Stacking the Shelves is a meme created/hosted by the lovely Tynga @ Tynga's Reviews! (All credit goes to her for this meme.) If you want to participate click on the link! The more the merrier! It's a chance to showcase titles that arrived in the mail or for review... any book goodies over the past week (or weeks for me)!
Ok, I *really* need to go on a book buying ban because I have a lot to read now. But I COULDN'T RESIST - they were at a second hand store... for cheap!! I got all four of them for $20! A steal of a deal :) I've already read The Year of Secret Assignments (loonng time ago) and am so so happy to have it sitting on my shelf (I loved it). And I have read The Duff - it was quite enjoyable. Review is coming soon!
Call me crazy but sometimes I wonder what I have done to deserve such flippin' AMAZING blogger friends. Michelle from Oh For the Love of Books! gifted me an ebook of Obisidian - without so much as uttering a peep beforehand, she just sent it. I was ESTATIC and so overwhelmed by gratitude. Thank you SO much Michelle - you are one of a kind girl :) I seriously cannot wait to read Obsidian, it's been on my must-read-now list forever!!
GIFTED "SWAG" FROM BLOGGER
Yes, ANOTHER amazing book blogger by the name of Julia from That Hapa Chick sent me a book mark (I took a picture of the front and back) that was SIGNED!! Oh my *squeal*. How lucky am I? Thank you SO much Julia!! I love it <3 Plus, look at the cute little post stamps (why yes, I did have to take a picture of them)! It made me smile :)
What did YOU guys get? Leave LINKS to YOUR posts!!!
It's The Place. The one that feels like a second home and welcomes you with open arms, like a long lost child. The one that smells like freshly printed pages or dusty old volumes. The place that may or may not have a grouchy desk clerk. You know what I'm getting at.
The Library
*cues singing angels and harps*
I know for myself, that recently I have neglected this place. I am deeply saddened but I do realize that the library is a one-of-a-kind place. Why? For five reasons....or more. Depends on how you count :)
1. Free Books... and a free Card
Yes, you read that right. FREE BOOKS! For READING, at HOME, for YOU! I think that solidifies this case. No money spent (except for late fees) and yet we are able to read many many books! Of course, there is a downside.... you don't get to keep the books. Unless, *cough* you, yah know, fake losing it. But then, your wallet suffers and its totally not fair to others.
Not only that, you get a free CARD! Maybe not everyone is as excited as I am but I seriously brag of having a library card. 'Cause I'm cool like that. *glares at laughing sister*
2. The Atmosphere
Where else can you go to find a more glorious atmosphere: a place all about books, with books, for the books... books, books, books, and maybe magazines. That's beside the point though. The whole atmosphere oozes bookish personality and charm. It's awesome!
3. The People
Ok, I have to admit, my library doesn't exactly have this BUT I've heard of libraries where book lovers gather and congregate. (My library is very empty.) Where else are you going to find people who are so into books that they are signing out stacks? The Internet is great (you know I love you all) but come on, the library has "opportunity" written all over it. This is the place to get recommendations, from readers, and personally interact! Cha-ching!
Unless, of course you have this as a librarian:
4. Selection
Libraries are like a buffet. You have a selection to drool over. Rows upon rows upon rows of just books..... to choose from. You've got your romance, paranormal, dystopian, historical, comedy, science fiction --- YA, Adult, Classic... you name it, the library has it.
Your drooling aren't you?
5. Free Internet
Ha! Ok, this one's not a real reason ......... but it is kinda nice, eh?
The fifth (real) reason is...
There is one benefit of having Conan the Librarian in your library: peace and quiet to read. And usually there are comfy chairs & a nice reading area!
Yes. The library is the Place to be. It's a book lover's dream!
What are your thoughts? What's your library like? What do you enjoy about it?
Stacking the Shelves is a meme created/hosted by the lovely Tynga @ Tynga's Reviews! (All credit goes to her for this meme.) If you want to participate click on the link! The more the merrier! It's a chance to showcase titles that arrived in the mail or for review... any book goodies over the past week (or weeks for me)!
Thank you to Claire @ Claire Reads, this is the last book I will be recieving from her giveaway (I got three pre-ordered books). I can't wait to crack this baby open - I've heard great great things!
This lovely came last week and I literally did a happy dance (ok, fine *raises hands in defeat* I did that happy dance in my head). But I AM SO EXCITED TO READ THIS.... but.... I'm a bit scared. I know! But what if it doesn't live up to my expectations? Second books are tricky anyways, I'll see how it goes! I'll be going at it with an empty mind :) And clear heart!
Yup, you read that right! Where She Went and Ruby Red - two books that have been on my wishlist FOREVER. Imagine how estatic I was to see them sitting there at Walmart 30% off -cue gasps and panic attack now- I seriously jumped up and down. I cannot wait to read these two ---- squeee!!
In non-book-releated-news
I saved a squirrel. Yeah. My stupid cat injured the poor darling (not seriously injured but bad enough!) It was freaked out and hid in our bush. So........ my stepdad and I captured it and I put it into a cage and released it back into the woods. Here is the little cutie:
Anyways, I hope all goes well with you little baby :)
Now, what did YOU get? Feel free to leave LINKS to YOUR posts!
The Fairytale Keeper: Avenging the Queen (The Fairytale Keeper #1) By Andrea Cefalo
Published by Scarlet Primrose Press
Received ARC from author for review (thanks!) 280 pages
"Snow White was a pet name her mother had given her, but her mother’s dead now. Adelaide hates that name anyway. A rampant fever claimed Adelaide’s mother just like a thousand others in Cologne where the people die without Last Rites and the dead are dumped in a large pit outside of the city walls. Adelaide’s father is determined to obtain a funeral for his wife, but that requires bribing the parish priest, Father Soren. When Soren commits an unforgivable atrocity, he pushes Adelaide to her breaking point, but if she seeks justice against the cruel priest, she risks sacrificing everything: her father, her friends, her first love, and maybe even her life." - Goodreads
The Fairytale Keeper is a unique blend of fairy tales: you got Snow White, Cinderella, the Elves and the Shoemaker, and the Six Swans - yet, it doesn't feel like any retelling. Because its not. The Fairytale Keeper is its own unique story. It is very entertaining, containing a strong female role, a sweet romance, and much more.
Adelaide, "Addie" for short, is a girl who knows who she is. She knows what she wants, where she stands, when to fight, and when to submit. Addie is a cobbler's daughter and is devastated by her mother's death. As the summary says, Father Soren (how I do hate him so!) committed a terrible atrocity that disrespected her mother. Addie is angry - bitterly angry and wants revenge (hence the title). Her strength, loyalty, and devoutness is more than admirable. She sticks up for what is right and honorable - in a time when women were viewed as mere stock! A feisty go-getter, Addie is a great main character.
Ivo. Ivo, Ivo, Ivo. How I do love him! Ivo is Addie's best friend turned well, into something more. He is the sweetest guy ever! Ivo protects Addie and looks out for her well being all the time. He truly is in love with her and will do anything to protect her. Even when he has more than enough to deal with himself, he looks out for her. The romance was so innocent and yet spine chillingly sweet. I cannot wait to read the next installment.... I want more Ivo, oh and Addie of course!
We've got Adelaide as"Snow White", her father, Ansel as "the Shoemaker", her mother's cousin, Galadriel as"Cinderella", and Galadriel's sister as the little girl in "Six Swans". This made the book very interesting, as we see how all their stories are integrated into Addie's quest of fighting the church "government" of the time. The pace was alright, a little bit hard to get into but by the time you get to Ivo's entrance into the story, well, at least I was hooked *smirks*. Fine, I admit it, I was in it for the romance! Other than that though, I found the historical period very well done. The conversations and actions of all the characters were believable for that time period. The writing was smooth and easy to follow.
I'd recommend this to fairytale, romance, and historical lovers. I didn't know what to expect but what I got was an original story that integrated fairy tales cleverly and had some well developed characters!
Excerpt
"I'm not leaving."
"Fine," he huffs, and shakes his head at my stubbornness. "Take out your braid and cover your face with your hair."
He helps me shake my hair into my face and it is the first time he has ever run his fingers through my hair. "You still look like you," he scowls. "Here, wear my cloak over yours." I look up at him through my hair with the two cloaks on.
"Don't look at anyone," he orders. "Keep your eyes on the ground and don't smile. Hunch your back." He reaches down and smears dirt across my face. "Try to look uglier," he says and I smile because it means even though I am hunched over and covered in cloaks and dirt, he still thinks I'm pretty.
"That's not uglier, Addie."
Clip of Andrea Cefalo reading a passage of The Fairytale Keeper:
Have Book - Will Travel By Kfir Luzzatto Published by Pine Ten, LLC Release Date: June 1st 2012 Ebook received from author (thanks!)
"Max fears that his family will disapprove of his friendship with Darla, a common girl from the village outside his uncle’s fortress walls. That's why they meet secretly to read together from an old book, which she has found in a dusty room near the fortress laundry where she works.
They read about a lost lake and feel adventurous when they slip out of the fortress to go swimming there; but the trouble begins when they find that, in the meantime, the fortress has been sealed and they can’t get back in. It’s lucky that they have the book with them, to guide them through the many dangers that await them on their way back home…or perhaps it is the book that is the source of their troubles.
In the end, it is the power of the friendship that Darla and Max have forged, and their courage, that see them through a series of breathtaking adventures."- Goodreads
Have Book -Will Travel is not at all what I expected, yet this interesting, heartfelt story of two children's adventures was enjoyable to read about.
Max and Darla are the two main characters. Have Book - Will Travel, is mainly focused on the adventure part of the story so the characters aren't as developed as I wanted. But, I did get a sense of their personalities and cared for them (always a good sign). Their friendship is interesting and its nice to see it grow stronger throughout the book. The people they meet through their adventures were interesting to read about! Different people, different places, and a whole lot of travelling!
I think this would be a good classification for a MG book, just because the writing is more on the simplistic side, the characters are not fully detailed ("fleshed out"), and the book progresses in a way that is fit for MG readers. I'm not saying this is bad - I just want to let future readers know that, to me, it seems more middle grade. The premise of the book was original and the way the story went was unpredictable. It kept me on my toes a bit. I wouldn't say it was fast paced but it wasn't slow. It was enough to keep me engaged in the story. Have Book - Will Travel, is a adventure book. That's the best way to describe it. Through this book that they find, the duo have many exciting experiences.
I suggest this to those who do not mind MG books, like adventure, and want a lighter, fun read. I did feel that it had more potential but I appreciate the author allowing me a chance to read it, I did enjoy it and it was a good read.
Excerpt:
"Hey," said Max out loud, taking a step forward. He was so close to her that he could have touched her.
The girl jumped to her feet, closing the book and hugging it to her chest. "You scared me!" she complained.
"Well," said Max, "you scared me, so we're even. Who are you?"
"I'm Darla," she said. "what's your name?"
"I'm Max... at least, I am for my friends. Are we going to be friends?"
I'm just your average girl, a bookworm naturally. Loving books, sports, and music! Click around, email me, follow, comment -- all is appreciated! Thanks for reading...
