Stacking the Shelves (3/9/13)

Time for another Stacking the Shelves, hosted by Tynga's Reviews, in which I share the books that I've added to my shelves this week!

Not much to speak of this week, but they are some excellent titles. Check'm out:

WON

• Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout (ARC) - I've been looking forward to this book for a while - can't wait to start it! (Won late night on Twitter from @MTGReviews)

TRADED

• Arclight by Josin L. McQuein (ARC) - I didn't think this would really be a book for me, but it turned out to be AWESOME. I'm in the middle of it right now and I already highly recommend it!
• The Elite by Kiera Cass (ARC) - I read The Selection and had mixed feeling about it, but I'm interested to see where the story goes.

So what books did you add to your shelves this week?

Waiting On Wednesday: Unhinged

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine, in which one spotlights an upcoming release they are eagerly anticipating.

My pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection this week won't release for quite a while (January of next year, to be exact), but it'll be worth the wait! Last week, author A.G. Howard let the white rabbit out of the bag on her blog (here) and announced that there will be a sequel to the amazing Splintered, a dark retelling of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland! (You can check out my review of Splintered here.) The info:

Title: Unhinged (Goodreads)

Author: A.G. Howard

Release Date: January 2014

Summary: TBA 

Why I'm Looking Forward To It: I highly enjoyed Splintered, and while I usually like stand-alones to remain so, I'm very excited to see Alyssa's story continue. Howard is an amazing writer, and Splintered a dark and wonderful story, so I'm sure we can expect another delicious book in Unhinged. 

(Although I suspect the main reason I'm so excited is because, even though I know he's no good for her, I'm a Morpheus fan. ;)

So head over to Goodreads and add it to your T-R list! And if you haven't already read Splintered, I highly recommend you do.

So what book are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Review: Mystic City (Theo Lawrence)

Title: Mystic City
Series: Mystic City, Book 1
Author: Theo Lawrence
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Told: First Person (Aria), Present Tense
Content Rating: Older Teen (some language, drug use, sensuality, violence, minor gore)
Format Read: ARC (EpicLibrarian)
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase On: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Summary: 

Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the generations-long political feud—and unite all those living in the Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn't remember falling in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers of recollection—and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city—including herself.

*          *          *

Mystic City’s premise is a common one: warring families come together over a common enemy and unite with a marriage, but one of the to-be-married falls in love with the enemy. Mr. Lawrence did a good job of creating his own spin though, even if it was highly predictable, and the story was a smooth read with realistic action.

The setting was a plausible Manhattan of the not-to-distant future, where global warming has risen the waters past the flooding point and the temperature to a barely livable level. (The characters were constantly soaked in sweat, which made me as uncomfortable as they were - good job, Mr. Lawrence.) I was always picturing the Aeries so very high and the Depths so very low and neither the two could meet, but a quick POD ride to sea level proved the elevation was all in everyone's head (including mine). While it had its updated technologies, it wasn't all that different from the present, which felt unrealistic only because in real life we are constantly promised dazzling futures completely different from our current reality. Therefore I think Mr. Lawrence probably hit a lot closer than any of us would like to admit.

Aria was a strong female character who, while totally naive, was worth rooting for. I found Hunter's personality a bit disjointed - one moment he was Mr. Serious, the next playful and laid back - but couldn't help liking him as well. Their romance was very Romeo & Juliet, but had its heartwarming moments. As for secondary characters, Hunter's friend Turk was a fun addition, and Aria's friends Kiki and Bennie were a good way to show Aria's old life and how she was changing. I built a good hatred for Aria's father and a disgust for Thomas and Aria's mother, as I was supposed to, so overall I think Mr. Lawrence did a good job in the character department.

Conclusion: While nothing spectacular, Mystic City was a smooth if predictable read with a plausible future setting and root-worthy characters. I might pick up the sequel if I see it at the library.

Scribble Rating: 

3 of 5 Scribbles

Splintered Swag Pack Giveaway Winners!

Thank you to everyone who peeked into my review and entered my Splintered Swag Pack Giveaway! I especially loved hearing all your favorite scenes from both Alice's Adventures and Splintered - if you haven't already, check them out here! So much tea party and Morpheus love. ;)

Now, on to the winners! I had two signed swag packs, and they go to:

Readsalot81

Rachael H.

Congratulations! Emails have been sent.

If you are disappointed about not winning a swag pack, then may I suggest you go here? ;}

Thank you to author A.G. Howard for sending me such fine swag, and thank you to everyone for entering!

Stacking the Shelves: Matsuri Edition

Time for another Stacking the Shelves, hosted by Tynga's Reviews, in which I share the books that I've added to my shelves this week! Check them out:

WON

I won one of Aprilynne Pike's valentine giveaway prize packs! Along with a sack of candy my co-workers are enjoying (I can't have dairy right now T-T), I received these two signed books:

• Defy the Dark (ARC) - A short story collection by popular authors.
• Wings by Aprilynne Pike (SC) - I haven't read the series yet, so when given the choice I picked the first book. While fairies aren't my thing, it's a New York Times Best-selling series, so of course I'll give it a try.

TRADED

• The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda (ARC) - This looked pretty good, so I thought I'd give it a try. My copy has the original ARC cover, which is different, but I don't mind.

PURCHASED - NEW (1/2 price)

• Two Flowers for the Dragon by Nari Kusakawa (Volumes 1-3, 5) (PB) - I scored at the Arizona Matsuri (the local yearly Japanese festival), especially considering this series is now out of print! I already had Volume 1, but 1-3 were a set. Overall, this completes my Two Dragons collection - until someone finishes publishing the series in English one day.
• Tegami Bachi by Hiroyuki Asada (Volume 6) (PB) - This was the one and only series I followed online for a long while, and I can't wait until I collect the manga and rediscover it once more.

PURCHASED - USED

• Incarceron by Catherine Fisher (SC) - I found out about this book last month and have been dying to get my hands on it! Already have Book 2, so here's hoping it's as awesome as it sounds.
• Bloodlines by Richelle Mead (SC) - Everyone has been raving about Book 3, so even though the mention of "vampires" usually sends me running the other way, I decided to give it a try. I hope it's as good as everyone claims.

So what books did you add to your shelves this week?

Last Month I Discovered...Scheduling

"Discovery" is my 2013 Word for the Year, 

so at the end of each month I look back to reflect on what I discovered.

In February I discovered... the art of scheduling - especially posts. It has proven extremely helpful and wondrously freeing at times. But scheduling has its downsides too - it allows me to be lazy, and soon I find myself scrambling to catch up again (for example, I'm writing this post the day before it goes live). So while I'm still far from having a handle on it, I think I'm slowly but surely mastering the art.

Further Things I Discovered Last Month:

• Don't Just Draft Reviews Immediately - Finalize Them Too: I was very proud of myself for drafting my reviews immediately after reading the books. But once the initial draft was done, I thought I could finalize them at my leisure, be it days or weeks later. Not so. I have learned the hard way that what I think is a full draft can prove oh so sparse, and when I finally come back to finalize them I can find myself without a full review. So now I'm trying to make sure I have the final draft done within a week - or else.
• 2013 is My Luckier Year!: I've never been one to win much of anything, but this year I've actually won several giveaways! Although they weren't things I was dying to get, I have gotten some pretty darn good stuff none the less. Here's hoping the year continues to be good to me. 
• Priorities Are Key: And I need to make some. Unfortunately in February I was a flounder when it came to having any, so I will be tackling this issue head-on in March.

So what did you discover last month?

Waiting On Wednesday: The Ward

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine, in which one spotlights an upcoming release they are eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Title: The Ward

Author: Jordana Frankel

Release Date: April 30, 2013

Summary (from Goodreads):

Sixteen-year-old Ren is a daredevil mobile racer who will risk everything to survive in the Ward, what remains of a water-logged Manhattan. To save her sister, who is suffering from a deadly illness thought to be caused by years of pollution, Ren accepts a secret mission from the government: to search for a freshwater source in the Ward, with the hope of it leading to a cure.

However, she never expects that her search will lead to dangerous encounters with a passionate young scientist; a web of deceit and lies; and an earth-shattering mystery that’s lurking deep beneath the water’s rippling surface.

Jordana Frankel’s ambitious debut novel and the first in a two-book series, The Ward is arresting, cinematic, and thrilling—perfect for fans of Scott Westerfeld or Ann Aguirre.

Why I'm Looking Forward To It: Dystopian is my go-to genre right now, as is anything set in Manhattan, so this is definitely my kind of book! And I absolutely love the cover. *pets* 

(Alas, though, it reads a little too much like Project P for my comfort, so I'm also extremely interested to find out just how similar they are.)

So what book are you waiting on this Wednesday?