Stacking The Shelves [#54]

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews as a way to share all the books we got during the week!

Library:

• The Program (The Program #1) by Suzanne Young (Goodreads/Amazon/Book Depository)
• Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike (Goodreads/Amazon/Book Depository)
• Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin #2) by R.L. LaFevers (Goodreads/Amazon/Book Depository)

Weekly Recap:
Reviews:
Chantress (Chantress #1) by Amy Butler Greenfield

Fighting To Survive (As The World Dies #2) by Rhiannon Frater

Until I Die (Revenants #2) by Amy Plum

Die For Her (Revenants #2.5) by Amy Plum

Asunder (Newsoul #2) by Jodi Meadows

Cover Reveals: 

United We Spy (Gallagher Girls #6) by Ally Carter

Kinslayer (The Lotus War #2) by Jay Kristoff

Once We Were (The Hybrid Chronicles #2) by Kat Zhang

Title Reveal:

Dreams of Gods & Monsters (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #3) by Laini Taylor

Giveaways:
Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield

Memes & Other New Posts:

Bout of Books 7.0 Goals & Updates!

New Releases May 14-May 20

Waiting On Wednesday [#87]

Review: Asunder by Jodi Meadows

Asunder (Newsoul #2)
Author: Jodi Meadows
Publisher: Katherine Tegen
Publication Date: January 29, 2013
Pages: 406
Source: Hardcover/Library

DARKSOULS
Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.

SHADOWS
Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

LOVE
Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection.

In this second book in the Newsoul trilogy, Ana discovers the truth about reincarnation and will have to find a way to embrace love and make her young life meaningful. Once again, Jodi Meadows explores the extraordinary beauty and shadowed depths of the soul in a story equal parts epic romance and captivating fantasy.

Review: Overall, I thought this was a really good sequel to Incarnate. Though I did have things I liked and didn't like about it. Ok. So I'm gonna start with what I didn't like because it bugged me all throughout the book. Everyone still treated Ana like crap! Even after she tried saving so many peoples lives during Templedark they still treated her like crap just because it was her dads fault that the temple went dark. Even though she wasn't related to what he was doing besides being born in the only other time the temple went dark thanks to him. It was really disappointing! Only a few more people opened up to being friends with her. And then they started treating her even worse when more newsouls were born! It wasn't her freaking fault!!!!! UGH!!!! Can you guys tell it really bugs me that they still didn't make an effort to accept her?? 

Beyond that... I enjoyed the book for the most part. I was kinda sad that Ana kept doubting that she was capable of loving just because Li had told her she wasn't capable of it. I think she knew she had feelings and strong ones at that, but she didn't realize it much because she was told she couldn't. I'm glad she finally opened up to having feelings, but I'm just sad that it took her so long to realize she was capable of having them. I love how close Ana and Sam got! I seriously love these two together!!! Sam is just... Amazing to Ana! Despite the majority of the citizens of Heart still hating her, he didn't let it get to him. He was still right there by her side; supporting her, loving her! I'm so glad Ana has him in her life! I'm also glad that Ana opened herself up to him. It took time, especially with her issue of thinking she cant love, but she did it. I just loved seeing the growth in their relationship!

So all the research she found of her dads... I'm still not sure what to make of the stuff that he made to temporarily stop Janan and make the temple go dark. I really don't know what to think of that... The stuff with the Slyph though... I thought that was interesting. How we find out that they love music, that somehow it calms them or something. It was just so weird. It was even weirder that they listened to Ana when she told them to go away. I don't get why they love music or listened to Ana. Hopefully we find out a lot more about this in the next book. I also wasn't sure at all what to make of the stuff she was trying to stuff from the temple. It all just seemed so confusing with the symbols. I was pissed when the council told her she was no longer allowed in Heart after they got their hands on the stuff!!! They found out some of their own were plotting against Ana and doing horrible things, and those people were probably gonna do a lot worse with those books than Ana was just studying it. But yet she gets kicked out??? REALLY??????? Yeah I guess I'm happy that those people who plotted against Ana and the other Newsouls were taken care of, but Ana is pretty much harmless. All she ever tried to do was help anyone she could. But she gets thrown out just for having some of her dads research and temple books. I really hate the council! Ugh! On the brightside, Sam decides to go with Ana since she's forced to leave. He is such a fantastic guy to her! 

Now Cris, I wanted to bring him up last. I thought he was such a cool guy throughout the book. He became a great friend to Ana. But wow... His sacrifice at the end of the book... That was just amazing. He sacrificed himself to save Ana and Stef... And got cursed for doing it apparently. I think that was him who was the slyph outside the temple right? That's how I understood that whole thing. So if slyphs are people that have been cursed.... Oh man... This just opens up another huge can of worms... And that means Cris is one now!!!!! I just cant even wrap my head around this one. I really cant! 

4 Stars!

Review: Die For Her by Amy Plum

Die For Her (Revenants #2.5)
Author: Amy Plum
Publisher: Harper Teen Impulse
Publication Date: April 2, 2013
Pages: 60
Source: Kindle Book/Own

Set in the romantic and death-defying world of the international bestselling Die for Me trilogy, this digital original novella follows Jules, a brooding, immortal French artist who has fallen in love with his best friend’s girlfriend.

Jules Marchenoir is a revenant-an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save human lives. He’s spent the better part of the last century flirting his way through Paris, but when he met Kate Mercier, the heroine from Amy Plum’s Die for Me trilogy, he knew his afterlife had changed forever and he had found the love of his life. Until Kate fell for his best friend, Vincent. Now Jules is faced with an impossible decision: choosing between his loyal friend and a love truly worth dying for.

Review: OMG!!! Jules!!!!! My Jules! Ahhhhh. I love Jules! Is it bad that this made me wanna cry a little??? I just found it so heartbreaking that he's in love with Kate and she is totally head over heels for Vincent. We all know I'm a huge fan of Vincent but we also know that I love Jules as well! I just felt so bad for him! He's so in love with a girl he cant be with. Jules is breaking my heart!!! I can relate to him though. Its hard loving someone and not being with them. It is incredibly painful but you just have to find a way to deal with the pain. Even with the pain of not being able to be with Kate he still took his job very seriously. He protected her when he was needed to and he was a great friend to her when she needed it even though it was breaking him apart inside not being able to tell her how he feels. And I'm sorry. Its kinda painfully obvious at times how he feels and Kate is just oblivious. Just putting that out there. He makes it a big deal of showing Kate just how much he cares and she just doesn't notice. I just don't get how she hasn't figured it out yet. Lol. And now with Vincent taken by the Numa... Both of them are hurting. He's hurting because his best friend has been taken and she's hurting because her love has been taken. But I have a feeling Jules will step up and be there for her when she needs him while they try to find Vincent and not let his feelings for her get in the way. 

5 Stars!

Review: Until I Die by Amy Plum

Until I Die (Revenants #2) 
Author: Amy Plum
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: May 8, 2012
Pages: 353
Source: ARC

Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.

As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.

In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series.

Review: So it only took me like a year to finally read this but I finally got to it!!! Great sequel to Die For Me! I definitely didn't feel like this book was suffering from second book syndrome like so many others do. There was always something to keep your interest! Whether it be Vincent and Kate searching for a way to make their relationship work without Vincent giving in to having to die, or the newcomers at La Maison stirring up trouble. Or the biggest thing; trying to figure out what the Numa were up to in the time they all but disappeared after their leader was killed. There was never a dull moment! Someone was always doing something to keep you interested in the story! That being said...

One of the main focus points of the book was Vincent trying to find a way to curve the compulsion to die for someone. He wanted so badly to be able to make his relationship with Kate work without having to put her through the pain of constantly watching him die. And he was willing to do this by any means possible. But these means were also very dangerous and Vincent wouldn't even let Kate know about it until he had no other choice but to tell her. So since Vincent wouldn't tell her about it, Kate went out on her own to look for another way to try and help him. What she ended up researching lead to her finding out more than she was actually looking for about the revenants. Though her trying to find a way didn't come without troubles either. Though hers were less troubling up until the end than Vincents. Hers involved more lying to the people she loved, hiding where she was going (which did put her in danger with the Numa knowing about her and everything) and even getting Vincents best friend Jules caught up in the secret. Though her trying to find a way to help him actually dug up something more important and useful to the current looming threat. All the trying to help Vincent curve his compulsion and Numa threat aside... These two are just so freaking cute together!!! Come on, pizza and movie night every month before he Vincent goes dormant for 3 days. That was cute. Having something they do every month together as a couple is just awesome. And just when these two were being a cute normal couple... I loved it!!! Also, I loved how protective Vincent was over Kate. At even the slightest hint of Numa trouble he made sure he or someone he trusted was there to protect her. It was so cute!

So the newcomers and the Numa... Lets start with the newcomers... Arthur and Violette. They came in and took the place of Charlotte and Charles when they were sent of to Nice so Charles could get his head on straight. So at first I really didn't like Arthur because of his whole lets get Kate kicked out of the Revenant meetings stunt. And he just didn't grow on me until the end of the book. I honestly liked Violette more. She seemed like such a good person and she tried so hard to be a good friend to Kate. Too bad that all turned out to be crap!!! Come to find out, she was plotting against the Revenants with the Numa the entire time! Hence why at the end of the book I didn't mind Arthur so much. Come to find out, Violette was just making him say that stuff to Kate to make him look like the bad one... I was pissed!!!! And with that we'll transition to the Numa. So obviously they start causing trouble again, and everyone figured that they had a new leader because of that. But for the longest time we had no clue who it was. Well. That's because it was one of their own who turned on them. If you didn't figure it out based on information above, that would be Violette. I seriously dislike her now!!!! So the Numa are after the Champion of the Revenants because they want his power. The Champion of the Revenants is suspected to be Vincent. So you can see now why Violette wormed her way in with the group. She was trying to figure out if he really could be, and she thinks she found enough information to prove he is. So she went after him. UGH!!!!

The ending... I'm seriously sad. Me no likey cliffhangers where one of my fave characters is in a seriously dangerous situation!!!! I feel so bad for Kate not being able to do much to help Vincent. He's in danger of dying for good because of Violette and she cant do a think to stop it because the Revenants have no idea where Violette has taken him! They better get him back in If I Should Die!!! Also, I have this sneaking suspicion that there is more to Kate. Either something huge will happen to her or something huge will be revealed about her. I just have this feeling about it!

My fave quote:
"Um, yeah. I guess lying around reading books all day doesn't do much for physical endurance." - Pg. 3

4 Stars!

Waiting On Wednesday [#87]

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

United We Spy (Gallagher Girls #6)
Author: Ally Carter
Expected Publication: September 2013

Cammie Morgan has lost her father and her memory, but in the heart-pounding conclusion to the best-selling Gallagher Girls series, she finds her greatest mission yet. Cammie and her friends finally know why the terrorist organization called the Circle of Cavan has been hunting her. Now the spy girls and Zach must track down the Circle’s elite members to stop them before they implement a master plan that will change Cammie—and her country—forever.

I cant even begin to describe how excited I am over this book!!! If you guys haven't noticed before I absolutely LOVE the Gallagher Girls books!!! The title and cover was just revealed so I just had to use it as my WoW. If you haven't read this series then I totally suggest you get on it because it is freaking awesome!!!!! 

What are you waiting on this week?

Review: Fighting To Survive by Rhiannon Frater

Fighting To Survive (As The World Dies #2)
Author: Rhiannon Frater
Publisher: Tor
Publication Date: November 8, 2011
Pages: 368
Source: Paperback/Library

It’s time to clear the hotel.

The fort has grown crowded as survivors of the zombie apocalypse have found safety between its walls.  Winter is coming; soon it will be too cold to live in tents and other makeshift shelters.  The leaders of the survivors—Katie, Jenni, Juan, Travis, and Nerit—decide it’s time for an assault on the zombie-occupied hotel that looms over the town square. 

A pitched battle in the banquet room is the start of a harrowing, room-by-room struggle from Reception to roof.  As the sun sets, the people of Ashley Oaks gather in the hotel’s rooftop ballroom and gazebo to celebrate their survival.  Gazing out over the beauty of the surrounding Texas countryside, it’s hard to believe that death and danger lurk around every corner. 

The fort’s search and rescue teams have attracted unwanted attention from bandits who see the fort as competition for food . . . and as a ready source of women.  The first attacks are minor, but everyone knows there is worse to come. 

And beyond the fort’s walls, the zombies shamble, moaning, eyes fastened hungrily upon the living.

Review: I loved this book as much as I loved the first!!! Ok, so there was only one complaint I had about this book and that was that it kept switching between like I think 6-8 people's POV's. It was confusing a few times to figure out who was speaking so I'd have to go back a reread to figure it out. While I wasn't exactly the biggest fan of it, I did however feel like it added to the story in a good way so I'm not complaining too much. I really loved when they did the dog Jack's POV. That seriously made me giggle so much. "I want a cookie!" Hahahahahaha! We needed that lighthearted moment when the rest of the book seemed to be so dark. 

Ok. In all seriousness here... This book was definitely darker still than the last book. There was a lot more urgency to get into the hotel, especially after one of the other surviving groups they were in contact with was wiped out in a tornado. Travis realized that they couldn't wait til the perfect time to go in. They had to go in as soon as possible or something else beyond their control might get to them first. So having realized that, they got together their forces and stormed the hotel. Man!!!! I so did not see all that happened actually happening in the hotel. Ok, first of all, there was like ten times more zombies than anyone expected. Apparently there was an event going on at the hotel the day people turned so it was perfect breeding ground for a whole army of zombies. I was pretty scared for everyone that went into the hotel after finding that out!!! There was just so much danger around every corner and the freaking zombies kept getting people!!!! AH!!! I was really sad with the number of people that ended up dying thanks to the zombies. But hey, those people sacrificed themselves for the good of everyone else being able to use the hotel. It was freaky how fast some of those people changed though! I mean on person just got a scratch and she changed within minutes. FROM A SCRATCH! It was like what????? You never know how long it can take someone to turn. Lesson learned for everyone. 

So in this book we really see what happened finally taking a toll on Jenni. We also still see Katie struggling with everything as well. We know in the last book Katie was struggling with moving on because she didn't want to dishonor Lydia's memory. But she made a lot of progress in this book. She finally comes to terms with it and accepts that its ok to move on and that Lydia would want her to move on and be happy. This led to her finally giving into being with Travis. Finally!!!!!!! I loved seeing these two together! It was such a nice change seeing Katie happy and in love. Jenni... She started really struggling with stuff. She was having a lot of nightmares about that first day when her family turned. And on top of that she felt like Lloyd's ghost was haunting her, trying to get her to die and come be with the rest of them so he could control her again. I felt so bad for her. Even after finally getting away from him, he's still finding a way to get to her. I felt so bad for Juan because Jenni wouldn't let him help her, or even talk to him about it. He just wanted to help her, or at least comfort her but she just wouldn't let him. But they were still so cute together when Jenni wasn't dealing with that stuff. I'm hoping she will let Juan in more in the next book if she starts struggling with it again. 

So this whole thing with the bandits. Ok, first of all. I DESPISE these bandits!! What they were doing was just wrong! In the last book they just up and killed Ralph and now their going around murdering whole groups of people, and then taking some of the women and just raping them until they get tired of them and kill them too. Its just wrong!!!! I'm so glad everyone in the fort decided it best to try and go out and save as many people as they could in the few places they knew there was survivors. Even though they were too late to save a bunch of people they still did save a few and each person they saved counted!! I was also very happy and impressed with what Nerit had come up with to lure the bandits in to take some of them out! That was a seriously awesome plan! 

So one thing we still don't find out is who the vigilante is thats killing people from the fort. I'm seriously getting annoyed! There are so many people that would make good suspects for being the Vigilante that I cant figure out who I think it could be. We better find out in the next book!!! I need to know who it is!!! Also, that freaking epilogue! It definitely sets up something interesting for Siege! I seriously cannot wait to get my hands on a copy!

5 Stars!

New Releases May 14-May 20

Golden
Author: Jessi Kirby
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: May 14, 2013

Love, tragedy, and mystery converge in this compelling novel from “an author to watch” (Booklist).

Seventeen-year-old Parker Frost has never taken the road less traveled. Valedictorian and quintessential good girl, she’s about to graduate high school without ever having kissed her crush or broken the rules. So when fate drops a clue in her lap—one that might be the key to unraveling a town mystery—she decides to take a chance.

Julianna Farnetti and Shane Cruz are remembered as the golden couple of Summit Lakes High—perfect in every way, meant to be together forever. But Julianna’s journal tells a different story—one of doubts about Shane and a forbidden romance with an older, artistic guy. These are the secrets that were swept away with her the night that Shane’s jeep plunged into an icy river, leaving behind a grieving town and no bodies to bury.

Reading Julianna’s journal gives Parker the courage to start to really live—and it also gives her reasons to question what really happened the night of the accident. Armed with clues from the past, Parker enlists the help of her best friend, Kat, and Trevor, her longtime crush, to track down some leads. The mystery ends up taking Parker places that she never could have imagined. And she soon finds that taking the road less traveled makes all the difference.

Other New Releases This Week:
Towering by Alex Flinn (5/14/13) [Harper Teen]
The Beautiful and The Cursed (The Dispossessed #1) by Page Morgan (5/14/13) [Delacorte]
The Rules For Disappearing by Ashley Elston (5/14/13) [Disney-Hyperion]