Stacking the Shelves #5 - May 3, 2014

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is a meme dedicated to sharing your book hauls and swag.  Please visit this link to find out more.

This week came as a total surprise, as I wasn't expecting anything.  Then, I got two mysterious UPS My Choice notifications.  Then, Edelweiss had a flood of Harper Collins titles.  THEN, I found out that we're going camping this month, so naturally I had to check out a guide to brush up on things. It turned out to be an excellent week when all is said and done.

The Books

For Review

Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii by Vicky Alvear Schecter (finished copy courtesy of Scholastic)

Firebug by Lish McBride (ARC courtesy of Macmillan)

Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios (Edelweiss via Balzer+Bray)

Forbidden by Kimberley Griffiths Little (Edelweiss via HarperCollins) 

Snow Like Ashes by Sarah Raasch (Edelweiss via Balzer+Bray)

Stray by Elissa Sussman (Edelweiss via Greenwillow Books)

Blackbird by Anna Carey (Edelweiss via HarperTeen)
MARY: The Summoning by Hillary Monahan (Netgalley via Disney-Hyperion)

Borrowed

The Pocket Guide to Camping by Linda White & Katherine L. White (digital library loan)

What I Read

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

What I Reviewed

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

What I'm Reading

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

The Outside by Laura Bickle

Rage Within by Jeyn Roberts

Other Posts

Spring Into Horror Read-a-Thon 2014

Marla's Wish List - What I Love & Would Like to See More Of

Stacking the Shelves #4 - April 26, 2014

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is a meme dedicated to sharing your book hauls and swag.  Please visit this link to find out more.

It's been a pretty good week with lots of nice pick-me-ups that were much-needed in light of some medical problems I am facing.  It was nice to have these pretties to think about and I can't wait to read them all.

The Books

For Review

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck (paperback from Sterling Publishing)

Dirty Wings by Sarah McCarry (eGalley from Netgalley & St. Martin's)
The Stepsister's Tale by Tracy Barrett (eGalley from Netgalley & Harlequin Teen)
Firebug by Lish McBride (eGalley from Netgalley & Henry Holt & Co.)

Purchased

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

Steam & Sorcery by Sidney Spencer Pape (eBook)
Photographs & Phantoms by Sidney Spencer Pape (eBook)
Kilts & Kraken by Sidney Spencer Pape (eBook)

What I Read

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

What I Reviewed

House of Ivy & Sorrow by Natalie Whipple
Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

What I'm Reading

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
The Door by Andy Marino

Other Posts

Hannah's Review of Searching for Sky by Jillian Cantor
Feature & Follow Friday - April 25, 2014

Feature & Follow Friday - April 25, 2014

Feature & Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. It is a way for book bloggers to get to know each other better. To join in and make some friends, simply follow the directions listed by Parajunkee on her blog.  This week's question is:

Have any pets? Tell us or show us!

I have 3 wonderful cats to show you.  First, meet Tadhg:

Tadhg was my little writing buddy and my partner in crime.  He was my first cat in 4 years and he was spectacular.  We lost him in January of this year, but he's still with me and I will never forget him.

Meet Widget:

Widget is a handsome boy, a playful cat, and, to be honest, a complete jerk sometimes.  LOL  He's my daughter's cat and he lets everyone know it.  I'm also convinced he's the cat the Friends song is about.  You know the one.

Meet Rochester:

Rochester is my sweet old man.  We rescued him from the shelter in January, where they thought he was a kitten.  Nope.  He's just tiny and, I'm quite sure, a lot older than they thought.  He's an awesome cat, though, and has so much love to give.  Just look at that face!

So, that's my bunch.  Who are your furry friends?

Stacking the Shelves #3 - April 19, 2014

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is a meme dedicated to sharing your book hauls and swag.  Please visit this link to find out more.

This week, I'm going to add a week-in-review.  I forgot all about doing that the previous 2 weeks and it's such a good idea.  I'm bringing back my little graphic, as well.  As for the haul, it is once again small but very cool.  I'm really intrigued by what I got this week.

The Books

In the Shadows by Kiersten White and Jim Di Bartolo (finished copy; Thanks to Scholastic!)

Take Back the Skies by Lucy Saxon (eGalley from Netgalley)

Hauntings ed. by Ellen Datlow (eLibrary loan)

Half a King by Joe Abercrombie (eGalley from Netgalley)
A Creature of Moonlight by Rebecca Hahn (eGalley from Netgalley)

What I Read

House of Ivy and Sorrow by Natalie Whipple

A Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard

What I Reviewed

Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen

A Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard

What I'm Reading

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

Unwrapped Sky by Rjurik Davidson

Dance of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Other Posts

Top Ten Tuesday - April 15, 2014

Feature & Follow Friday - April 18, 2014

Feature & Follow Friday - April 18, 2014

Feature & Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. It is a way for book bloggers to get to know each other better. To join in and make some friends, simply follow the directions listed by Parajunkee on her blog.  This week's question is:

Spring Break. Where would be your favorite destination spot if you could join the Spring Break festivities?

I've never been one for big spring break festivities.  I would much rather go off to Europe, instead.  I'm a more quiet individual, so seeing the sights with a friend or two is more my speed.  It would be especially cool to wander around Ireland since part of my family came from there.  How about you?  Where would you go?

Top Ten Tuesday - April 15, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme from The Broke and the Bookish.  The purpose of this meme is to create a list based on weekly prompts.  Just link back to The Broke and the Bookish, then add your name and blog post to their link widget.  That's it!

Today's topic is all about the bookish things we all lust after.  In my case, this could get very strange.  Lucky for me I'm a Pinterest junkie, so finding enough items for this list wasn't too painful.

Top Ten Bookish Things (That Aren't Books) That I'd Like To Own

Oh, what I wouldn't do for one of these.  If we ever own a home of our own, I will definitely be installing a reading nook much like this.

I blame you for this, Hannah and Shalena.  Okay, now that that's out of the way, why do I want this?  It's a bookcase made to look like a Tardis.  That even opens.  Why wouldn't I want this?

Today just so happens to be my 8th wedding anniversary.  If my husband were to pull this out of his pocket, I would probably melt away.

Part of me cringes at the thought of turning a book cover into a purse, as it means, you know, removing the pages from a book cover.  However, I love Jane Eyre enough that to carry a purse depicting it would be very satisfying.

I don't wear bracelets very often, but I would definitely change that practice for this beauty.

Just in case you couldn't already tell, I love Jane Austen.  A lot.  This bracelet would be another one that would get me to wear bracelets more often.

They're owls and they're meant to hold up my books.  Why wouldn't I want this?

You know, because I would need a Jane Eyre scarf to go with a Jane Eyre purse.

I really really REALLY want this in my bedroom.  Someday, it will happen.  Oh, yes it will.

I love old-fashioned card catalogs, so to own something like this would be a dream.

Stacking the Shelves #2 - April 12, 2014

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is a meme dedicated to sharing your book hauls and swag.  Please visit this link to find out more.

Compared to last week's catch-up post, this week's is tiny, but no less welcome.  I was surprised to have anything this week, to be honest, but I had a surprise in the mail yesterday in the form of my LibraryThing Early Reviewers prize for March.

ARC

The Falconer by Elizabeth May (won from LibraryThing Early Reviewers)

eGalleys

Reborn by C.C. Hunter
The Fire Wish by Amber Lough

The Dolls by Kiki Sullivan
Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty by Christine Heppermann

eLibrary Loans

A Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard
Dance of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin