Stacking the Shelves #9

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly book haul meme hosted by Tynga of Tynga's Reviews.

You might be wondering why there's a hardcover copy of Daughter of Smoke and Bone in my mailbox. In truth, I've had that copy for ages. No, really, ever since it came out a year ago. Why is it back "in" my mailbox? Because I went to Laini Taylor's signing at the Glendale Americana and yes, if you're wondering, it got signed.

You'll also notice that there are two copies of Days of Blood and Starlight there. In truth, there is a third copy, but that one is on my Kindle. The story behind that? Well, the Kindle copy is thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and I bought the US copy of Days of Blood and Starlight in hardback at the signing; but the UK copy? That came by the Book Depository--because yes, I pre-ordered it--and I was extremely happy that it arrived in time for Laini's signing! The best part? It's a hardcover!

Yes, they're all signed to me. And Laini's signing? It had a great turnout and she is freaking awesome. If you ever get a chance to meet her, definitely do so!

Bought:
Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor (US & UK hardcovers)
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Stacking the Shelves #8

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly book haul meme hosted by Tynga of Tynga's Reviews.

Just one physical book this week! Yes, I bought myself a finished copy of The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin and as it happens, it's signed to me (the inscription can be seen over on Instagram) thanks to Books & Books.

As for e-books, there are some new additions waiting to be read: 

Pantomime by Lauren Lam (Via publisher and NetGalley.)
Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield (Via publisher and Edelweiss. Already read and loved it--historical fantasy.)
The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter (Via publisher and NetGalley.)
Stolen Nights by Rebecca Maizel (Via publisher and NetGalley--for a blog tour.)
Dualed by Elsie Chapman (Via publisher and NetGalley.)
Renegade by Jessica Souders (Via publisher and NetGalley.)
Renegade by Amy Carol Reeves (Via publisher and NetGalley.)
Moonset by Scott Tracey (Via publisher and NetGalley.)
Unremembered by Jessica Brody (Via publisher and NetGalley.)


I'm definitely learning to embrace NetGalley and Edelweiss! It also definitely helps matters when I don't have to read them strictly on a computer screen--why hello, headache I did not wish to have. Also? I am ridiciulouslu excited about 2013 releases as 2012 winds down! I should be doing another massive post on Spring/Summer 2013 releases once I see at least Macmillan's catalog (I haven't seen theirs or Simon & Schuster's Summer 2013 catalogs yet).
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Stacking the Shelves #7

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly book haul meme hosted by Tynga of Tynga's Reviews.

I think my new phone's camera is infinitely better than the one my last phone sported! (Also, yes, that's what I've gotten in my mailbox over the past two weeks.)

Rebel Heart by Moira Young (Won)
More action, more action, and the same accented character voice that you got to know during Blood Red Road.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young (Won)
This came along with the ARC of Rebel Heart which means that I now have hardcover and paperback copies of Blood Red Road!

What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton (For Review)
A contemporary that focuses on a young girl who has some body issues, deals with a rape, and a boy known as the the school's resident druggie. Yes, I've finished reading it--I just need to write up my review!

Winter White by Jen Calonita (For Review)
I've already posted my review for this one, but it's a little like Gossip Girl with a side of state politics.
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Stacking the Shelves #6

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga of Tynga's Reviews and here's a post summarizing what it's about. (Or if you'd prefer, I'll just summarize and say that it allows everyone to show what they've gotten in the past week in terms of books--whether they're physical copies, e-books, books borrowed, etc.)

In order:
Sever by Lauren DeStefano (Swapped)
I am lucky enough to know someone who happened to have a copy (and I cannot thank her enough for this)! I haven't read it yet, but hopefully I'll be able to get to it late next week. (Given Fever's ending, I am dying to dig in.)

Entice by Jessica Shrivington (Gifted)
This was gifted to me by the very lovely Gianne of Books to Infinity! I've already read it and while I'm not sure that I liked it as much as I liked Embrace, it was still pretty good.

Ten by Gretchen McNeil (Bought--Signed)
I went to Gretchen's launch party at Mysterious Galaxy Rendondo Beach--and it was awesome! Got to chat with some of my favorite blogging pals, met a few new people, and got my copy of Ten signed!

Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst (Received for review.)
If you haven't read Vessel yet, you might want to get on that. (Did I mention that it's a standalone?) Seriously though, it was amazing--and I need to get my review up this week!

The Diviners by Libba Bray (Received for review.)
The Diviners is a massive book and I'm currently in the process of reading it. Also, the actual hardcover itself is pretty darn gorgeous! (Did I mention that the cover is soft to the touch?)

Not pictured: 
The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson (Won--ARC)
I won a copy from Epic Reads and yes, I've already read it (and loved it more than The Girl of Fire and Thorns). I have no idea why I forgot to include it in the picture!

Vengeance Bound by Justina Ireland (Received for review.)
Not pictured because it's on my Kindle. Yes, it's up--on Edelweiss! Can't wait to dive into it!

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And there you have it! Everything that has been in my mailbox for the past couple of weeks!
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Stacking the Shelves #5

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga of Tynga's Reviews and here's a post summarizing what it's about. (Or if you'd prefer, I'll just summarize and say that it allows everyone to show what they've gotten in the past week in terms of books--whether they're physical copies, e-books, books borrowed, etc.)

Starling by Lesley Livingston (Won from Epic Reads)
Haven't had a chance to read it yet, but I've heard good things about it and can't wait to dive in! (And I've actually had it for about a week now--I really need to find time to read it!)

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (Won via SimonTeen on Facebook)
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (Won via SimonTeen on Facebook)
There might've been some screaming when I found out that I'd won a set of Michelle Hodkin's books and they're shuffling up my TBR pile. Soon. *plots* Soon. 

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce (Received for review from publisher.)
Probably my favorite out of the retellings thus far! I need to write up my review still, but I really did enjoy it.

Adaptation by Malinda Lo (Received for review from publisher.)
If you've been thinking about picking up Adaptation when it comes out, I can tell you right now that it's probably a very good idea. Yes, I really, really enjoyed Adaptation and just- I'd recommend it to you. Really, I would. I mean, unless you don't like science fiction--but Adaptation's level of science fiction is really easy to understand. Yes, I also need to write up my review for Adaptation--and I hope to post that sucker soon.

The Kingmaker's Daughter by Philippa Gregory (Received for review via publisher--unsolicited.)
Yes, that is a UK copy. It appeared out of the blue from Simon & Schuster UK and not only is the hardcover gorgeous, but I've been hankering for some historical fiction!
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Stacking the Shelves #4

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga of Tynga's Reviews and here's a post summarizing what it's about. (Or if you'd prefer, I'll just summarize and say that it allows everyone to show what they've gotten in the past week in terms of books--whether they're physical copies, e-books, books borrowed, etc.)

I know it's been a while since I've done one of these, but to be fair, I've been trying to keep myself from adding to my TBR pile until it shrinks a bit.

For Review:
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore
The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore
Drain You by M. Beth Bloom
Destiny by Gillian Shields
Sweet Shadows by Tera Lynn Childs

A huge thank you to HarperTeen this week! All six of those were actually surprises in the mail--two different packages, one came last week and one came this week. Definitely looking forward to digging into I Am Number Four--I've been thinking about reading it for a while now, but this is definitely the kick that I needed to read the series!

Bought:
The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse

So, my copy of The Forsaken is actually signed to me! :D The crazy story behind that is: Lisa made an appearance at the book group that I attend (yes, this was today) because we were reading The Forsaken for this month and we got to chat with her for a while too! Unfortunately I had to take off right afterwards, but there was also a writing workshop with Jennifer Bosworth and Leigh Bardugo afterwards! These are but two of the reasons why Mysterious Galaxy (in this case, I'm talking about the Redondo Beach location) is so freaking awesome, by the way. <3
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Stacking the Shelves #3 (and ALA recap)

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga of Tynga's Reviews and here's a post summarizing what it's about. (Or if you'd prefer, I'll just summarize and say that it allows everyone to show what they've gotten in the past week in terms of books--whether they're physical copies, e-books, books borrowed, etc.)

So on Thursday I attended Leigh Bardugo's signing at Mysterious Galaxy (their Redondo Beach location) and honestly? If you get a chance to meet her, definitely do so. On a similar note, if you haven't read Shadow and Bone yet, you might want to get on that. I've been wanting to buy a finished copy for a while now and let's face it, Shadow and Bone had a seriously gorgeous cover.

And then here's a picture of my top six books from ALA.

The Archived by Victoria Schwab
Okay, go read the synposis and then come back--if you haven't read the synopsis already yet, that is. I think that pretty much explains why I want to read The Archived so badly. Also? I adored The Near Witch. In short, I have a feeling that I'm just in love with the books that Victoria puts out.

Embers & Echoes by Karsten Knight
This is book two in the trilogy--the first book being Wildefire. So, if you've read Wildefire then you know that there was a cliffhanger and that cliffhanger? It did its job.

Prodigy by Marie Lu
Loved Legend and am equally excited about Prodigy. Do I really need to say more?

Crewel by Gennifer Albin
Weaving matter? Yes please! It also happens to come out on my birthday and I have a feeling that this is going to be a book that I absolutely love.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Alright, not only is this written by Maggie Stiefvater, but the plot sounds amazing. I mean, seriously. Plus the cover is lovely as well!

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
High fantasy and I've heard nothing but good things about it!

As for ALA itself, it was absolutely amazing and if you get a chance to go, it's worth it. On Saturday, Gianna from Books to Infinity and Beyond found me at Penguin Group's booth and we got in line for Marie Lu's signing. It was so awesome to finally meet her after chatting with her on Twitter for so long and I had a blast. We went to a couple of other signings that day and unfortunately I was way too exhausted to attend either of the blogger gatherings that evening. No, really, I had a horrific headache and could barely keep my eyes open. I also ran into Ishita from The Reading Fish, Zareen from Reach for the Stars... and the Books, Jill from Swimming in YA, Molly aka Usagi from Birth of a New Witch, Stephanie from Poetry to Prose (who I also ran into again at Leigh Bardugo's signing on Thursday), and very briefly I saw Katie from Katie's Book Blog. I also met Kristi who I talk with sometimes on Twitter. Overall? It was amazing! I honestly miss everyone right now and meeting bloggers was definitely my favorite part of ALA.

As for books that I picked up from ALA, I made a video in which I go through all of the titles. They are all books that I'm genuinely interested in and intend to read (as well as hopefully review). For the most part, this is how I decided what books to pick up: Was it a title I was already interested in? If so and I hadn't e-mailed the publisher yet, I was more likely to pick up the title. Was this a publisher that I normally work with? If so, take as little as possible. If it wasn't out, I wasn't asking for it. If I was told that they didn't have a book, I thanked them and moved along. Admittedly while I still prefer print galleys to e-galleys, I also factored in what publishers I can (with relative ease) request books from via NetGalley or Edelweiss. In short, I tried to keep the number of books that I took home to a not-so-large number.

I missed the mad dash on Friday by about ten minutes (I went in, but I didn't see any pushing or shoving), had a blast on Saturday and Sunday, and on Monday I had a great time too! I really do suggest going all four days if you can--at least to hang out with other bloggers because honestly that was my favorite part of ALA--and putting your blog title on your badge (honestly my biggest regret). Also, Marissa Meyer sort of recognized me which was absolutely insane! (We'd met briefly before when she came to speak with Mysterious Galaxy RB's YA book group--which I'm a part of.) But the fact that other bloggers and readers recognized me (I didn't have my blog on my badge)? It blew my mind!

There you have it, my ALA 2012 experience! It was so much fun and I'm extremely thankful that non-ALA members are allowed to attend (and in this case, wander the exhibit floor).
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Stacking the Shelves #2

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga of Tynga's Reviews and here's a post summarizing what it's about. (Or if you'd prefer, I'll just summarize and say that it allows everyone to show what they've gotten in the past week in terms of books--whether they're physical copies, e-books, books borrowed, etc.)

Bought: 
City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare
You cannot be surprised that I bought this book--although I think I didn't review the last one. I really do like this series though and if I get around to it, you'll be seeing a review for City of Lost Souls. But honestly? I've reached a point of character overload. D:

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth
I still need to get my review up but honestly? Definitely enjoyed Struck. Also, yes, I also have this as an ARC; why did I buy a hardcover? Might have something to do with Jennifer Bosworth signing at Mysterious Galaxy (in Redondo Beach) on the 26th at noon. Might also have something to do with the fact that it's the book club pick of the month.

Received for review: 
Blackwatch by Jenna Burtenshaw
If you've seen my review for Shadowcry, you know that I adored it and yes, I intend to read this as soon as possible--which in this particular case, means today.

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick (not shown)
I'm so ridiculously excited to read this! And if you're wondering, yes, this is an e-galley from NetGalley and Penguin YRG. (And if I read more than one book at once, you better believe that I'd be reading this at the same time as Blackwatch. 

So that's what I've gotten over the course of the week! (And now to go see what other people have gotten! *flees*)
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Stacking The Shelves #1

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga of Tynga's Reviews and here's a post summarizing what it's about. (Or if you'd prefer, I'll just summarize and say that it allows everyone to show what they've gotten in the past week in terms of books--whether they're physical copies, e-books, books borrowed, etc.)

Books for Review (physical):
The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze
Revived by Cat Patrick


Bought:
Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Books for Review (not shown): 
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
The Unquiet by Jeannine Garsee
Beautiful Lies by Jessica Warman
The Little Woods by McCormick Templeman
The Opposite of Hallelujah by Anna Jarzab
Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough
Timepiece by Myra McEntire
One Moment by Kristina McBride

That, is everything that I've gotten in the past two weeks. Well, the e-galleys were mostly last week--some this week--and The Last Princess, Revived, and Insurgent were all books that I received this week. I'm definitely excited about Throne of Glass, The Unquiet, The Little Woods, Long Lankin, and Timepiece in particular--but to be honest, I just can't wait to dive into all of the books that I've gotten. (And yes, I've already read Insurgent--which I definitely loved!)

A huge thank you to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Bloomsbury, Random House, Egmont USA, Candlewick Press, and NetGalley!