few subtle changes but then it drastically changed and made for a really creative and complex science fiction series. I loved the way that Erin Bow played with the tropes. It is seriously fantastic and the ending had me on the edge of my seat.

So obviously I am super excited for the next book in the series. I'm really anxious to find out what happens to Greta after the choices she made in the first book and where things may lead with the world here. The synopsis too has me super interested. More Talis and more Greta. Plus I love the idea of there being hidden rebels. AH! It sounds so good.

I preordered a copy because I am so excited about this one and to see where it all goes. The Scorpion Rules was one of my biggest surprises last year but this year I wouldn't be surprised to be blown away by The Swan Riders.

What about you? What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Are you waiting on The Swan Riders along with me? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Top Ten Tuesday: Reads with Less Than 2000 Reviews

A weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

1.) Nil Series by Lynne Matson - (Add to Goodreads / My Review)

I'm cheating a little bit on this one because I think the first book in the series might have more than 2000 reviews but the second one has way less so it counts. Plus this series is fantastic, YA Lost you guys. It's amazing and complex. I do still need to finish it though.

2.) Sekret Duology by Lindsay Smith - (Add to Goodreads / My Review)

Both books in this series have under 2,000 reviews. It's a really great duology not to mention a creative and unique YA historical fantasy. It's about teenage spies in Soviet Russia who have psychic abilities. All things I love.

3.) My Best Everything by Sarah Tomp - (Add to Goodreads / My Review)

I read this at a time I was just realizing I don't hate contemporaries and this book was one of the reasons I stopped judging all contempt before reading them. It's a coming of age story and I like the spin with a good girl doing bad things to help herself and learning from those mistakes.

4.) Of Metal and Wishes series by Sarah Fine - (Add to Goodreads / My Review)

So I'm cheating a bit here too because the first book has just over 2,000 reviews but the second one doesn't have many at all. But this is another great duology. It's a steampunk retelling of The Phantom of the Opera though and it's brilliant

5.) A School for Unusual Girls by Kathleen Baldwin - (Add to Goodreads / My Review)

I absolutely loved this historical fiction novel. It's set during one of my favorite periods and places, Victorian England. It had great characters and an amazing setting like my favorite books of the genre. Plus there are also spies. Guys, I like spies, okay.

6.) This Monstrous Thing by Mackenzie Lee - (Add to Goodreads / My Review)

This is one of those books that I don't understand why it's not more popular. Maybe I live in a bubble or not many people have read it. How could you not love a steampunk retelling of Frankenstein, I know I did. 

7.) Blood and Salt by Kim Liggett - (Add to Goodreads / My Review)

One of my favorite debuts of last year.  It was a seriously fantastic thriller with a magical realism feel. Plus it was seriously spooky and I couldn't stop reading it. This one is very close to 2000 reviews which is good because it's fabulous.

8.) The Weight of Feather by Anna-Marie McLemore - (Add to Goodreads / My Review)

Another debut last year that I loved. It's a kind of Romeo and Juliet retelling about circus families. Plus this is another book with an amazing Magical Realism world.  It was very cool and I am rally excited for her second book because I liked this one so much.

9.) The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock - (Add to Goodreads / My Review)

This is my favorite debut of 2016 so far. It's a really fantasy historical fiction novel that reads like a contemporary. It's one of those books about the interweaving of different people's lives and it does it so well. 

10.) The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutsie - (Add to Goodreads / My Review)

This is a fantastic science fiction book to begin with. It has a really cool world with sea monsters, pirates, and politics. Plus on top of that, quirky characters and a fantastic f/f romance. It's a fast an amazing read.

Honorable Mention to some newer reads I hope get to 2,000 reviews soon.

11.) The Skylighter by Becky Wallace - (Add to Goodreads / My Review)

12.) The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas - (Add to Goodreads / My Review)

Those are the books that I loved with not as many reviews on Goodreads. What books made your list? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine

*** This is the second book in a series. If you haven't read Ink and Bone proceed with caution. Also if you have not read Ink and Bone, you need to. It's amazing! Here's my review. ***

Title: Ink and Bone Series: The Great Library #2 Written by: Rachel Caine Published: July 5, 2016 by NAL (Penguin Group) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: In Ink and Bone, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine introduced a world where knowledge is power, and power corrupts absolutely. Now, she continues the story of those who dare to defy the Great Library—and rewrite history…  With an iron fist, The Great Library controls the knowledge of the world, ruthlessly stamping out all rebellion, forbidding the personal ownership of books in the name of the greater good.  Jess Brightwell has survived his introduction to the sinister, seductive world of the Library, but serving in its army is nothing like he envisioned. His life and the lives of those he cares for have been altered forever. His best friend is lost, and Morgan, the girl he loves, is locked away in the Iron Tower and doomed to a life apart.  Embarking on a mission to save one of their own, Jess and his band of allies make one wrong move and suddenly find themselves hunted by the Library’s deadly automata and forced to flee Alexandria, all the way to London.  But Jess’s home isn’t safe anymore. The Welsh army is coming, London is burning, and soon, Jess must choose between his friends, his family, or the Library willing to sacrifice anything and anyone in the search for ultimate control…

**** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

Paper and Fire was one of my most anticipated sequels of 2016. I was blown away by the plot and world of Ink and Bone and couldn't wait to find out what happened next. And I was not disappointed. This was a fantastic sequel to a series that I am absolutely loving. It's an action-packed read with great characters and a complex and creative world.

What immediately struck me about this book is how thrilling it was. If you thought the first half of Ink and Bone was a little slow but you liked the second half then you will enjoy this one tremendously. It was full of adventure, narrow escapes, and thrills. Although it was incredibly exciting there were a few bumps along the way when it came to the plot development. The book mostly focused on the larger more big picture plot points of the series, which I liked. At times it didn't feel like it had it's own story or if it did, that was a much smaller part. I usually prefer that when it comes to series but I think here it was so exciting I didn't mind that much. At some parts, the it felt a little disconnected or like things resolved too fast but it was still such a page-turner. It really escalated to a thrilling conclusion that had me stressed in the best possible way. It's non-stop action and adventure as things in and out of the library escalate.

Speaking of the library, I absolutely love the world-building of this series. It's a fantastic combination of fantasy and science fiction. It definitely feels a lot like a dystopian world though and as far as dystopian worlds go, this is one I love. It's complex and creative with great political intrigue and a fantastic antagonist. Here we learn a little more about the library and how truly devious they are in their control of power. Then there is also the really cool steampunk elements of this world that we got to see in effect more than a few times. It was a fun new wrinkle to the world of the book. A word that I love.

But I also love the characters of this series. Jess is a fantastic protagonist. He's intelligent, inquisitive, and cares about others. He and his friends are a diverse and likable group. It was great catching up with each member of the group and seeing them in their new careers at the library, even though that didn't last long. But I'm not sure if they were as complex and nuanced this time. For most of the book they are working together against the library and while they do make a great team, I liked the complexities and mystery of them more in the first book. But it was others who took that role in this one.

On the whole, Paper and Fire was a great read. It's full of adventure, a great alternate history word full of political intrigue, a great antagonist, and likable characters. If you enjoyed Ink and Bone you will not be disappointed by this sequel.

I give Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. If you liked Ink and Bone you need to pick up it's sequel. It builds on the first one in an interesting way with tons of action. If you haven't read this series I definitely recommend it. It's a great combination of fantasy and science fiction with an interesting world.

Have you read Paper and Fire? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: American Girls by Alison Umminger

Title: American Girls Written by: Alison Umminger Published: June 7, 2016 by Flatiron (Macmillan) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: She was looking for a place to land.  Anna is a fifteen-year-old girl slouching toward adulthood, and she's had it with her life at home. So Anna "borrows" her stepmom's credit card an runs away to Los Angeles, where her half-sister takes her in. But LA isn't quite the glamorous escape Anna had imagined.  As Anna spends her days on TV and movie sets, she engrosses herself in a project researching the murderous Manson girls—and although the violence in her own life isn't the kind that leaves physical scars, she begins to notice the parallels between herself and the lost girls of LA, and of America, past and present.  In Anna's singular voice, we glimpse not only a picture of life on the B-list in LA, but also a clear-eyed reflection on being young, vulnerable, lost, and female in America—in short, on the B-list of life. Alison Umminger writes about girls, sex, violence, and which people society deems worthy of caring about, which ones it doesn't, in a way not often seen in YA fiction.

This is not my typical read but I enjoyed it. It's a unique contemporary about a girl who is trying to find her way in the world with complex characters and an interesting setting.

One of the more unique things about this book was the plot development. It was a really character-driven story about a girl who wasn't sure who she is and where she wants to be. I love a good coming of age story, but one of the most interesting things about this book was that they characters didn't really come of age. Most of the book was about her just kind of coasting through life making mistakes and then moving on. She is just starting to figure things out as the book ends which I think made for a pretty unique contemporary. I don't this book was trying to be like that. It just wanted to show a summer in the life of a girl who is a little lost and a lot reckless. In that it succeeded.

But the problem is that the stakes were not very high with the plot. There were some elements of mystery to the book but it felt subtle and almost like an afterthought. And it didn't even really have a strong resolution. The book took place over the course of the summer and that was really the only conclusion to the book. Summer was over. It didn't leave loose ends but it just felt a little uneventful at the conclusion, though oddly not unsatisfying.  I'm such a plot-driven reader that I wanted a little more. In the beginning it honestly took me awhile to get into it. It's not a fast read even though it did only take me a few days to finish. It's one that makes you slow down and think which was good but not the kind of book I walk away from loving.

But because this is such a character-driven story there is a lot of focus on the characters. The main character of Anna was really complex and realistic. I liked her voice and the way that she felt like a regular teenager. At times throughout the book she was sometimes vulgar, sometimes reckless, sometimes uncertain. She made all kinds of stupid decisions but at the same time you can tell that she has a good heart and is just trying to figure things out. Anyone who has ever felt like they didn't belong and weren't appreciated can relate to Anna and her struggles throughout the book.

But the secondary characters were just as complex and reckless. Anna is surrounded by self-centered adults making just as terrible decisions. From her mother, to her sister, to the director of her sister's movie. Almost everyone she encounters is a bad example to Anna. Her behaviors made total sense and it made it easy to root and to want her to learn from the mistakes she made and the mistakes of those she interacts with. I think my favorite characters however were the good role models like Dex and Jeremy. But even they were interesting and not caricatures like they could have been. In general there were some good characterizations here.

I think the most interesting thing about this book however is the setting. This is a book all about Los Angelos and how it might relate to the "American Dream." Anna is lost and uncertain and she goes to a place that seems like where you go to make your mark but she quickly finds out it's not that glamorous or easy to do that. It's a rather harsh view of the city. It's a cold and callous place where the glitter wears off. But something about that made it so compelling and made it work for this kind of story. But that really could be anywhere. Anywhere you hold on a pedestal. It never lives up to your expectations and the grass isn't always greener on the other side. I liked that about the setting and the way it fit with the larger themes of the book.

On the whole I liked American Girls despite the fact that it's not a book I would normally read. It was a good character-driven book with complex characters, interesting themes, and a compelling setting.

I give American Girls by Alison Umminger 8 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow. This is definitely a unique contemporary read that I think fans of the genre should check out. If you like more character-driven stories that is on the thought-provoking side of things. But if you are looking for a more plot-driven coming of age story this may not be right for that.

Have you read American Girls? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!