Sunday, September 30, 2012

New Shelf Goodies & The Weekly Nutshell {19}

For New Shelf Goodies, I'll be showing you what lovely books I acquired this week, whether from publishers, or the library, or from whatever half-crazed book-buying binge I happened to go on. :D (Inspired by Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie's This Week in Books & Tynga's Stacking the Shelves) The Weekly Nutshell will be just that...my week here at Stories & Sweeties, in a nutshell. (inspired by Ginger @ GReads and her recaps at the end of the TGIF posts) Note: This is not a meme, but I'll be hopping around to any other book haul-sharing posts I come across!


My haul for the week:
Bought:

For Review:

For review (cont.):

For Feature/Giveaway:
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Emma by Jane Austen
I'll be featuring the gorgeous Classic Lines series from Sterling Publishing and giving one of these away, so keep an eye out for that! 

Many thanks to Random House and Sterling Publishing!

The Weekly Nutshell:
{Friday} Bloggiesta!

Have a great week, everyone! :D

Friday, September 28, 2012

Late to the party but...Bloggiesta Time!! :D

Hola, amigos!! I'm sure alot of you know, Bloggiesta weekend is in full swing!  And I'm fashionably late (like blog-life, like real-life, I guess!)  But after reading several posts from my fellow bloggers that are participating and seeing all of their ambitious to-do lists, I couldn't resist jumping in on the fun!  This is my first time participating and I'm hoping to get a lot done!

Bloggiesta 2012 is hosted by It's All About Books and There's a Book and runs from Friday September 28th to Sunday the 30th.  Visit these two fabulous blogs to get all the details!  Basically it's a weekend-long event full of twitter parties, mini challenges, prizes, and lots of busy, busy, busy getting our to-do lists done with things we've been meaning to catch up on and update on our blogs. 

I have tons of things I want to get done and a couple of the mini-challenges I definitely want to take part it.  Here's my overly-hopeful, starry-eyed, naive first-timer's list:

• Write reviews for Unspoken, Awry, and Struck
• Update reviews on Goodreads and Amazon
• Add rating tag to my reviews so they are searchable by rating
• Find out more about using Pinterest for reviews
Update author list on sidebar
Mini-Challenge: Grade Yourself!
• Schedule future meme posts
Set reminders for upcoming local author events on my phone's calendar
• Plan for a few "sweeties" posts, which I have been sorely lacking on lately!
• Organize TBR shelves and get a box of books ready for library donation
• Plan a few giveaways
Visit at least 20 bloggiesta posts and cheer my fellow bloggers on!
Mini-Challenge: Pocket App
• Back-up blog  Mini-Challenge: Step out of your comfort zone

So there's my goal list!! I'm hoping to accomplish most of it and learn alot along the way!
Wish me luck!

*Update- end of Saturday*  Only two goals completed today! We ended up being out of the house almost all day today, which I wasn't planning on, so there it is. :( But I did complete what I thought was the most important task, and that was to back up my blog (which I had never done before--for shame!)  I also read up on using Pinterest for reviews and I'll be putting that knowledge into action soon!
*Update Mid-Sunday* Finished a few more tasks! I'm seeing now how overly ambitious my list was, but I'm a newbie so now I know better for next time lol.  I'm hoping to get a few more things done before tonight, but we'll see. I did the Grade Yourself challenge---lots to learn there! I'm pretty happy, I had an overall score of 81, with lots of great tips on how to bump that up in the future.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Book Trailers: What's Left of Me, Adaptation, and Mystic City

It's been awhile since I've had time to prowl around the web for book trailers!  Here are few I came across today!

What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang
 

Adaptation by Malinda Lo


Mystic City by Theo Lawrence


 I think they did an amazing job with all three of these! I love when they almost look like movie trailers! :) What do you think? Are any of these on your TBR pile?

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Becky's View: The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron


The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron
♦publisher: Scholastic Press
♦release date: September 1st, 2012
♦hardcover, 318 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦source: ALA
A spine-tingling tale of steampunk and spies, intrigue and heart-racing romance!

When Katharine Tulman's inheritance is called into question by the rumor that her eccentric uncle is squandering away the family fortune, she is sent to his estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, Katharine discovers a genius inventor with his own set of rules, who employs a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London.

Katharine is now torn between protecting her own inheritance and preserving the peculiar community she grows to care for deeply. And her choices are made even more complicated by a handsome apprentice, a secretive student, and fears for her own sanity.

As the mysteries of the estate begin to unravel, it is clear that not only is her uncle's world at stake, but also the state of England as Katharine knows it. With twists and turns at every corner, this heart-racing adventure will captivate readers with its intrigue, thrills, and romance.

Review:  The Dark Unwinding was such a beautifully told story.  I can't say what exactly I was expecting---I've been reading a lot of steampunk lately and really enjoying most of it, but this one was especially good, without getting too technical or too caught up in describing all the overly detailed mechanical workings.  It was a perfect blend of steampunk, eerie gothic mystery, discovery and wonderment, and best of all, it had such an immensely touching human story. 

You get a feel for Katharine's dire situation from the beginning---her future and her position in life is very much under the thumb of her aunt and depends on her spoiled cousin's inheritance of her uncle's estate.  So, because her uppity aunt doesn't want to deal with it, she sends Katherine to declare her uncle insane to hurry along the process and make sure there is something left to inherit.  Katharine is a great character---strong-willed and fairly fearless, she goes into this with gusto, thinking this will be over and done with before sundown.  Little does she know...

There wasn't a single character that I wasn't completely fascinated with.  Lane, Ben, Davy,  Mrs. Jeffries, and the whole lot, each with their own strong personalities that jumped right off the page.  I especially loved Mary, who despite insisting on being Katharine's maid, was more like a very fiery, outspoken confidant to her.  And then there is Katharine's uncle, Mr. Tully.  Such an incredibly well written character.  He is not, in fact insane.  He is mentally disabled in a way that keeps his mind like a very young child's; innocent but extremely prone to tantrums and irrationality.  But his clockwork inventions are works of beauty and genius. I loved reading about him and the connection that he and Katharine had.  Loved that he never called her anything but "Simon's baby".   I was most impressed with Katharine herself, the ways that her character and her way of thinking and her values change and grow throughout the story from becoming part of her uncle's world, seeing the situation of the town's people, and knowing how she alone could impact their lives. 

Lots of twists and exciting turns in this dark plot.  So many times, you think you know where a character stands, only to turn the page and suddenly you don't know who to trust.  There are times when even Katharine comes into question!  There is some heart-stopping excitement and an ending that will leave your emotions battling between crying and cheering. 

Beautifully done---a wonderful, well-written tale of clockwork, nightmares, true loyalty, mystery, and even a bit of laughter and fun (Rolling!! You'll have to read it to see what I mean!).  I whole-heartedly recommend The Dark Unwinding!


Find Sharon Cameron online:  Website  •  Facebook  •  Twitter

Purchase The Dark Unwinding:  Amazon  •  BN.com  •  BookDepository  •  Indiebound

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.


Unbroken
by Paula Morris

hitting shelves February 2013 from Scholastic

description:
Welcome back to New Orleans.
Where the streets swirl with jazz and beauty.
Where the houses breathe with ghosts.

A year ago, Rebecca Brown escaped death in a New Orleans cemetery. Now she has returned to this haunting city. She is looking forward to seeing Anton Grey, the boy who may or may not have her heart.

But she also meets a ghost: a troubled boy who insists only she can help him. Soon Rebecca finds herself embroiled in another murder mystery from more than a century ago. But as she tries to right wrongs, she finds more questions than answers: Is she putting her friends, and herself, in danger? Can she trust this new ghost? And has she stumbled into something much bigger and more serious than she understands?


My thoughts:  I really enjoyed Ruined, so I'm excited to get back to these characters and the eerie New Orleans setting!

Monday, September 24, 2012

Speechless by Hannah Harrington: Feature & Giveaway!

This week I'm featuring Hannah Harrington's new powerful contemporary novel, Speechless.
What it's all about:
Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret

Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.

Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.

But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.

Check out the trailer:

With the release of Speechless, Harlequin Teen has teamed up with the Love is Louder Foundation to get out the important message about the power of negative words and hurtful actions. Check it out:

Description: cid:image007.gif@01CD73E4.9ABE8F90Description: cid:image010.jpg@01CD73E5.9AE38740

Love is Louder was started by The Jed Foundation, MTV and Brittany Snow to support anyone feeling mistreated, misunderstood or alone. It’s hundreds of thousands of people just like you who have turned this idea into a movement.  A movement of all types of people who have come together to raise the volume around the message that love and support are louder than any internal or external voice that brings us down.

Individuals, communities, schools and organizations have embraced Love is Louder as a way to address with issues like bullying, negative self-image, discrimination, loneliness and depression.  Even as we work to stop negative words and actions that hurt us, we can strengthen our abilities to cope with hard times, focus on the positive, support the people around us and reach out for help if we need it.

Find out more: http://www.loveislouder.com


And thanks to Big Honcho Media and Harlequin Teen, here's your chance to win a copy of Speechless and a branded phone gelskin!!  

Open to US only, must be 13 or older to enter.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

New Shelf Goodies and The Weekly Nutshell

For New Shelf Goodies, I'll be showing you what lovely books I acquired this week, whether from publishers, or the library, or from whatever half-crazed book-buying binge I happened to go on. :D (Inspired by Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie's This Week in Books & Tynga's Stacking the Shelves) The Weekly Nutshell will be just that...my week here at Stories & Sweeties, in a nutshell. (inspired by Ginger @ GReads and her recaps at the end of the TGIF posts) Note: This is not a meme, but I'll be hopping around to any other book haul-sharing posts I come across!

Just a little haul this time around, but I'm not complaining---SUPER excited about both books that came through my mailbox this week! 
For Review: 
AHHH! Ultimate happy dance! This is one of my most highly anticipated reads of 2013! Ready to fall back into Wonderland!!
A modern retelling of Frankenstein! This one definitely sounds disturbing!

Huge thanks to Abrams Books and Strange Chemistry for these! 

The Weekly Nutshell:

As you can see, I've been taking it a bit slow on the blogging lately---its been a mixture of traveling, not feeling too hot health-wise, and my older kids driving me a bit batty (yes, they've pulled the cliche move of throwing a party while we were away for the weekend..ugh).  I'll hopefully get back into the swing of posting a little more regularly soon.  Bear with me, dears! :)

Happy reading!    

Friday, September 21, 2012

Becky's View: Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst

Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst
♦publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
♦release date: September 11, 2012
♦hardcover, 424 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦source: from publisher for honest review
In a desert world of sandstorms and sand-wolves, a teen girl must defy the gods to save her tribe in this mystical, atmospheric tale from the author of Drink, Slay, Love.  Liyana has trained her entire life to be the vessel of a goddess. The goddess will inhabit Liyana’s body and use magic to bring rain to the desert. But Liyana’s goddess never comes. Abandoned by her angry tribe, Liyana expects to die in the desert. Until a boy walks out of the dust in search of her.

Korbyn is a god inside his vessel, and a trickster god at that. He tells Liyana that five other gods are missing, and they set off across the desert in search of the other vessels. For the desert tribes cannot survive without the magic of their gods. But the journey is dangerous, even with a god’s help. And not everyone is willing to believe the trickster god’s tale.

The closer she grows to Korbyn, the less Liyana wants to disappear to make way for her goddess. But she has no choice: She must die for her tribe to live. Unless a trickster god can help her to trick fate—or a human girl can muster some magic of her own.

Review: Vessel is the first book that I've read by author Sarah Beth Durst, but it definitely won't be the last.  In Vessel, you get a magical, sweeping fantasy adventure that stretches the imagination and gives you a full and satifying story all in one volume. Yes, my friends,...this is a stand-alone, rare as they seem to be these days in the YA fantasy genre! It was something of a wonder to see a story progress and build, hit its exciting climax,  and completely wrap up by the last page.

Set in a stark and unforgiving desert world, Vessel introduces us to Liyana just as she is suppose to die---she is the chosen one of her tribe to give up her body so that their goddess can inhabit it and use her powers to sustain the tribe's way of life.  It really is a unique and facinating concept.  I loved the descriptions of the ceremony, the dance, her elaborate ceremonial costume, and the process of Liyana saying goodbye to her family and people.  She was a fireball of a character all the way through---super smart, resourceful, and determined.  Once she is abandoned to the desert, and Korbyn comes on the scene, things get even more interesting.  He is such a fun character to read, as the trickster god---so funny and with a great wit, but also a great stroke of depth as he struggles with trying to rescue the other gods when no one will trust his word because his reputation as a trickster always precedes him.  Another character that I loved was Raan---she presented such an important opposing side of the role of the Vessels.

The love story was a bit tricky in this one! I can't say too much without giving anything away, but I will say it was one of the most unusual takes on a love triangle I have ever come across! I don't think there's ever been a dilemma quite like it before! It was heart-wrenching and complicated, and I love how it worked out in the end.

The first 150 pages or so, when they are wandering the desert looking for the other vessels, did seem a little long-winded at times, dragging the pace just a bit.  Also, every several chapters we get a POV switch to an emperor that for awhile into the story, it kind of remains a mystery what the significance of his involvement is and that got a bit frustrating.  BUT once all the vessels were found and the emperor's part in the story is revealed, the intensity of the story really kicks into gear and Vessel becomes a fast-paced heroic tale of magic and myth, war and bravery, and what lengths one will go to save the people they care about---from many different perspectives.  Durst has given us an incredible imaginative tale, building a rich world of myth and legend, with terrifying dangers that range from simply dying of thirst to fighting off sky serpents and sand worms.

Definitely one to pick up if you have a craving for an epic fantasy adventure!


Visit Sarah Beth Durst: Website  •  Twitter  •  Facebook

Purchase Vessel at:  Amazon  •  BN.com  •  BookDepository  •  Indiebound


Thursday, September 20, 2012

YAY!! The Beautiful Creatures movie has a TRAILER! :D



As a huge fan of Beautiful Creatures, I am completely excited that they are putting this on the silver screen.  A few of my favorite things about the books are the lush atmosphere, the deep-south setting, and the civil war flashbacks, and it definitely looks like they've got that all in there and have done it beautifully.  

What do you think? Will you be running to the movie theater as fast as I will be when this comes out? :D

Beautiful Creatures is due out in theaters February 13th, 2013!

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.


The Friday Society
by Adrienne Kress

hitting shelves December 6th from Dial Books


description:
An action-packed tale of gowns, guys, guns--and the heroines who use them all

Set in Edwardian London, The Friday Society follows the stories of three very intelligent and talented young women, all of whom are assistants to powerful men: Cora, lab assistant; Michiko, Japanese fight assistant; and Nellie, magician's assistant. The three young women's lives become inexorably intertwined after a chance meeting at a ball that ends with the discovery of a murdered mystery man.

It's up to these three, in their own charming but bold way, to solve the murder--and the crimes they believe may be connected to it--without calling too much attention to themselves.

Told with Adrienne Kress's sharp wit and a great deal of irreverence, this Steampunk whodunit introduces three unforgettable and very ladylike--well, relatively ladylike--heroines poised for more dangerous adventures.


My thoughts: This book just sound FUN. Murder mystery, steampunkery, badassery---just a great fun combination.


Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.

Touched
by Corrine Jackson

hitting shelves November 27th, 2012
from Kensington Teen


description:
Remy O’Malley heals people with touch—but every injury she cures becomes her own. Living in a household with an abusive stepfather, she has healed untold numbers of broken bones, burns,and bruises. And then one night her stepfather goes too far.

Being sent to live with her estranged father offers a clean start and she is eager to take it. Enter Asher Blackwell. Once a Protector of Healers, Asher sacrificed his senses to become immortal. Only by killing a Healer can a Protector recover their human senses. Falling in love is against the rules between these two enemies. Because Remy has the power to make Protectors human again, and when they find out, they’ll be coming for her—if Asher doesn’t kill her first.


My thoughts: Been excited for this one for such a long time!! I can't wait to hear more about the Healers vs. Protectors,...sounds like the makings of a great forbidden romance!


Saturday, September 8, 2012

New Shelf Goodies & The Weekly Nutshell {17}

For New Shelf Goodies, I'll be showing you what lovely books I acquired this week, whether from publishers, or the library, or from whatever half-crazed book-buying binge I happened to go on. :D (Inspired by Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie's This Week in Books & Tynga's Stacking the Shelves) The Weekly Nutshell will be just that...my week here at Stories & Sweeties, in a nutshell. (inspired by Ginger @ GReads and her recaps at the end of the TGIF posts) Note: This is not a meme, but I'll be hopping around to any other book haul-sharing posts I come across!

Here's what I got this week:
For Review:
Yesterday by C.K. Kelly Martin
Haven't heard much about this..looks interesting, though!
Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier
Have heard so many fantastic things about this author!
Hanging by a Thread by Sophie Littlefield
Just what I've been looking for: Creepy. Mystery. Stand-alone.
Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
Been anticipating this one for ages!
Foretold: 14 Tales of Prophecy and Prediction
Anthology feat. Carrie Ryan, Laini Taylor, Lisa McMann, Malinda Lo, and others!

For review (cont.)
Island of Doom (Hunchback Assignments #4) by Arthur Slade
Might try this series out---I've been loving steampunk lately!
Beyond by Graham McNamee
All of this author's book looks so creepy... this one included!

(Thanks so much to Random House for all of these!)

Traded for/Gifted:

Keeper of Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger (signed)
The Locket by Stacey Jay
(Thank you so much, Rebecca!)

New On My Nook:


Awry by Chelsea Fine
Just finished book one and immediately grabbed book two---really enjoying this series!

The Art of Disappearing by Elena Perez
I've been kind of veering away from ebooks lately, but this was pitched to me and sounded really interesting! Thanks, Elena!

The Weekly Nutshell:
{Tuesday} Amy's View: Fathomless by Jackson Pearce
{Wednesday} Waiting on Wednesday: The Mad Scientist's Daughter by Cassandra Rose Clarke
{Thursday} Book Trailers: Hidden, Ten, & an inside look at Breathe
{Friday} Becky's View: The Diviners by Libba Bray

Have a great week, everyone! :D

Friday, September 7, 2012

Becky's View: The Diviners by Libba Bray


The Diviners by Libba Bray
♦publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
♦released: September 18th, 2012
♦hardcover, 608 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦source: ALA

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."
When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.


Review:  This was admittedly one of those books that I went to ALA in hopes of getting my hands on---as soon as I heard it involved divination, ghosts, and that fabulously glitzy 20s era, it had me wrapped around it's little finger.  And I was not disappointed.  Libba Bray's writing is phenomenal, I don't think I've read a book where I felt more fully engulfed by a setting.  The amount of research that must have gone into completely immersing her readers in all the glamour, the music and dance, the indulgence, the events,..the whole feel of the 1920s---just astounds me. But at it's heart, The Diviners is a serial murder thriller, with a very creepy paranormal twist to it.  

The story introduces us to so many really great characters living around New York City who will each be touched by the grisly murders in one way or another: Evie, a young, mouthy, and slightly wild flapper girl who is new to the big city; Memphis and little Isaiah, two brothers who've lost their mama and been abandoned to their aunt's care by their father: Theta, an ambitious dancer in the Zeigfield follies, living her with "brother" Henry; Sam, a sharp-witted pickpocket in search of his mother; so many more...Jericho, Mabel, Uncle Will, Gabriel.  All of their stories kept me fascinated as they unfolded. Most of their lives begin to intertwine as the story weaves on, but all of them are holding tight to mysterious secrets about powers that none have quite gotten a grasp on yet themselves.  There is also the killer himself, who is as dark as they come, shaped by the sick beliefs of a religious cult and returned from the dead to finish what was set in motion 50 years ago.  The murders are gut-wrenchingly horrific, so brace yourself.

My one small complaint is that more of the amazingly brought-to-life characters that we grow to root for and love were not an integral part of the big fight and resolution of this book. I actually went into this book not realizing that despite its whopping 600+ pages, it was planned as a series and there would be no solid ending for many of the storylines were built up.  When I finally realized it, sure, it made it more acceptable that the other characters would probably each have there time to shine somewhere in the next books, but somehow it didn't change how I felt in wanting them more involved in the ending of this one. Still, the ending that we do get is exciting, explosive, and a great finish.

The Diviners is a fantastically told story, with nearly as many laughs at the wild flapper antics and witty comebacks as there are bone-chilling moments as each murder victim gets claimed. Full of mystery, wonder, humor, horror, and even a little bit of romance---I can't wait for more of this series.


Visit Libba Bray: Website  •  Facebook  •  Twitter

Purchase The Diviners at:  Amazon  •  BN.com  •  BookDepository  •   Indiebound

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday


"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.

The Mad Scientist's Daughter
by Cassandra Rose Clarke

hitting shelves January 29th, 2012 from Angry Robot


Not much of a description on Goodreads, but I did spy this one on the author's website:

Set in a collapsing future America, the novel tells of Cat. When she is a young girl, her father brings an experimental android to their isolated home to serve as her tutor. Finn stays with her, becoming her constant companion and friend as she grows to adulthood. But then they take the relationship much further than anyone intended – which ultimately threatens to force them apart forever.

My thoughts: This sounds amazing! This little smidge of a summary , this gorgeous cover, and that tagline---they all have me hooked!

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Amy's View: Fathomless by Jackson Pearce


Fathomless by Jackson Pearce
♦pubisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
♦release date: September 4, 2012
♦hardcover, 304 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦source: ALA

Celia Reynolds is the youngest in a set of triplets and the one with the least valuable power. Anne can see the future, and Jane can see the present, but all Celia can see is the past. And the past seems so insignificant -- until Celia meets Lo.

Lo doesn't know who she is. Or who she was. Once a human, she is now almost entirely a creature of the sea -- a nymph, an ocean girl, a mermaid -- all terms too pretty for the soulless monster she knows she's becoming. Lo clings to shreds of her former self, fighting to remember her past, even as she's tempted to embrace her dark immortality.

When a handsome boy named Jude falls off a pier and into the ocean, Celia and Lo work together to rescue him from the waves. The two form a friendship, but soon they find themselves competing for Jude's affection. Lo wants more than that, though. According to the ocean girls, there's only one way for Lo to earn back her humanity. She must persuade a mortal to love her . . . and steal his soul.

Review:
Fathomless, as promised, is a retelling of Little Mermaid in only a way that Jackson Pearce can do it. Her mind is an amazing place where typical fairy tales swirl in a wonderland of their own. Spinning and twirling and falling into a rabbit hole only to emerge in our world. I love how she makes fairy tales relevant in today's world. 
This book was written from the view of a few different characters. At first, this made it alittle hard for me to fall deeply into each character, but as you read on you see why you need to read from so many character views at once. 
Fathomless is a creative spin on the true story of Little Mermaid not to be confused with Disney's happy, feel-good, red haired little mermaid longing to fall in love and become human. This tale grips you with the story of mergirls---death and the deep longing of discovering who they are and what they will do to regain their souls. Even thought this story is captivating in its own right, it is a dark and realistic retelling with a wonderful twisted ending which I have come to love and expect from Jackson Pearce. Once again a very quick read as all her books are, purely because you find yourself unable to put it down. I can't wait to see what fairytale is traveling down the rabbit hole, waiting for Jackson Pearce to spin out for us to read next.
Oh, and can I just add... It was such an honor to meet Jackson Pearce at ALA. She is everything you would expect her to be---beautiful, whimsical, and seems like she would fit perfectly into any fairytale. 
Find Jackson Pearce online: Website  •   Facebook   •   Twitter

Purchase Fathomless at:  Amazon  •  BN.com  •  BookDepository  •  Indiebound

Sunday, September 2, 2012

New Shelf Goodies & The Weekly Nutshell {16}

For New Shelf Goodies, I'll be showing you what lovely books I acquired this week, whether from publishers, or the library, or from whatever half-crazed book-buying binge I happened to go on. :D (Inspired by Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie's This Week in Books & Tynga's Stacking the Shelves) The Weekly Nutshell will be just that...my week here at Stories & Sweeties, in a nutshell. (inspired by Ginger @ GReads and her recaps at the end of the TGIF posts) Note: This is not a meme, but I'll be hopping around to any other book haul-sharing posts I come across!

This is two weeks worth of goodies, since I was away last weekend! (The concert was fantastic, btw...if you ever have the chance to see Mumford & Sons in concert, TAKE IT!! They are a amaaaazing live!) Got two boxes from Random House last week so get ready for a lengthy list---I'm really excited for some of these!
For Review:
The Book of the Night by Pearl North

Bought:
Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long
Auracle by Gina Rosati

Traded for:
The Sweetest Spell by Suzanne Selfors
Thanks, Asher! :D

Many thanks to Random House and Tor for the review books!

The Weekly Nutshell:
Two week's worth since there was no recap last weekend! :D
{Tuesday-8/21} Review of Spark by Amy Kathleen Ryan
{Wednesday- 8/22} Waiting on Wednesday: The Art of Wishing
{Thursday - 8/23}Review: Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield
{Friday - 8/24} Away for the Weekend: Mumford & Sons!
{Tuesday - 8/28} Waiting on Wednesday: Chantress
{Wednesday - 8/29} Authors are Rockstars Tour Stop & Giveaway: Melissa West
{Saturday - 9/1} What's New: September YA Releases & Giveaway

So that's it!! I've been slow on the reviewing this past week--hubby is home from work so he always wants to go out---cuts into my reading time! LOL--we're having a fun week, though :D That and the fact that the book I'm currently reading is nearly 600 pages long (Diviners---so good, though!) Hope everyone is having a great week!
Happy Reading! :)

Saturday, September 1, 2012

What's New: September YA Releases & Giveaway!!

Fall is almost here!! Yaaaay! :D My absolute favorite season...the weather cools, the leaves get all gorgeous, the Halloween decor comes out, and the rest of the holidays are just around the corner. September gives us book lovers one more reason to celebrate---this month is EPIC for book releases. Seriously, insanely epic. Pay special attention to the 4th, 11th, 18th, and 24th---and try your best not to drool. ;)

So if you're new to Stories & Sweeties, here's a little run-down of this feature: at the start of each month, I do a little thing called the "What's New List & Giveaway" where you'll find a full list of the new releases in YA for the month, and entry to the giveaway. At the end of each month, one lucky winner will get to choose any new release as their prize!

First things first! The winner of August's giveaway was: Demitra ! Congratulations! :D


September Releases:
Just like previous months, I've put a little lve by those books that I am really anticipating---whether I can't wait to read them or I just can't wait to have my own finished copy!

{1}
The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron
Drama by Raina Telgeimeier
The Encyclopedia of Me by Karen Rivers
The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano by Sonia Manzano
A Soldier's Secret by Marissa Moss
Undead by Kristy McKay

{4}
34 Pieces of You by Carmen Rodrigues
After Hello by Lisa Mangum
Be my Enemy by Ian McDonald
Beneath the Glitter by Elle & Blair Fowler
Betrayal by Gregg Olsen
Blackwood by Gwenda Bond
Blink Once by Cylin Busby
Blood Forever by Mari Mancusi
The Book of the Night by Pearl North
The Broken Lands by Kate Milford
Butter by Erin Jade Lang
Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr
Dead is a Killer Tune by Marlene Perez
The Edge of Nowhere by Elizabeth George
Entice by Jessica Shirvington
Fathomless by Jackson Pearce
Freaks Like Us by Susan Vaught
I Swear by Lane Davis
Immortal Lycanthropes by Hal Johnson
Island of Silence by Lisa McMann
Losing It by Erin Fry
Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama
Origin by Jessica Koury
Rage Within by Jeyn Roberts
Shift by Kim Curran
Starting from Here by Lisa Jenn Bigelow
Surviving High School by M. Doty
Sweet Shadows by Tera Lynn Childs
Tiger's Destiny by Colleen Houck
Willful Impropriety: 13 Tales of Society, Scandal, & Romance edited by Ekaterina Sedia (collection)

{8}
The City's Son by Tom Pollock
Henry Franks by Peter Adam Salomon
Redemption by Veronique Launier
Silver by Talia Vance
Skyship Academy: Crimson Rising by Nick James

{11}
Anything But Ordinary by Lara Avery
Beyond by Graham Mcnamee
Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan
Call the Shots by Don Calame
Come August, Come Freedom: the Bellows, The Gallows & The Black General Gabriel by Gigi Amateau
Crusher by Niall Leanard
Daylight Savings by Edward Hogan
Fang Girl by Helen Keeble
Flesh and Bone by Jonathan Maberry
Hanging By A Thread by Sophie Littlefield
Hidden by Sophie Jordan
Island of Doom by Arthur Slade
Like Moonlight at Low Tide by Nicole Quigley
Personal Effects by E.M. Kokie
The Secret Circle: The Hunt by L.J. Smith
Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier
Sons of the 613 by Mike Rubens
Tilt by Ellen Hopkins
Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst

{13}
Dead Cat Bounce by Nic Bennett
Josie Griffin in Not a Vampire by Heather Swain
Lindsey Lost by Suzanne Phillips
Nerve by Jeanne Ryan

{18}
Adaptation by Malinda Lo
Because It Is My Blood by Gabrielle Zevin
Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian
The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson
Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout
The Dead Girls Detective Agency by Suzy Cox
The Diviners by Libba Bray
Glass Heart by Amy Garvey
My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris
Necromancing the Stone by Lish McBride
The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann
The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater
Safekeeping by Karen Hesse
Seconds Away by Harlan Coban
Ten by Gretchen McNeil
The Time Traveling Fashionista at the Palace of Marie Antoinette by Biance Turetsky
What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

{24}
Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson and Max Paetro

{25}
Alchemy by K.J. Wignall
Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Blessed by Tonya Hurley
The Blue Door by Christa Kinde
Covet by Melissa Darnell
Dodger by Terry Pratchett
Flock by Wendy Delsol

A Fractured Light by Jocelyn Davies
The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle
How to Rock Breakups and Makeups by Meg Haston
The Infects by Sean Beaudoin
The Mephisto Kiss by Trinity Faegan
October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard by Leslea Newman
The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini
Scorch by Gina Damico

The Turning by Francine Prose
Yesterday by C.K. Kelly Martin

(All links go to Goodreads)
Please feel free to email me if you notice any YA titles missing! :)

Giveaway Details:
One winner will win a YA September release of their choice! *see note below
• Contest ends September 30th, 2012 at 11:59 PM
• Must be 13 or older
• Open internationally. *International winners will be required to choose a book that is available through BookDepository.com.
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