Stacking the Shelves (31)

Stacking the Shelves is a book haul meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews -This is a great way for us to share what books we added to our shelves each.

Purchased:

Ebooks:

So I found my old ereader this week and charged it up! I decided it was time for me to start using it more, so I decided to get a couple of books on there! I've already read Destroy Me and LOVED it, review to come! I also started to read Time Between Us and am really enjoying it so far! As for the physical books, I found a really neat indie bookstore while I was in Vancouver the other day and they were having a sale on all teen books! So naturally I had to buy! I was so excited to see Delirium Stories because Requiem is on its way in the mail!!!

Leave me a link to your haul this week... I'd love to see what you got!
Happy reading!
~Kristy

TGIF: Balm in Gilead

Hello everyone! This is kind of a different TGIF post today as I wanted to talk about theatre, instead of books!
On Wednesday my dad took me into Vancouver and we went to Studio 58 at LangarBalm in Gilead. I went into this completely blind and had no idea what it was about. I didn't have the slightest clue about anything about this play and so when I walked into the theatre that was set up like a functioning cafe, I was a bit shocked. The last time I went to a play at Studio 58 was a couple years back to see The Comedy of Errors. This was much different from a Shakespeare play... (Again, I had NO idea what this was about)
a College to see the play

March 21 - April 7, 2013
by Lanford Wilson

 an underworld adventure

Directed by Bob Frazer

      Described as “an explosive amalgam of realism and theatrical illusion,” Balm in Gilead takes us to an all night coffee shop on a New York street corner in 1965. Lanford Wilson reveals an understanding and compassion that is both witty and humorous as the audience is introduced to a group of hustlers, drug addicts and lost souls who are finding their way on the streets of the big city.

The reason I wanted to talk about this play today was because how much I enjoyed it. I'm no expert on acting and theatre. But I know what I like and I really liked this play. The director created this cafe where the audience members actually sit in the booths and watch the play in the centre. It was amazing, because everyone got a different perspective. Everyone got a different play. There were scenes where all of the characters were having different conversations with one another, just like in real life. And the viewer can't possibly keep up with everything. But that's the point. "That's the truth," as Frazer says.

I won't go into anything too technical, as I know practically nothing about theatre and acting, but I will just say that this was a play that I won't forget seeing for a long time. There were characters in this play who captivated my attention and I couldn't tear my eyes and ears away from them when they were on stage. I wanted more than just the hour and forty minutes.

If you're in/near Vancouver, or will be before April 7th, please consider going to Studio 58 to see Balm in Gilead. Or, if you're in Vancouver later in the year, check to see what Studio 58 is putting on at that time and maybe go see a play, if there's something! Who knows, you might even see me in the audience.

I want to know how many of my readers like going to the theatre and watching live performances? I personally love it, but don't go very often, sadly. Or are any of you actors/actresses, or aspiring to be? What's your favourite play you've seen? OR have you seen Balm in Gilead being performed elsewhere? What did you think? OR did you see it in Vancouver? Let's talk in the comments! I want to know!

Happy Friday!
~Kristy

Bloglovin'!

Hey everyone! I've seen a lot of posts like this around, so I thought I'd jump onto the bandwagon to let you guys know that I'm on Bloglovin'! If you want to follow me on Bloglovin' click the link below!

Follow on Bloglovin'

Happy reading!

~Kristy

Review: Boundless by Cynthia Hand

Author: Cynthia Hand

Publisher: HarperTeen

Page Count: 438 pages, Hardcover

Date Published: January 22nd 2013

Find it on Goodreads: Boundless

Source: Purchased  

The past few years have held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner could ever have anticipated. Yet from the dizzying highs of first love, to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she can no longer deny is that she was never meant to live a normal life.

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seems like the best option, so she’s headed back to California - and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfill her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.

In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must decide her fate once and for all.

I am pleased to say that Boundless redeemed this series for me and was a wonderful conclusion to this angel trilogy. This review may contain very minor spoilers for those who have not read Hallowed.

I loved Unearthly when I read it, really connected to the characters and liked the story. It wasn't perfect, but it was a good book that I enjoyed a lot. But the sequel, Hallowed, disappointed me. I was not into the story at all and I finished the book with a frown on my face. (Not good.) So when Boundless was released, I was hesitant. I didn't even know if I wanted to read it, but thank goodness I did. Boundless was great. Sure, I had some issues with it, but they were minor compared to my liking for it. 

It took me a while to get into this book. I started reading it as soon as I got it, which was around when it came out, but I only ended it on the 20th of March. I couldn't connect right away to the story and thank god for RECAPTAINS, super heroes of my LIFE, for having such an awesome site. They have a recap of what happened in Hallowed, which I really desperately needed, as I didn't remember a thing that happened. After about 100 pages, maybe a little bit less, I started to connect to the story a bit more and figure out what was going on. I began to recognize the characters better, and see them the way I saw them in Unearthly, if that makes any sense. Another issue with this book was one I had with both of its predecessors: the writing. I just couldn't get a handle on it at some points and some of the styling bothered me a lot, but I got over that as I dived into the story.

There were a lot of things I loved about Boundless and one of them was the relationship between Christian and Clara, for the most part. While I am Team Tucker, I do love Christian and that is something I have to mention. The Unearthly series contains a love triangle that plays a HUGE part in the story, but it's a love triangle that was done very well. The reader really grows to care for both Tucker and Christian, both of them being amazing guys and having their own flaws. They were each great for Clara in different ways and you just can't help but love them both... Or at least, I can't. We see a bit of Tucker in Boundless, but not as much as Christian. I loved the interactions between him and Clara, them learning how to sword fight from Clara's dad, their lives at Stanford, etc. And what we saw with Tucker was strained, as it was usually only Clara with him. He was heart-broken, hurt and angry, as well. And she just kept showing up, which, by the way, was super sweet and adorable, which those of you who've read the book will know. But anyways, I wished we had seen more of Tucker, but I understood why we didn't.

There was a lot going on in the story of this book. There was a plot line for Clara with Christian, Tucker, Angela, Jeff (Clara's brother) and Sam, the Black Wing. But they all connected in the end and I appreciated that. I really liked Angela's story in this book and I already mentioned I liked Christian's interactions with Clara, but there was more. I thought the fact that we got to delve back into them trying to date a little bit and their romantic feelings was great, but those really just reinforced my feelings for Tucker. Everytime Clara would show up near Tucker my heart would break a little, because I just wanted them to be together!

And then there was the conclusion. This was probably the only part that I was pretty disappointed with. I felt it to be quite rushed and it was a bit all over the place. There was an irritating closure to the love triangle where Clara and her man are happy together but the other kind of just gets pushed to the side and 'forgotten about'. BUT I DIDN'T FORGET! I wanted to know what was going on with him and it really peeved me that there was such an abrupt end. While the way this series ended was great, I wish Hand had perhaps developed the last bit a bit more so that it hadn't seemed so rushed. But all in all, this was a great conclusion to a trilogy that had me all over the place. I'd recommend Boundless, even if you disliked Hallowed as much as I did. Just make sure you head over to Recaptains to refresh what happened!

Happy reading!
~Kristy

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Recommend Most

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.This week's topic Top Ten Books I Recommend Most.This is kind of a hard one because I recommend books based on the person! I have some friends that I recommend books I loved and others that I hated, because I can kind of guess what they're going to enjoy. But I tried to narrow it down!

1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling - Well, this is kind of obvious. As soon as I find out someone hasn't read it, I tell them they NEED to!

2. It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini - I loved this book so much I even lent it to my teacher for her to read. 

3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky - I just feel as if this is a book every teen needs to read. Adults as well, but I mostly recommend it to people my age if they haven't read it already.

4. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins - This was one of my favourite books of 2012 and I recommend it to lots of my friends!

5. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi -You all know how much I love this book. I recommend it constantly, because I just think Tahereh Mafi is an incredible author and deserves to be read by everyone.

6.  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - I feel like this is one that everyone recommends. It's just such an amazing novel and everyone should read it at least once, in my opinion. 

7. Divergent by Veronica Roth - I love recommending this one to people who've never read a dystopian book, or the only one they've read is The Hunger Games. It's an incredible story set in an intriguing world with captivating characters. 

8. Every Day by David Levithan - This was another favourite of mine for 2012. I ADORED this book. It was eye-opening and raw and powerful and is a story everyone should read.

9. The DUFF by Kody Keplinger - I recommend this one to a lot of my friends, just because I think it's a book that a lot of people can relate to... Feeling like the "DUFF" of your group.

10. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell - Okay so this might be cheating a little, since I just finished this book on Friday, but since then, I've recommended it to at least six people and have raved about it on twitter, as well as in my review. READ IT PEOPLE! 


 So that's my list! Leave me a link to your TTT of the week, I'd love to see what you recommend and maybe add some new books to my TBR! 

Happy Tuesday!
~Kristy

Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Page Count: 325 pages, Paperback

Date Published: February 26th 2013 (Hardback)

Find it on Goodreads: Eleanor & Park

Source: Purchased  

TWO MISFITS. ONE EXTRAORDINARY LOVE. 
It's 1986 and two star-crossed teens are smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you'll remember your own first love--and just how hard it pulled you under.

 A cross between the iconic '80s movie Sixteen Candles and the classic coming-of-age novel Looking for Alaska, Eleanor & Park is a brilliantly written young adult novel.

Sometimes you find a book, randomly at the bookstore and you have no idea what it is, what it's about, or if other people have liked it. But you pick it up because the cover looks cool or the title stood out and you think that maybe this will be an interesting read. You buy it. You come home and rest the book on your bedside table, where it waits a while until it is finally picked up. And about 50 pages into the novel, you realise this is one of your new favourite books.  

Eleanor & Park was that book for me. Maybe some of you have seen my tweets about this book, maybe not. But if you have, then you will know that this book was something special for me. This is going to be kind of a different review, because Eleanor & Park is a novel that I related to on such a strong level that it's almost too personal to write about. I will never be able to fully describe in a coherent method how much I adore this book. It was funny and sarcastic and cheesy and cute and sexy and wonderful and brilliant. It made me think and it made me laugh and it made me cry and it broke my heart. It also made me really listen to music for the first time in over a month. But I'll be getting into that in another post.

Eleanor was a character that I connected to in such a way that it's hard to describe. While her family life was much more drastic than mine is and she goes through so much more crap than I can ever imagine, there were also so many things that she experienced and knew and felt and thought that I felt the author had plucked from my brain. This was a highlighter-worthy book and it definitely got highlighted. There were so many passages from her POV that I marked down or made a highlighted line near so that I could remember, because Eleanor spoke to me. Almost all the things that annoyed me about her are things that annoy me about myself and I don't know how else to say how much Eleanor means to me. She's a character that has a special place in my heart because there was something about her that made me think differently about myself and about a lot of things in my life.

Then there was Park. I loved Park. He was sweet and funny and totally cheesy, nerdy and sarcastic and just plain awesome. He likes amazing music and loves his family, but in no way is his family perfect. He's a guy that I want to meet in the bookstore or at a coffee shop in real life. His love for Eleanor and how much he cares for her was adorable but I loved that he was more than just Eleanor's secret boyfriend. He was a guy who had difficulties driving a stick-shift, a comic book lover and an athlete. He didn't care what his friends thought but he totally did and he hated that he did and he was just... Park.

This book deals with a lot more than just first love. It touches a lot on bullying, family issues, as well as on alcoholism, body image issues, music and geeky references, too. But the main story is the relationship between Eleanor and Park. It's not insta-luv, thank god. Actually, their first interaction is with Park swearing at Eleanor to sit down on the bus and them not talking to each other for a substantial amount of time. Their bus-buddyship gradually turns from an awkward, weird sitting together but not really, to an awkward I'm-reading-your-comics-and-failing-to-be-secret-about-it thing, to a nice comic-giving, music-recommending friendship and finally into something more. And it's a teen relationship. They're slow with some things, fast with others. They care so much for each other but know it probably won't work out. And yet, they try so hard. And I thought their relationship was amazing. Sure it was super cheesy at some points, but that's what made it awesome. Eleanor & Park contains a relationship between two teens who know that they're almost certainly not going to work out, but they try anyways.

With this book, it's difficult for me to say how the writing was, because I was just so immersed in the story and cared so deeply for the characters that honestly, I didn't notice the writing too much. Sure, there were a couple of times where I cocked my head and wondered if that could have been worded differently, but for the most part, I was too focused on what was happening with the story.

If you like books that are raw and serious, but at the same time cheesy and hilarious, pick up Eleanor & Park. This book was incredible and wonderful and I can't wait to read more from Rainbow Rowell. The ending was heartbreaking, but also sweet, and that was to be expected. This is a new favourite of mine and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did if you decide to read it as well.

Happy reading!
~Kristy

Also, if you haven't read John Green's NYT review of Eleanor & Park, please do!

Stacking the Shelves (30)

Stacking the Shelves is a book haul meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews -This is a great way for us to share what books we added to our shelves each.


Purchased:

Won:

Thank you so much to Nawanda Files for the awesome surprise book!

That's my haul for the week! I was SUPER excited about finding Speechless and Legacy for sale at Shoppers Drugmart and I've been anxiously waiting the giveaway book's arrival! I had no idea which book it was, as it was part of Nawanda Files' YA BOOK EXCHANGE giveaway, where the girls choose one book from the winner's wishlist to send over! I was extremely excited to see this book arrive in the mail... I've heard so many great things about Etiquette & Espionage and well, I just adore teen spy books!

As always, I want to see what YOU got this week in books! Leave me a link to your haul and I'll check it out!

Happy reading!
~Kristy

TGIF: Reviewing Classics

Hey everyone! It's time for another episode of: KRISTY'S BLOGGING FEARS!!!! Today I wanted to talk about something that I've been pondering for a while now: Would you be interested in reading reviews of 'classics'? Books by Jane Austen and  books like The Secret Garden and Little Women, as well as modern classics like To Kill a Mockingbird and The Catcher in the Rye are all books that I love reading and there are so many more classic novels that I own and want to read. But I'm putting it off because I know I don't have a lot of scheduled reviews of YA novels for the blog and I want to keep up with my YA TBR so as to not let the blog go for too long without a review. BUT I WANT TO READ THESE BOOKS!

So my big question is:

Would you be interested in me reviewing classics on A Little Shelf of Heaven?

I understand that ultimately, it is my choice, but I want to know what my followers think! Would these reviews be well received or just go ignored?

One thing I'm worried about is the fact that they are books that everyone seems to have read. I know not everyone has read them all, but I'm scared that these are reviews that are just going to go unnoticed. I know that no blog post is a waste of time because it means I'm writing and writing is important. But there's a vain little part of me that thinks if no one will read this, then why bother?

Well, I'll answer that myself. I should bother because these books ARE classics. They're the books that are "Great Literature". I feel so embarrassed that I haven't read The Catcher in the Rye or Sense and Sensibility yet, because those are two books that are just so CLASSIC, you know?

I think I'm just starting to ramble now and I don't really know what else to say. I want to read these books, and I will, eventually. But I want to read them NOW. I just don't have the time if they're not going to be reviewed. I think unless everyone starts saying NO NO I DON'T WANT YOU TO REVIEW THESE BOOKS, I will start reviewing them, but I wanted to get your opinions. What you guys think is important to me and I want to know!

So please let me know! Comment below or tweet me what you think about this. I know some bloggers review every single book they read and others only review certain. I usually just review YA, and not adult novels or the rare middle grade book I read. But I adore reading classics and I used to read many more, before I started blogging. Pride and Prejudice is still one of my favourites and I adore  Sherlock Holmes (YES I consider that a classic, even though the stories aren't just one stand-alone novel). I want to expand my reading and see what it is about these books that make them classics. I want to talk about what I think of them and more importantly, I want to tell the people that care about books. Not just me going off and rambling to my friends who couldn't care less what I thought of The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Again, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
~Kristy

Review: Heist Society by Ally Carter

Author: Ally Carter

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Page Count: 291 pages, Paperback

Date Published: February 9th 2010 (Hardback)

Find it on Goodreads: Heist Society

Source: Purchased  

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria…to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.

For Kat, there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family's history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way

Heist Society was amusing and exciting, filled with neat plot twists and cool action. This was exactly the book I needed on a drab, rainy day!

Honestly, I don't even know how it happened, but I was looking at my shelf the other day, trying to figure out what to read next and all of a sudden, Heist Society was in my hands. I had bought it a while ago, thinking it would be a good summer read, but then it went on my shelf and I kind of forgot about it. But I'm so glad I picked it up! Heist Society was a great, light and funny read that I couldn't put down. I'm a sucker for books like this... Anything to do with spies or thieves, I'm there.They're so much fun and I felt pretty cool in Home Depot reading/hiding behind the foliage in my mom's shopping cart, pretending to spy on her while she picked out drywall stuff.  Ok, ONTO THE STORY:

I always have a bit of trouble getting into books that use third person narration, but after I read Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, I developed more of a liking towards it. Thank goodness, because this book's narration was a bit different from what I am usually used to. There were times where we'd get a random background look into the minor characters, but they made sense. They were inserted nicely into the story and it gave the reader a better understanding of what the thieves were doing and why. The author at times would start off a chapter by using Kat's full name, Katarina Bishop, and then going off into a sentence formally written about what Kat's history was or experience was, if that makes any sense. It took me a bit to get used to that kind of thing, but eventually I grew fond of it, as it kind of gave off a cool vibe. I don't really know how to describe it, but I liked it.

This book was filled with twists and turns. I predicted some and others came as a surprise to me, which I really liked. I feel like I'm always able to know what's going to happen, or at least have an idea that is close to the truth, so when a book actually has a plot twist that I didn't see coming, I'm thrilled. There was a lot going on in this story, but at the same time, I felt it was too short. There could have been more and I wish there had been! I found this story to have some pacing issues as well, but nothing too drastic. There are lots of holes in the stories and loose ends, so I'm very excited for the sequel, Uncommon Criminals.

Then the characters. I really liked Kat. She was snarky and sarcastic, but cared deeply for her family and wanted nothing bad to happen to the people she cared for. I just wish we had gotten to know her better. I think this book would have been amazing had it been written in first person narrative, so that the reader was in Kat's head at all times. But with this third person omniscient that jumped back and forth from knowing Kat's thoughts and not, there were times when I was confused as to who the author was describing or what a character was doing. The team of teen thieves had a great dynamic and what we learned about each of them was great, I just wish we had learned a bit more. I wanted to know more about the two brothers, Angus and Hamish, and the team's techie, Simon! I liked Gabrielle, but didn't get much from her other than the fact that she was a girly girl. I'd love to know if there's more depth to her character.

Then we have Nick and Hale. While Heist Society has very little romance in it, there is some. There's quite a bit of romantic tension between Kat and her best friend, Hale, who was the one responsible for her expulsion from boarding school. I loved Hale. He was funny and protective and cared deeply for Kat. There were many times where there was a lot of tension between them and it was funny seeing how Kat reacted to it. Then there was Nick. There were hints to a love triangle between Nick, Hale and Kat all throughout the book, but it's obvious who Kat belongs with, in my opinion. I didn't get much from Nick and don't really know who he is, but I did like the twist at the end involving him.

All in all, this was a fun read that was perfect for a rainy day. I liked the action and twists and the characters were endearing. I can't wait to read the next book in Carter's series, Uncommon Criminals!

Happy reading!
~Kristy

My Wolf's Bane Tour: Excerpt and Giveaway!

 Different species. Mortal enemies. It'll never work, but they'll die trying.

Autumn Rossi thought she was a normal teenager. Suddenly, she can outrun every critter in the forest, making her wonder if she’s even human.

When the new guy at school, Zack de Luca, witnesses a questionable scene, he unfairly pins her as stuck-up. He acts like he hates her, yet he keeps bailing her out of trouble. Not only is Zack both insufferable and irresistible, he seems to sniff her anytime he gets close.

As passion flares between them, Autumn isn’t sure which is more dangerous: her psycho ex-boyfriend, or falling for Zack — who’s risking his life just by being near her.

Excerpt:

I tossed the makeup bag into my backpack, slung it over my shoulder and whipped open the door. Barreling out of the bathroom, I slammed into what felt like a walking boulder. I ricocheted off the human rock and my backpack hit the wall behind me, throwing me off balance and pitching me forward into the hard, linoleum tile.

My palms cushioned my fall, but I winced as pain spiked up my wrists. On all fours, I lifted my chin and peeked through my curtain of dark hair.

He wore a black tee that molded to his wide, muscular shoulders and jeans that fit over powerful legs. Wow. I’d thought my soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend was cute, but this guy…

“You okay?” the hottie asked in a sexy, gravelly voice, stretching a hand toward me. His hand wrapped around mine and effortlessly pulled me up, as if I weighed no more than my calculus book. Maybe it was the throbbing in my limbs or the warmth of his hands on my elbows. Or maybe it was his earthy scent invading my senses, but a wave of dizziness hit me and I tipped forward.

His hands shot to my hips to steady me. “Easy there.”

I stared into his deep, green eyes as my palms rested on his hard biceps for support. Lord, he smelled good, like the forest after rain.

My breath hitched. 

Book title - My Wolf's Bane
Author name - Veronica Blade
Publisher - Crush Publishing, Inc
Publication date - February 1st, 2013
Format - print and ebook
Price - 4.49 ebook, 13.99 print
Page count - (appx 365)
13 digit ISBN - 978-0-9853434-6-0 (print)
Genre - YA Paranormal Romance

Veronica Blade lives in Southern California with her husband and children. By day she runs the family business, but each night she slips away to spin her tales. She writes stories about young adults to relive her own childhood and to live vicariously through her characters. Except her heroes and heroines lead far more interesting lives — and they are always way hotter.

  
Buy on Amazon
 VeronicaBlade.com   

My Wolf's Bane book trailer

FaceBook, GoodReads, Twitter, Amazon

Giveaway:

• 1 Paperback copy mailed within the US
• A Little Shelf of Heaven and Crush Publishing are not responsible for books damaged or lost in the mail.
• Giveaway ends March 28th, Midnight (Eastern Time)

 

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Top Ten Tuesday: I HAD to Buy Them, But They're Still on My TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.This week's topic Top Ten Books I HAD To Buy...But Are Still Sitting On My Shelf Unread.

HOW PERFECT IS THIS TOPIC? UGH. This seems to be one that was made for me, because THERE ARE A LOT MORE THAN TEN ON THIS LIST. But I'll try and narrow it down:

1. The List by Siobhan Vivian - I saw this when it first came out and thought it looked so amazing! But it's still on my shelf, unread...
2. Cinder by Marissa Meyer - I cannot believe I still haven't read this one! I know so many people loved it! It's on my bedside table, waiting to be read!
3. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier - I remember reading about this book and being so excited about it being released in English, so I picked it up as soon as I saw it! Nope... Still unread.
4. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa - I was in Ireland when I found this one and was SO excited that it was in paperback and I could get it for cheaper than I would have back home. But as soon as I arrived back in Canada it went straight to my shelf and has stayed there ever since!
5. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling - This one is a special one. I bought it because of who wrote it, not so much because I liked what it was about. So I'm saving this one for the summer when I can take my time with it and read it at my leisure. But the good thing is, I got it for 10$!

6. Struck by Lightning by Chris Colfer - This one is sort of the same as #5. I love Chris Colfer and this book sounded really cool, so I picked it up. BUT IT'S STILL UNREAD -_-
7. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld - I had found this at a used book store and was so excited because I've heard amazing things about this series! I'm still unsure as to why I have not read it yet.
8. Hidden by P.C. and Kristin Cast - I picked this up because it's part of the House of Night series and I felt obligated to read it. But  this series has gotten so long that I don't know what's going on anymore! I think it might be time for a reread if I get the time!
9. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa - I cannot believe I haven't read this one yet! I know it's a beloved book to so many out there and I'm dying to read it, but I can't seem to bring myself to pick it up!
10. The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell - This was like 5$ at Coles a while back so I picked it up because I was really excited about the show coming up as well! I adore the TV show but have yet to pick the book up... Maybe I'll read it in the summer.


And so.... many... more....

And the thing is, I know that so many other bloggers have SO MANY MORE books like this than I do. I feel for you guys, I really do...  I only chose the books that aren't sequels (except for Hidden) because that's just a whole other story. I'd love to see which books you still have lying around on your shelf, so leave me a link to your TTT and I'll check it out!

Happy Tuesday!
~Kristy

Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Author: Veronica Rossi

Publisher: HarperCollins

Page Count: 374 pages, Hardcover

Date Published: January 3rd 2012

Find it on Goodreads: Under the Never Sky

Source: Purchased

WORLDS KEPT THEM APART.

DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.

If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers.

Wow.... This book was incredible. I don't understand how I had it on my shelf for SO long and only just picked it up. Veronica Rossi is an incredibly talented author and her debut is spectacular.

When I read dystopian novels, I crave adventure. After the last dystopian book I read contained hardly any action at all, Under the Never Sky made up for it, 110%. This book was filled with a thrilling, unforgettable adventure that I couldn't get enough of. While the beginning sort of lost me for a while, as soon as Aria encounters Perry for the first time, and when she's exiled from Reverie, I was hooked. I read this book so fast.... I couldn't put it down! I fell in love with the unique world Rossi has created and never wanted the story to end. While the world-building was lacking a bit, when it comes to knowing  this world's history, I found the setting to be strong and easy to visualize. I was never lost or confused as to where Perry and Aria were and I'm so glad that was the case.

I adored the characters in this novel. The book alternates POV's every chapter, except in the very beginning, going from Aria to Perry. The switching back and forth was very well done, with both of our main characters having very distinct voices. I never didn't know who's head I was in! I loved Aria in the end, but at the beginning of the novel she bothered me a bit, because of how naive she was to the outside, though I did understand the lies that she was fed her entire life. Aria's growth and the way she reacted to the outside was incredibly amusing at times and I have to say, the part where Perry senses that she's having her first 'TOM' was very funny! SPEAKING OF PERRY. I loved him! He was by far my favourite character. He was both strong and vulnerable and I loved reading from his POV because he was such a GUY! I love reading books with male protagonists!

Under the Never Sky was an amazing debut and I'm so excited to see where Rossi takes the rest of her story. I can't wait to see what happens with Aria, Perry, Roar, Marron, and all the rest of the characters! If you've read Under the Never Sky I'd love to know what you thought!

.5

Happy reading!
~Kristy

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Stacking the Shelves (29)

Stacking the Shelves is a book haul meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews -This is a great way for us to share what books we added to our shelves each.

Purchased:

...

I know....

I said I wasn't going to buy anymore books for the next little while....

I JUST COULDN'T HELP IT! I saw Through the Ever Night and thought of the read along and just.... and then I've been CRAVING a good contemporary lately and I saw that one and I just fell in love with the cover and synopsis and ughhhh.

I have no self control... None. On that note, leave me a link to your haul for this week and I'll check it out! I'd love to see what you got!

Happy reading!
~Kristy