Stacking The Shelves #6: SEPT and OCT MASSIVE HAUL!

Stacking The Shelves is a feature hosted by Tynga’s Reviews where bloggers share what books (both physical and digital) they received, won, bought, and borrowed.

I was in a book ban, pretty much for a couple of months because, 1.) I gots no money and 2.) I was on a book ban. The last thing my Dad wanted was for me to come home with a huge pile of books because, well, he told me to take a break for a while. But then after a few months of saving up and getting special gifts from relatives, I got some money to buy some books and also eventually borrow. And I kind of want to just put it in in one post for now and do a singular post for a week or two of this. Okay. Let's get started

BOUGHT

(These are books purchased from National Book Store and Booksale)

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith (Signed)

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith (Signed)

Starters by Lissa Price (Signed)
Burn For Burn by Jenny Han (Signed)

Anna and The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (Signed)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins---UK Edition

Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone by J.K.Rowling

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Legend by Marie Lu

Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray (Signed)

Fateful by Claudia Gray (Signed)

Asylum by Madeleine Roux (Signed)

The Treasure Map of Boys by E.Lockhart

Real Live Boyfriends by E. Lockhart

Every You, Every Me by David Levithan

BORROWED

Special thanks to Godwin of The Machinations of a Muddled Mind for lending me his books! WOOOP!

Isla and The Happily Every After by Stephanie Perkins (Signed ARC)-----here's my review for it

Black City by Elizabeth Richards

GIFTED

Special thanks to Aria for giving me the GC and Hazel of Stay Bookish for ordering it for me on The Book Depository

A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

FOR REVIEW

Special thanks to Harper Collins International for the support!

Top Ten Clues Your Clueless by Liz Czukas (Digital ARC)

No Place To Fall by Jaye Robin Brown (Digital ARC)

Cover Reveal: My Lea by E. Mellyberry

Title: My Lea (A Broken Love Story #1)
Author: E. Mellyberry
Expected publication date: November 2014

THANKS TO GISELLE OF XPRESSO BOOK TOURS! 

SYNOPSIS:

A simple girl.

A broken guy.

One horrible incident.

When Lea Amelia landed her feet in San Francisco for her overseas study, her idea of freedom was simple, like eating junk food ten times a day, sitting in front of the TV in her PJs, or going out late with her friends without the need to check in with her mother constantly.

Then she met Andrew Jaya, her brothers’ best friend. A twenty-two-year-old guy whose physical appearance looked like he was crafted straight from God’s heavenly hands, but possessed a past as bleak as if it was drawn by Evil himself. A conflicted guy who wore sadness like nobody’s business beneath his mask, a perfect-looking mask she slowly peeled away.

He was also the guy who hurt her.

Suddenly, everything about her was no longer simple.

Andrew Jaya had convinced himself that not feeling was good for him. He’d been doing it splendidly for almost his entire life. But that was before his best friend’s sister stepped into his life and ruined it. After weeks of knowing Lea, all of those warm and wonderful feelings he’d long ago denied to himself started to reappear. Problem was, the brighter the light, the bigger the shadows that came with it.

His traumatic past refused to let him go.

When the unthinkable happened, the easiest thing to do was to run. But life often proves that the easiest way is usually the hardest.

About The Author:


Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Melly is a full-time mom, wife, and fangirl. She used to work in a school and she’s very passionate about education. 

Melly has been writing children’s books since 2011 under the name mellyberry. She loves reading all kinds of books in her spare time, mostly MG, YA, NA, contemporary, paranormal, and fantasy. She avoids horror and sci-fi as much as she can.

Melly was born in Indonesia and grew up in a multi-language environment. When she talks to people, she could accidentally string words from different languages into one sentence. When she does that, simply reminds her to speak properly.

Her ideal vacation always involves a beach; usually it’s the Nusa Dua beach, Bali. She spent a few years in USA to complete her Master degree. It was during that time that she’d fallen madly in love with San Francisco and the Bay Area. According to her, San Francisco is no doubt the most romantic city in the world.

Review: Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff

Title: Storm Dancer (The Lotus War, #1)
Author: Jay Kristoff
Publication: September 18th 2012, Thomas Dunne Books
Format: Hardcover, 313 pages
Source: Borrowed from Nicole of The Twins Read (THANKS BB!)
Buy it on: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo | National Book Store / Fully Booked (PH)

SYNOPSIS:

A DYING LAND

The Shima Imperium verges on the brink of environmental collapse; an island nation once rich in tradition and myth, now decimated by clockwork industrialization and the machine-worshipers of the Lotus Guild. The skies are red as blood, the land is choked with toxic pollution, and the great spirit animals that once roamed its wilds have departed forever.

AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST 

The hunters of Shima’s imperial court are charged by their Shōgun to capture a thunder tiger – a legendary creature, half-eagle, half-tiger. But any fool knows the beasts have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Shōgun is death.

A HIDDEN GIFT 

Yukiko is a child of the Fox clan, possessed of a talent that if discovered, would see her executed by the Lotus Guild. Accompanying her father on the Shōgun’s hunt, she finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in Shima’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled thunder tiger for company. Even though she can hear his thoughts, even though she saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her.

But together, the pair will form an indomitable friendship, and rise to challenge the might of an empire.

Misfit Review:

I was talking a lot with Nicole of The Twins Read a couple of months ago about books and manga, anime and "boys" when I started asking her about their review rating at her blog. I noticed that she's not the type to give a high rating over a book so easily. But then she said that she gave at least a 4.5 on a certain book and told me it was Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff. I think I was at that stage where contemporary romances fed off my energy that I had no idea what Stormdancer was. Nicole said she'd be happy to lend me her Stormdancer and Kinslayer to live the amazingness of the novel. Thank you Nicole. It was amazing.

“Dying is easy. Anyone can throw themselves onto the pyre and rest a happy martyr. Enduring the suffering that comes with sacrifice is the real test.”

Stormdancer is the story of 16-year old Yukiko in the Shima Imperium, where the government has relinquished a life of comfort and riches while the citizens, Impure, are stuck in the hazardous environment, dealing with the Lotus Guild, the peacekeepers. It has been long since those days of rich culture and now, the streets are full of thieves, clockwork machinery, starving children, the sick and the dying. Part of the Fox clan, Yukiko serves the Shogun, with her father and they are tasked to bring back the legendary Arashitora, a half-eagle, half-tiger entity that brings luck and fortune. Though impossible, Yukiko and a band of other mercenaries, join them in their escapade to look for the Arashitora. But with their conquest, they are challenged with the reality of that of the shogunate, the people hiding from the viciousness of the Shima Imperium and how rebellion can start from a flicker of truth. 

Stormdancer for me was a slow start. It wasn't that I wasn't invested but the first few chapters were a little boring and Yukiko seemed a little too complicated for a 16 year old. But as the story progressed, so did my love for the book. The characters are not at all formulaic, although they might seem a bit traditional, being that they are in the Edo period of Japan. Affections and certain gestures might be different from what we are used to, but it was used to the strength of the novel.

“FEATHERS GROW BACK.... SISTERS DO NOT.”

I was honestly happy that I read this book without seeing a single review from anyone, even that of Nicole's. Though she did give me a rating, I never once peeked at it, and I'm glad I didn't. There's so much negativity that goes with this novel, but in a sense, I have to disagree. There's a lot of value that comes with this story, that could be improved further. I was incredibly fascinated as the story went on, with Buruu (the arashitora) and how his relationship with Yukiko is developed throughout.

“It's easy to lose yourself in the idea of a person and be blinded to their reality.”

As for Yukiko's relationship with Kin and Lord Hiro, I think it could be said that love is both in the physical and emotional aspect. As I've said, there is less factoring on how love is during those times, and maybe love can be realized in a spur of days, which was very apparent with Lord Hiro and Yukiko. Yukiko's crushing over Hiro was kinda distracting though coz, well, yeah, the girl fell in love with his eyes and stuff. But I don't care. Lord Hiro's character plays a more vital role as the story grows. Kin, on the other hand, has a special place in my heart and just the way that he speaks of Yukiko, Ah. Love.

The setting's been done in Japan, though there are controversies that it is very much resembled with China, so a lot of readers were kind of put-off, as for me, the settings were just fine. It was basically the characters' interaction that mattered to me.

“Each of you must decide where you stand. All we ask is that you refuse to kneel. You are the people. You have the power. Open your eyes. Open your minds. Then close the fingers on your hand.”

Jay Kristoff was able to pull it off I must say! His diverse characters, action-packed story line and a vengeful ending is what makes it in it's own, original! Guys, I have read Kinslayer, and it is 10 times better! I swear!

If you are looking for an enchanting, blood thirsty story, with political issues, sex, feminism and more, Stormdancer might satisfy your cravings. 

About The Author:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Jay Kristoff is the award-winning author of THE LOTUS WAR trilogy, a Japanese-inspired steampunk fantasy published by Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press & Tor UK. Part 3, ENDSINGER, will be released in November 2014. He's also co-author of the upcoming ILLUMINAE (with Amie Kaufman), a YA Sci-Fi... thing, to be released by Knopf/Random House in 2015.

Jay is 6’7 and has approximately 13520 days to live. He abides in Melbourne with his secret agent kung-fu assassin wife, and the world’s laziest Jack Russell.

He does not believe in happy endings.

TOP TEN TUESDAY: Top 10 Places In Books I Dream of Going To!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where, each week, a Top Ten list is posted based on a particular topic.

Have you ever dreamed on travelling to world full of magic and amazingness or just a place where you can just relax in and only books have ever provided you so far with that feeling? I feel you Misfit booknerds and am actually listing down 10 books with places I really, really want to go to. Places range from fictional or real, so anything could happen! :)


1. The Strand, Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan

I've always, always been fascinated with New York and reading about The Strand more in Dash and Lily was an affirmation of my love. BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS! AHHHH! BOOKS!

2. Narnia, The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

A fantastic place with mythical creatures, fun "activities" and friendships forged, Narnia is a place of valor, mystique and horrors too that you would want to visit. Plus Aslan! I tried entering my closet. It didn't work unfortunately.

3. Hogwarts, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

{BLOG TOUR} Review: A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

Title: A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird #1)
Author: Claudia Gray
Publication: Nov. 4th 2014, HarperTeen
Format: ARC, 368 pages
Source: Tour Book from Pinoy Book Tours! (Thanks Dianne)
Buy it on: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo | The Book Depository | National Book Store (PH)

SYNOPSIS:

Every Day meets Cloud Atlas in this heart-racing, space- and time-bending, epic new trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray.

Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer—her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul—escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt—and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.

A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure.

Misfit Review:

I have been excited to read this book for a very long time, and when the opportunity came for me to read it, thanks to Pinoy Book Tours, I immediately grabbed it and it was the best damn decision of my life! I'll keep this review as short and sweet as possible, but I think that it's quite impossible if I end up going on with my feelings!

"This is the message I must pass on, the one goal I have to remember after everything else I am is gone. Kill Paul Markov."(ARC 1)

Okay, so the story starts with Marguerite Caine seeking revenge for the death of her father. He wants to rat out Paul Markov, an genius assistant that killed her father and destroyed all the files that had been the fruit of their research. He also stole a device called the Firebird, which allows a person to travel into different alternate dimensions and merge with their alternate self once in that dimension. With the help of Theo, another one of Henry Caine's assistants, they search for Paul with their own Firebird prototypes, to kill him.

THIS STORY IS JUST WAY TO FANTASTIC AND I CANNOT WITH IT!!! I'm telling you already, it is beautiful and cinematic and just downright stab to the heart. We are taken into different dimensions that refer to a lot of the present culture as well as those of the past and future. It takes us into these possible cultures we would have and those that we may have forgotten. And please! A FIREBIRD? Gods I wish it was real!

What makes the plot so intense and beautifully written is that scenes are leading you into what you think you would want to happen and then BAM! Surprise surprise! I just love the twist and turns of this story. The characters are well built, conflicting, interesting and best of all, DAMN HOT!

"You paint the truth Marguerite. I don't think you could any other way." (ARC 49)

The dynamics of the characters are done well. There are hints of fluttering romance between both Theo and Marguerite and Paul and Marguerite... I am now tasked to hurt myself to choose between the two even if one pair is far more inducing than the other.

The settings of each dimension are dazzling and engaging! Especially the one in Russia! It feels very much like Anastasia Romanov and her family. The Russian dimension is my favorite and you'll know why once you read it! The one at London, which was the first stop, is very futuristic and allowed us morsels of needed information that are very vital for the growth of the story!

Since this is a trilogy, the ending didn't exactly give a lot of answers but it makes you want more. HECK! It gives you a case of separation anxiety, and that isn't so good. I'm still left with a very needy hangover and I need Firebird #2 or I might go insane. 2015, why you take so long?

Claudia Gray gave us worthy characters, a fantastic story line, an out of this world experience set in pages and though this is my first Claudia Gray book, I already consider her as one of my favorites! THANKS ATPOY!

A Thousand Pieces of You leaves you searching, wanting, longing and incredibly excited for what's about to come and having read this book is an honor that I will cherish forever!

I wish I made an infinite rating photo, coz it is soooo worthy of that!

About The Author:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Claudia Gray is not my real name. I didn't choose a pseudonym because my real name is unpleasant (it isn't), because I'd always dreamed of calling myself this (I haven't) or even because I'm hiding from the remnants of that international diamond-smuggling cartel I smashed in 2003 (Interpol has taken care of them). In short, I took a pseudonym for no real reason whatsoever. Sometimes this is actually the best reason to do things.

I live in New Orleans. So far, in life, I've been a disc jockey, a lawyer, a journalist and an extremely bad waitress, just to name a few. I especially like to spend time traveling, hiking, reading and listening to music. More than anything else, I enjoy writing.

SNEAK PEEK REVIEW: Althea and Oliver by Cristina Moracho

Title: Althea and Oliver
Author: Cristina Moracho
Publication: October 9th 2014, Viking Juvenile
Format: Digital Copy, SNEAK PEEK
Source: Netgalley
Buy it on: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo |

SYNOPSIS:

What if you live for the moment when life goes off the rails—and then one day there’s no one left to help you get it back on track?

Althea Carter and Oliver McKinley have been best friends since they were six; she’s the fist-fighting instigator to his peacemaker, the artist whose vision balances his scientific bent. Now, as their junior year of high school comes to a close, Althea has begun to want something more than just best-friendship. Oliver, for his part, simply wants life to go back to normal, but when he wakes up one morning with no memory of the past three weeks, he can’t deny any longer that something is seriously wrong with him. And then Althea makes the worst bad decision ever, and her relationship with Oliver is shattered. He leaves town for a clinical study in New York, resolving to repair whatever is broken in his brain, while she gets into her battered Camry and drives up the coast after him, determined to make up for what she’s done.

Their journey will take them from the rooftops, keg parties, and all-ages shows of their North Carolina hometown to the pool halls, punk houses, and hospitals of New York City before they once more stand together and face their chances. Set in the DIY, mix tape, and zine culture of the mid-1990s, Cristina Moracho’s whip-smart debut is an achingly real story about identity, illness, and love—and why bad decisions sometimes feel so good.

Misfit Review:

Out of sheer whim and also through a very convincing recommendation from Dianne of Oops I Read A Book Again, saying that my feels will be shattered because of it's amazingness, I decided to go through with the sadistic path and read the first few pages off of Netgalley! Thanks!

Althea and Oliver is promising. From the position of each of the characters in the friendship circle to the thoughts that Althea has for her best friend Oliver. In the sneak peek, I was able to get a better view of what goes on in Althea's mind and a more vague yet subtle representation of Oliver as a sleepy head which we will find out the reason for when reading through more of the chapters.

I was heavily invested on finding out what was wrong with Oliver and what caused it, which the sneak peek never brought up, however, I did enjoy reading through the lines of how Althea and Oliver's friendship is spanning out to a more romantic level, particularly towards Althea.

I see something growing potentially different and poignant in Althea and Oliver and from the first pages, I say, read on! I can't wait to get my hands on one!

About The Author:

Twitter | Goodreads

Cristina Moracho is a novelist and freelance writer/editor. Her debut novel, Althea & Oliver (Viking), will be published this October. She lives in Red Hook, Brooklyn, where she makes all the bad decisions.

October Playlist: TOP 5

Hi there Misfit Booknerds! I wouldn't say it was a busy September, but as you may have noticed, I didn't exactly post a playlist for that month and I won't make an excuse. I just wasn't in the mood. Or I was just in a faraway corner of the universe. But anyway. Am making this October playlist for the ones I have heard during September and the tunes I am currently been obsessed with.

1. Yellow Flicker Beat by Lorde

This song speaks wonders and elegance to me. This is the first song to be released out of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 soundtrack. News of Lorde being head honcho of the songs to be featured in the album was music to my ears and now hearing one of the sons from it, and hers too, was to die for! This is Lorde's best lyrically written songs yet, though may not have the same crowd appeal as Royals or Team. But this song has a special place in my heart since it talks a lot about Katniss' resolve to fight against The Capitol! I seriously can't wait for the film! 

2. Shake It Off by Taylor Swift

You may not know this, being that am such an alternative, indie, rock soul-ish kind of girl, that I'd listen to pop! I do! I listen to Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Rihanna or whoever, as long as it is good, I'd listen to it and since Taylor has made the shift into pop recently with her new single Shake It Off, it wasn't so bad for me to listen to it. I've always liked Taylor Swift. Not so hard as the Swifties do, but I like her and her music very much at least to appreciate the lyrics. And though her style right now is changing, you can still tell from the lyric value of this new single that Taylor is still Taylor. The only thing better to this is the beat and how you can't stop playing it in your head, no matter how hard you try!

3. All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor

This song is so cute and fun that whenever it plays on, I couldn't help but dance along or belt out a note. The music video is actually really cute and Meghan is too! What's good about this song is that it promotes women who have plus size figures or are curvy and that it is not bad to have some curves going on in your body! It is a song that empowers even young girls to not worry about their size and that being skinny isn't exactly a problem, but that it shouldn't be the standard. I raise mah flag to this song!

4. I Sold My Bed, But Not My Stereo by Capitol Cities

What I like about this song is that it gives an old school vibe both with the lyrics and the literal sense in the music video. I really love the beat to the song. Though some people may think that it sounds mostly like what they've given, Capitol Cities actually gives a lot of range, especially in terms of their music's personality. And who doesn't love that title!? It's genius!

5. Best Friend by Foster The People

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! When I missed Neon Trees, I missed Foster The People just the same! I missed the psychedelics of this band and how engaging their beats and lyrics are to me! Some people might be weirded out by their songs, but nu-uh, not me. Best Friend is like an hommage to Don't Stop or Helena Beat, which are my favorites, and allows us to listen to a Foster The People that is the same as always! And the message of the song is pretty spot on!


That's it for my playlist! Tell me in the comments if you love this playlist or you have any recommendations on what I should listen to next!

Waiting On Wednesday #13: Snow Like Ashes + Glory O'Brien's History of The Future

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are just waiting to have our hands on!

Title: Snow Like Ashes
Author: Sara Raasch
Publication: Balzer + Bray
Expected Release Date: October 14th 2014
Pre-order or buy on: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo | The Book Depository

SYNOPSIS:

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

About The Author:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Sara Raasch has known she was destined for bookish things since the age of five, when her friends had a lemonade stand and she tagged along to sell her hand-drawn picture books too. Not much has changed since then -- her friends still cock concerned eyebrows when she attempts to draw things and her enthusiasm for the written word still drives her to extreme measures. Her debut YA fantasy, SNOW LIKE ASHES, is coming out Fall 2014 from Balzer + Bray. It does not feature her hand-drawn pictures. She is represented by Charlotte Sheedy Literary.

Title: Glory O'Brien's History of The Future

Author: A. S. King

Publication:  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Expected Release Date: October 14th 2014

Pre-order or buy on: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo | The Book Depository

SYNOPSIS:

WOULD YOU TRY TO CHANGE THE WORLD
IF YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD NO FUTURE?

Graduating from high school is a time of limitless possibilities—but not for Glory, who has no plan for what's next. Her mother committed suicide when Glory was only four years old, and she’s never stopped wondering if she will eventually go the same way...until a transformative night when she begins to experience an astonishing new power to see a person’s infinite past and future. From ancient ancestors to many generations forward, Glory is bombarded with visions—and what she sees ahead of her is terrifying.

A tyrannical new leader raises an army. Women’s rights disappear. A violent second civil war breaks out. And young girls vanish daily, sold off or interned in camps. Glory makes it her mission to record everything she sees, hoping her notes will somehow make a difference. She may not see a future for herself, but she’ll do everything in her power to make sure this one doesn’t come to pass.

In this masterpiece about freedom, feminism, and destiny, Printz Honor author A.S. King tells the epic story of a girl coping with devastating loss at long last—a girl who has no idea that the future needs her, and that the present needs her even more.

About The Author:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

A.S. King is the author of the highly-acclaimed REALITY BOY, 2013 LA Times Book Prize winner ASK THE PASSENGERS, 2012 ALA Top Ten Book for Young Adults EVERYBODY SEES THE ANTS, and 2011 Michael L. Printz Honor Book PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ. She is also the author of the ALA Best Books for Young Adults THE DUST OF 100 DOGS as well as a collection of award-winning short stories for adults, MONICA NEVER SHUTS UP.

Look for Amy's work in anthologies DEAR BULLY, BREAK THESE RULES and LOSING IT. (And brace yourself for 2014's novel, GLORY O'BRIEN'S HISTORY OF THE FUTURE.)