STACKING THE SHELVES #19: WINTER '16 EDITION

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is a great way to showcase books you've recently added to your bookshelves. It is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and, of course, ebooks!

But for my STS, I'll be showing here only the physical copies of books I recently owned/borrowed/won. eBooks/eARCs will be showcased on my In My Mailbox posts.

Here's my first book haul this year! Special thanks to Sarah and Megan of HarperCollins International for these review copies!

The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows

I am a huge fan of Jodi Meadows! She's my writing goddess! I LOVE LOVE LOVE her Newsoul Trilogy!I started reading The Orphan Queen last year but unfortunately, it was affected by my reading slump. Thanks to my book fairy, Kazhy from My Library in the Making for the ARC! I love you!!! Hopefully, I could continue reading it sooner so I can indulge into this huge book as well!

This Is Where The World Ends by Amy Zhang

I loved Falling Into Place so much! Amy Zhang gave me extreme kinds of feels and I can feel that this one will give me even more!

The Mystery Of Hollow Places by Rebecca Podos

I think this book will also give me all kinds of feels this year. I'm glad I received a review copy of this because upon reading the synopsis on Goodreads, I already knew that this book will be one of those books that will get me back to my reading game. By the way, this is the first book that I'll read this year!

How about you? What's added to your haul? :)

{Blog Tour} Excerpt + Giveaway : FAN ART by Sarah Tregay

Fan Art
by Sarah Tregay
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Published June 17th 2014 by Katherine Tegen Books

When the picture tells the story…

Senior year is almost over, and Jamie Peterson has a big problem. Not college—that’s all set. Not prom—he’ll find a date somehow. No, it’s the worst problem of all: he’s fallen for his best friend.

As much as Jamie tries to keep it under wraps, everyone seems to know where his affections lie, and the giggling girls in art class are determined to help Jamie get together with Mason. But Jamie isn’t sure if that’s what he wants—because as much as Jamie would like to come clean to Mason, what if the truth ruins everything? What if there are no more road trips, taco dinners, or movie nights? Does he dare risk a childhood friendship for romance?

This book is about what happens when a picture reveals what we can’t say, when art is truer than life, and how falling in love is easy, except when it’s not. Fan Art explores the joys and pains of friendship, of pressing boundaries, and how facing our worst fears can sometimes lead us to what we want most.

EXCERPT

And from the tone of his voice, I am certain Eden's maybe-secret is safe. Mason's like that -- if he says he's going to do something, it's as good as done. He keeps secrets as well as holds grudges. I think about my own secret. And how I haven't been guarding it as much as I have in the past. Eden and the art-geek girls know, and probably the Gumshoe staff too. And last night, well, my guard was way down.

I look at Mason and watch him eat. I wonder if he knows I'm gay, and if he's just waiting for me to tell him.

We have never talked about gay things: not celebrities, not gay marriage, not the fact that 10 percent of people we know are probably bent. Each silent year that goes by makes it harder and harder to bring it up. So now, four years in the closet later,the topic has become a huge rainbow elephant in the room. And I'm afraid of getting trampled.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Tregay

Raised without television, I started writing my own middle grade novels after I had read all of the ones in the library. I later discovered YA books, but never did make it to the adult section. When I'm not jotting down poems at stoplights, I can be found hanging out with my "little sister" from Big Brothers Big Sisters or stressing over performance classes at a model horse show.

I have both a Bachelors and Masters of Fine Art in graphic design, and my obsession with typography and layout naturally translates into formatting poetry on the page.

I live in Eagle, Idaho with my husband, two Boston Terriers, and an appaloosa named Mr. Pots. 

Author Links:

Website / Facebook / Goodreads / Twitter

GIVEAWAY (PH ONLY)

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{Book Blast + Giveaway} VORTEX by S.J. Kincaid

Vortex
by S. J. Kincaid
Series: Insignia #2
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
Published July 2nd 2013 by Katherine Tegen Books
Purchase Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

The impossible was just the beginning. Now in their second year as superhuman government weapons-in-training at the Pentagonal Spire, Tom Raines and his friends are mid-level cadets in the elite combat corps known as the Intrasolar Forces. But as training intensifies and a moment arrives that could make or break his entire career, Tom’s loyalties are again put to the test.

Encouraged to betray his ideals and friendships for the sake of his country, Tom is convinced there must be another way. And the more aware he becomes of the corruption surrounding him, the more determined he becomes to fight it, even if he sabotages his own future in the process.

Drawn into a power struggle more dramatic than he has ever faced before, Tom stays a hyperintelligent step ahead of everyone, like the exceptional gamer he is—or so he believes. But when he learns that he and his friends have unwittingly made the most grievous error imaginable, Tom must find a way to outwit an enemy so nefarious that victory seems hopeless. Will his idealism and bravado cost him everything—and everyone that matters to him?

Filled with action and intelligence, camaraderie and humor, the second book in S.J. Kincaid’s futuristic World War III Insignia trilogy continues to explore fascinating and timely questions about power, politics, technology, loyalty, and friendship.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

S.J. Kincaid

S.J. Kincaid was born in Alabama, grew up in California, and attended high school in New Hampshire, but it was while living beside a haunted graveyard in Scotland, that she realized that she wanted to be a writer. Her debut, Insignia, came out in July of 2012. The second book in the series, Vortex came out in July of 2013. The final book in the INSIGNIA trilogy will come out in Fall of 2014.

TWITTER: @SJKincaidBooks
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SJKincaidBooks

WEBSITE: http://sjkincaid.com/

GIVEAWAY (INT)

Giveaway is open Internationally | Must be 13+ to Enter

1 Winner will receive an Copy of VORTEX by S.J. Kincaid

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"Waiting On" Wednesday #5: THE ORPHAN QUEEN by Jodi Meadows

This is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

It's been so loooooooooooooooong since my last WoW post. And look, it's only my 5th! LOL. Anyway, I can't contain the feels. I can wait no looooonger for this book. Jodi Meadows is a goddess!!! I adore her so much mainly because of her Newsoul Trilogy. I want to meet her so bad and I'm always looking forward to that. Think positive! :D

My initial reaction when I first saw the cover was like:

BUT GUYS. THIS WILL BE PUBLISHED NEXT YEAR. NEXT. FRIGGIN. YEAR. I CANNOT.

So, my week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

The Orphan Queen

by Jodi Meadows

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Expected Publication March 10th 2015 by Katherine Tegen Books

She is a princess. When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne.

She is a spy. Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes. They assume the identities of nobles from a wraith-fallen kingdom, but enemies fill the palace, and Melanie’s behavior grows suspicious. With Osprey missions becoming increasingly dangerous and their leader more unstable, Wil can’t trust anyone.

She is a threat. Wraith is the toxic by-product of magic, and for a century using magic has been forbidden. Still the wraith pours across the continent, reshaping the land and animals into fresh horrors. Soon it will reach the Indigo Kingdom. Wilhelmina’s magic might be the key to stopping the wraith, but if the vigilante Black Knife discovers Wil’s magic, she will vanish like all the others

Jodi Meadows introduces a vivid new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, dangerous magic, and one girl’s battle to reclaim her place in the world.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jodi Meadows

Like many writers, I’ve always wanted to do this professionally. You know, after I decided against being an astronaut.

Unlike many writers, I didn’t skip straight from picture books to adult novels. I have fond memories of going to Bookstop every month for the latest Baby-Sitters Club (which I kept reading, even after I realized they were never going to let the paranormal elements be real), and even fonder memories of hanging out in my middle school library. The librarians probably knew exactly what they were doing when they suggested book after book and discussed them with me at length. I, of course, had no clue they were turning me into a book addict, but it worked out for the best. Once I found the books where magic and other fantastic elements were real, I was hooked.

When I was twenty, I met a boy, moved 1,500 miles, and married him all within six months. I now realize that was crazy and dangerous, but it seemed natural at the time and, again, worked out for the best. Not only did we stay madly in love, he worked full time at a hard job so I could stay home to write books and, hopefully, one day get published.

The other crazy thing we did was fall in love with ferrets. They have their own bedroom.

My hobbies, aside from spending all my money on books and Kippy/ferret treats, revolve around yarn. I love crocheting, knitting, and spinning. In addition to several handspindles, I share my living room with a spinning wheel named Bob.

Author Links:

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Gooodreads

READ MY REVIEWS ABOUT HER NEWSOUL TRILOGY

Stacking the Shelves #18 May Haul

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is a great way to showcase books you've recently added to your bookshelves. It is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

But for my STS, I'll be showing here only the physical copies of books I recently owned/borrowed/won. eBooks/eARCs will be showcased on my In My Mailbox posts.

I spent my summer vacation at the province so there's no bookstore hoarding that happened. But still, I got some books that made me dance awkwardly but happily. Special thanks to Sarah and Megan of HarperCollins International for these review copies!

1. The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings

2. Fan Art by Sarah Tregay

3. How To Meet Boys by Catherine Clark

4. Don't Call Me Baby by Gwendolyn Heasly

5. Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern

6. Exile by Kevin Emerson 

How about you? What's added to your haul? :)

(ARC) Review: INFINITE by Jodi Meadows

Infinite
by Jodi Meadows
Series: Newsoul #3
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Format Acquired: ARC
Source: received from the Publisher
Published January 28th 2014 by Katherine Tegen Books
Purchase: Amazon / Kobo / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

DESTRUCTION
The Year of Souls begins with an earthquake—an alarming rumble from deep within the earth—and it’s only the first of greater dangers to come. The Range caldera is preparing to erupt. Ana knows that as Soul Night approaches, everything near Heart will be at risk.

FLIGHT
Ana’s exile is frightening, but it may also be fortuitous, especially if she can convince her friends to flee Heart and Range with her. They’ll go north, seeking answers and allies to stop Janan’s ascension. And with any luck, the newsouls will be safe from harm’s reach.

CHOICE
The oldsouls might have forgotten the choice they made to give themselves limitless lifetimes, but Ana knows the true cost of reincarnation. What she doesn’t know is whether she’ll have the chance to finish this one sweet life with Sam, especially if she returns to Heart to stop Janan once and for all.

With gorgeous romance and thrilling action, the final book in the Incarnate trilogy offers a brilliant conclusion to the compelling questions of this fascinating world, where one new girl is the key to the lives of millions.

MY REVIEW

How do you feel while reading the last installment of your favorite series? As for me, I feel excited, but somehow sad. The Newsoul Trilogy is probably one of my favorite series in my bookish life. As what I have said at my review of Incarnate (Newsoul #1), Jodi's story is one of a kind. This is an entire new context to me and her ideas of Range and its characters were unique. I never imagines I have to let go of Ana and Dossam's story, although I knew that they will live forever in my heart.

When I saw the title, Infinite, I immediately concluded that this means infinite love between Ana and Sam. But as I read along, I lost hope at some point, knowing that they're fighting to end the reincarnation and stop Janan's evil plan. They realized what it costs for someone to reincarnate and they wanted to give the newsouls a chance to live.

“But reincarnation wasn't natural, and souls suffered for it. Didn't that mean I need to right this wrong if I could? I couldn't ignore it.”

In Infinite, Ana proved herself more than she can do. She didn't fail those who have faith in her. She wanted to stop Janan so bad that she's willing to take all the risk, which includes communicating with dragons. Even though she knew about Sam's history with the dragons, she still pushed through. Her friends were against this decision, but in the end, they all gave her their support because they want to make up with their selfish decision (this happened in Phoenix Overture, Newsoul #2.5). They felt guilty. And they didn't like it that Ana doesn't want them to feel that way because they should. Damn. Ana has such a good heart. And that's one of the reasons why I love her so much. She didn't want to blame her friends but she doesn't take it either. She wanted them to fight to correct what they have done.

"You're trying to keep your friends good and blameless so we can continue on what we'd been before, but that's not going to work. Let us accept the blame for what we've done. Let us deal with that blame. It's not pleasant for any of us, but you can't -- and shouldn't -- try to stop it just because it makes you uncomfortable."

And there's Cris. Sam's bestfriend and probably one of my favorite characters. I was shocked when he sacrificed himself for Ana. I thought he'd be dead and forever gone. But Ana found a way to communicate with the sylph and through Jodi's writing, I can perfectly imagine how they talk to each other. Even with the dragons. I just wished there had been plenty of Ana and Cris parts in the series when Cris was still a human. It doesn't have to be a love affair, just a deeper form of friendship.

Ana and Sam's journey and how their relationship grew was very interesting. It's not the typical instalove, but more on getting to know each other everyday. Their fascination to music drawn them closer together. And Sam. I just love him. He knew Ana will never have the chance to be born again but he wanted her life to continue. He wanted everyone, especially the future generations, to know and remember her as Ana Incarnate and her love for music. Sam never failed to make me blush with his words. He wanted to show Ana a thousand ways to prove his undying love for her and he just makes me swoon all over again. Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh. The feels!!! He wanted to spend the rest of his and Ana's life together and do all the things they can while they're still alive and breathing.

"I got so lost in my own guilt and misery that I forgot what's most important."

"What's that?"

"Living. Loving. Making the most of our time together, no matter how long or short it will be."

There are also times when they felt like giving up, but then they realized how much they sacrificed to reach this far and there's no more turning back. I'm happy that everything turned out to be alright. But I cried when the temple burst out and... The ending!!! You guys should make it to the end. I never anticipated that ending. I can't get over it when I finished reading that I just have to read that part over and over again! If you think this is a tragic love story (which I did lol) well, the ending will surprise you.

All in all, the author's writing style made it easy for the readers to understand and appreciate the story even more. The characters's growth is fantastic and the changes in Range can be clearly pictured out in the minds of the readers. Her writing style is simply amazing. This conclusion to the Newsoul series is just perfect. Nothing more to say.

MY RATING

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jodi Meadows

Like many writers, I’ve always wanted to do this professionally. You know, after I decided against being an astronaut.

Unlike many writers, I didn’t skip straight from picture books to adult novels. I have fond memories of going to Bookstop every month for the latest Baby-Sitters Club (which I kept reading, even after I realized they were never going to let the paranormal elements be real), and even fonder memories of hanging out in my middle school library. The librarians probably knew exactly what they were doing when they suggested book after book and discussed them with me at length. I, of course, had no clue they were turning me into a book addict, but it worked out for the best. Once I found the books where magic and other fantastic elements were real, I was hooked.

When I was twenty, I met a boy, moved 1,500 miles, and married him all within six months. I now realize that was crazy and dangerous, but it seemed natural at the time and, again, worked out for the best. Not only did we stay madly in love, he worked full time at a hard job so I could stay home to write books and, hopefully, one day get published.

The other crazy thing we did was fall in love with ferrets. They have their own bedroom.

My hobbies, aside from spending all my money on books and Kippy/ferret treats, revolve around yarn. I love crocheting, knitting, and spinning. In addition to several handspindles, I share my living room with a spinning wheel named Bob.

Author Links:

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Gooodreads

"I just want you. I want you forever and I'm afraid--" His hands closed over mine. "I want a life with you. I'd give anything to go back and start this one over, to be reborn into this lifetime. I wouldn't waste it. I'd find you sooner. I'd take you somewhere safe. I'd show you music and love and life every day so you were never alone, never afraid. If I could start over knowing what I know now--" He released a desperate laugh. "I know who this sounds."
"It's okay." My words were a breath, a grasp.
He squeezed my hands. "I'm afraid, Ana. I'm afraid, and I feel like if I don't kiss you right now, I'll break apart."