A Reader of Fictions

Book Reviews for Just About Every Kind of Book

Sunday, August 5, 2012

On My New Arrivals Shelf (15)

Thanks to a wonderful giveaway from one of my amazing blogger friends (Bekka), I have a truly epic haul. So happy! Below my haul, I've also posted links to the first week of Dystopian August's posts.

Books Mentioned:

When You Were Mine - Rebecca Serle

Eleven on Top (Stephanie Plum #11) - Janet Evanovich

Cold Fire (Spiritwalker #2) - Kate Elliott

The Iron Wyrm Affair (Bannon & Clare #1) - Lilith Saintcrow

Heist Society (Heist Society #1) - Ally Carter

Tighter - Adele Griffin

Because It Is My Blood (Birthright #2) - Gabrielle Zevin

A Long Way from You - Gwendolyn Heasley

Roses and Bones: Myths, Tales and Secrets - Francesca Lia Block

Girl, Stolen - April Henry

Ask the Passengers - A. S. King

The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There (Fairyland #2) - Catherynne M. Valente

Elemental (Elemental Trilogy #1) - Emily White

Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1) - Laini Taylor

Winter's End - Jean-Claude Mourlevat

Everneath (Everneath #1) - Brodi Ashton

Bloggers Mentioned:

Pixie of The Bookaholic

Vicki of I'd Rather Be Reading at the Beach

Bekka of Pretty Deadly Reviews (thanks again; you're the best!)

Dystopian August Week One

Giveaways:

US comment giveaway (fill out the form) & International ONLY Rafflecopter giveaway

Reviews:

Article 5 - Kristen Simmons (4.5 stars)

Level 2 - Lenore Appelhans (4 stars)

Defiance - C. J. Redwine (4 stars)

What's Left of Me - Kat Zhang (4 stars)

Eve & Adam - Michael Grant & K.A. Applegate (3.5 stars)

Monument 14 - Emmy Laybourne (3 stars)

Divergent - Veronica Roth (2 stars)

Other Posts:

Waiting on Wednesday: Outpost

Cover Snark (17)

Labels: new arrivals

20 Comments:

Lilian said...: YAY! So many awesome books! *throws rainbow confetti*

EVERNEATH!
I borrowed that one from the library a few months ago...but I had to leave on a trip before I could get to it. *tear*...well, I have it on my Kindle, but I don't like reading off my Kindle if I have a choice.

Which reminds me, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (whoo hoo! Praise me for remembering that loonnng title!) is also a Persephone retelling.
I wasn't a big fan of it like many others, it was a bit to random for my liking, but Valente's writing style is definitely unique. I look forward to hearing what you think about it though =).
I always thought it was "lead the Rebels there" in the 2nd book's title, but I guess I was wrong.

And Because it is My Blood!
I read the first book early last month. I was actually surprised when I first saw it (I never saw the 1st edition covers) because I wanted the new covers. The first one was so...plain. While the new ones make me think of a spy thriller, even though so not what the story is about.
It's one of those books I really adored for the character-development. I even somewhat liked the villain. And I felt like the publisher classified it as a dystopian just to join the party, which is why I think many didn't enjoy it as they might've if they didn't expect some epic, action-packed dystopian novel.

EWWWWW, Elemental. ewwwww.

This haul makes me super jealous! And I am grumpy to find out today that four of my packages were probably lost in transit. And Enclave might have been one of them. *rant mode*

Lilian @ A Novel Toybox; August 5, 2012 at 12:46 AM
kara-karina@Nocturnal Book Reviews said...: So many good books, Christina! I personally adore Heist Society or anything else by Ally Carter, or Laini Taylor... I have Lili's new book as well and can't wait to start reading it. Gorgeous haul, enjoy all your new reads!; August 5, 2012 at 1:13 AM
Christina said...: Yeah, I ALWAYS go for a physical book over an e-book. ALWAYS.

It is? Wow. I so didn't know that had anything to do with Persephone. I'll be curious to read that. Extra curious now! Pretty sure it's Revels.

I like the first one way more. It's simple and pretty. I don't like the feel of the new covers. Clearly, it's your fault that they redesigned them!

I've learned not necessarily to expect dystopias from books labeled dystopian. I've already read three for Dystopian August where I've been like...meh, not really dystopian. Oh well, here's a review!

Uh oh. Is it bad?

Oh noes!; August 5, 2012 at 10:40 AM
Christina said...: Thanks! I am so looking forward to when I find the time to get to them!; August 5, 2012 at 10:40 AM
Bekka said...: Yayyyy you got your box!

I had to give away that Elemental because it is just so ugly. It might be good, who knows? I think it's about fairies. And it's signed! But so, so ugly and I couldn't go on looking at it hahaha.

I'll be reading All These Things I've Done soon, so I'm curious to see if it's really a dystopian. This is the first I'm hearing it's not. I haven't really read any reviews for it either. Interesting.

Tighter is SOOOOO good. When you finish the last page you are going to want to start over from the beginning RIGHTNOW. I really hope you love it because I do, and not a lot of people have talked about it!

The Gwendolyn Heasly book is really cute. I liked it, but I knew I wouldn't be rereading it. And I knew you wanted more contemporary, and I thought it's a good example of the genre without being an 'issues' book.

Re the Stephanie Plum books - do you think they'll be making all 18 movies? That seems a bit ridiculous, and from what I hear they shouldn't have even made the first one...; August 5, 2012 at 11:42 AM
Christina said...: Box was SO EXCITING! Yay!

I guess I'll find out eventually if Elemental is good or not. Ooh, signed. So fancy.

Yeah, I really want to read All These Things I've Done too, because I've heard good things about Zevin. I totally wanted to pick up the sequel at BEA, but the line was INSANE. I heard it was good I skipped it, because it was the slowest moving line in the world because Zevin wanted to have a long chat with everyone.

Awesome. Tighter looks creepy as all get out. I will let you know when I read it!

Cool. I actually really like issues books but fun and cute is good too.

I really doubt it. I mean, if they made all 18, it would be the longest film series except for James Bond. Plus, they'd have to change Stephanie Plums a few times to do that. It just wouldn't work. I think they SHOULD have made the first one, but Katherine Heigl was a poor casting choice, much as I like her. She's just not Stephanie, way too glam.; August 5, 2012 at 12:23 PM
Unknown said...: You got a really great haul. Some of those I hadn't heard of yet, and will have to look up later. And some of those I've been wanting to read for a while like Fairyland and Everneath. Haha. Happy reading! :D
P.S. I visit your blog all the time, and I thought I was following it already through GFC or Linky but then I find out I'm not on either list. Grr. Well, I've fixed that now. So I look like a bit of a goofball there. :P

<3
Pixie
The Bookaholic; August 5, 2012 at 12:59 PM
Christina said...: There were a couple I hadn't heard of either! It was awesome trading with you!

Thanks! That stuff happens. You're not a goofball! At least not for that!; August 5, 2012 at 1:46 PM
Lilian said...: For me...not always, but 99% of the time. I needed Christopher Hitchen's Arguably in ebook format because the physical copy that I also own was OMG-I'M-A-PHONEBOOK and there was no way I could hold it comfortably. And it was even a paperback.

You could have a super-mini Persephone reading spree if you read it with Everneath.
I didn't know revels was a thing! I had to look it up.

*stares*
You mean you want folder-paper and a melty chocolate heart that's kinda poopy colored?
And yes, clearly I used my psychic abilities to alter their decision. Now if only I can get them to do it for Elemental. Wish me luck!
I admit I do like it without the dustjacket though (it's a chocolate bar!).

It would make me happier if the mail lady saw my exquisite taste in books and stole my packages instead of imagining my missing packages floating out at sea or something. >__<

Lilian @ A Novel Toybox; August 5, 2012 at 2:07 PM
Kara_Malinczak said...: Wow, girl! You got some great books this week! I got a copy of Because it is My Blood too and I can't wait to read it. Also, you got The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland? Lucky, lucky. I just finished the first book and I LOVED it. I would die for a copy of the follow up. Enjoy!; August 5, 2012 at 6:36 PM
Heather said...: Holy cow, what a haul! Daughter of Smoke and Bone is one of my favorite books from this year (so far.) It's so great!

Ooh, I really want to read Girl, Stolen and Ask the Passengers. I've heard great things about the former, and I've never heard of the latter, but both sound right up my alley...because of course they are.; August 5, 2012 at 7:08 PM
Christina said...: That is true, but I usually just suffer through the tremendously large book. I might like reading ebooks better if I didn't have an older gen Kindle, because navigating in it is AWFUL. Besides, I mostly read NG stuff electronically, and those have major formatting issues in the kindle versions about 75% of the time, so I just read on my computer.

Woo! Reading spree of...two.

Revels are parties! Only maybe slightly more official-like.

The old one was charming. And if you're going to call those hearts poopy colored, you're probably going to want to give up on eating all milk chocolate. That's pretty much what it looks like. OOOOH. I've never seen it without the dustjacket. That is so cool.

Hahaha, well, hopefully, they will resend?; August 6, 2012 at 8:25 AM
Christina said...: I need to read the first one still. Will definitely need to get on that, but, for now, it's all dystopias all of the time!; August 6, 2012 at 8:32 AM
Christina said...: Wow! I didn't know you liked DoSaB so much. Exciting!

They do sound up our respective, depressing alley. I'm guessing Tighter does too, because that cover is seriously creepy.; August 6, 2012 at 8:32 AM
Lilian said...: I know what you mean!
I have a Kindle Touch, and I keep accidentally flipping to a whole new chapter. And often times NG stuff are just PDF converts so it ends up being a mess. *sigh*
Sometimes I wish I could disable the % on Kindle, I get antsy when I'm nearing the end of books.

Fine. I think Meg Cabot has a Persephone retelling too.

NOBODY CALLS PARTIES "REVELS!" "HEY, LET'S GO TO X'S GRADUATION REVEL!
Yeah, you're right. It does sound official-like...I've only ever used revel as a verb.

Hmph. That's fine. I'll eat Cookies and Cream Hersheys. They're my favorite. And then Milky Ways (especially Midnight ones), Hershey Hugs...Twix...3 Musketeers.
Dammit, I want to go Trick or Treating to get free candy! I could probably still pass for a high schooler to go trick or treating, if I could forgive myself afterwards.

I contacted them, but I swear they are ignoring me. hmph.; August 6, 2012 at 9:43 AM
Christina said...: Yeah, the NG ones are mostly a trap. I've had ones missing any chapter number with a one in it (I thought that first chapter was one hell of a doozy). Others don't have capitalization. Some insert random letters here and there. UGH.

I've read the first one in Meg Cabot's series. It was...bad.

I would revel in a good graduation revel, okay. From now on, all parties I throw will be known as revels. Well, I don't throw parties, but IF I DID.

MILKY WAY MIDNIGHT IS THE BEST OF THE MAINSTREAM CANDIES. I WILL SHANK ANYONE WHO SAYS DIFFERENTLY (ok, no, i won't, but that is still the truth).

Did you win them from a blog or order from Amazon or something?; August 6, 2012 at 10:55 AM
Katie @ BlookGirl said...: Wow! You scored some AMAZING books this past week :-) I've never heard of Tighter, but I just checked it out on GR. Very intriguing! I've never read any of Francesca Lia Block's books, but she is purported to be one of the very best in her genre, so I hope you enjoy Roses & Bones.

If you've not read Everneath, I am VERY curious to hear what you think. I personally loved it and cannot wait for Everbound! :-)

Great haul, chickie! <3; August 6, 2012 at 11:24 AM
Christina said...: Right? This is one of my best hauls ever, probably the best, unless you count BEA, which doesn't seem fair.

EVERNEATH is so pretty! I haven't read it yet, but I want to. It must happen SOON!; August 6, 2012 at 11:40 AM
M.A.D. said...: WHOA!!! Epic haul, girl!!! Really curious about Winter's End (love that cover!), and I've been eager to read Everneath for ages :D
Hope you have a blast with all these amazing books <3; August 29, 2012 at 6:38 PM
Christina said...: I actually read Winter's End a couple of years back. I didn't love it. It's a boarding school style dystopia, which isn't my favorite sub-genre.; August 30, 2012 at 9:29 AM

A Reader of Fictions

Book Reviews for Just About Every Kind of Book

: Name: Christina; Location: Norcross, GA, United States

I am a librarian in my twenties. I got my MLIS at the University of Pittsburgh in 2010, and, through the vagaries of the job market, ended up working at a software company, rather than a librarian. I still very much consider myself to be a librarian, though.

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A Reader of Fictions

Sunday, August 5, 2012

On My New Arrivals Shelf (15)

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