It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list. Click on the picture to be taken to Sheila at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books!

 

Read Last Week: 

 

• The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas
• The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black  

Currently Reading: 

•  Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning

Up This Week:   

• This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales
•  A Study in Silks by Emma Jane Holloway

 

Stacking the Shelves!

For Review: 

• A Study in Ashes by Emma Jane Holloway
• All The Truth That's In Me by Julie Berry

Purchased:  

• Counting Backwards by Laura Lascarso 
• Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson
•  Lichgates by S.M. Boyce

 

Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!  It's hosted by Tynga's Reviews!

 

Reivew - The Wizard Heir (The Heir Chronicles #2) by Cinda Williams Chima

Title: The Wizard Heir

Author: Cinda Williams Chima

Series: 2nd (The Warrior Heir)

Pages: 458

Published: June 10th 2008 by Disney-Hyperion 

ISBN:  9781423104872

Source: Library

Description: Sixteen-year-old Seph McCauley has spent the past three years getting kicked out of one exclusive private school after another. And it's not his attitude that's the problem: it's the trail of magical accidents - lately, disasters - that follow in his wake. Seph is a wizard, orphaned and untrained, and his powers are escalating out of control. After causing a tragic fire at an after-hours party, Seph is sent to the Havens, a secluded boys' school on the coast of Maine. Gregory Leicester, the headmaster, promises to train Seph in magic and initiate him into his mysterious order of wizards. But Seph's enthusiasm dampens when he learns that training comes at a steep cost, and that Leicester plans to use his students' powers to serve his own mysterious agenda. 

I Give This ...

Another series that I dropped after the first book without meaning too.  I like the world that the author has created.  But, library books have taken and even further back than books on my shelf.  But, I discovered this series available as audio downloads from the library and I thought that might be the perfect fit!

Seph was interesting to learn about.  An orpahn who has no control over his powers.  He doesn't even fully understand them or what he can do.  As he gets older, the incidents are harder to control and keep under wraps.  It's no wonder that he ends up at the Havens.  Leicester knows just how to handle wayward boys.  But, Seph proves to be different in every way possible.  He wants to learn how to control his magic, but he's not willing to sell his soul to do so.  It's a good thing too, because Leicester is not what he seems to be.    

But, Seph isn't destined to stay at the Havens for long.  A women named Linda comes to his rescue.  Through her, he learns little by little who he really is and what he can do.  But, Leicester discovers this as well and will do anything to get his hands on Seph again.  Not only is Seph a powerful wizard in his own right, but he also has powerful connections to the mysterious person known only as the "Dragon."  As Seph learns more about the powerful world that he has been secluded from, he must choose a side.  Because war is coming no matter what they try to do to prevent it.    

I truly enjoyed how this story built up.  Seph often seemed uncontrollable, but he just lacked the proper training.  And it was really hard for him to adjust when all of a sudden he was surrounded by people who actually cared about him.  He was so use to not answering to anybody.  I also really enjoyed how characters already introduced in the first book come to play in this one.  It makes me truly intrigued by how this story might play out.  

I also really enjoyed our romantic interests.  Maddy Moss was just the sort of offbeat character to match Seph's intensity.  I also loved learning more about her.  I think her life is way more complicated that we believe.  I also really enjoyed the intensity between Linda and Hastings.  You can almost feel it rolling off of them when they are together.  

I've already dove into listening too the next book in the series.  I've waited to long as it is!

Review - Public School Princess by Augusta Blythe

Title: Public School Princess

Author: Augusta Blythe

Series: Stand Alone

Pages: 198

Published: July 23rd 2013 

ISBN: B00E4PL2KO

Source: Sent by author for honest review

Description: In the world of Hollister Bucksey-Breiten fame, money and power are as prevalent as plastic surgery. Sixteen-year-old Hollister is heiress to the Bucksey real estate empire on her mother's side, as well as a bonafide princess thanks to her deceased royal father. After her troubled mother heads yet again to rehab, the celebutante suddenly finds herself shipped from the privileged halls of Shotley Academy in Los Angeles to a backwoods New Jersey high school. Life at Franklin High isn't what Hollister expects. Instead of being worshiped by her lesser-blessed peers for the usual superficial reasons, Hollister feels ostracized because of them. With the help of her estranged brother and a few new friends, she discovers what's really important not only to her but about her, and that a good heart is her most valuable asset.

I Give This ...

I was a little worried that this one might be a little to teeny bopper for me.    But, I really enjoyed the author's previous works, so I was willing to give it a shot.  I was pleasantly surprised when I liked it!

I was surprised at how much I disliked Hollister at first.   She's rich, spoiled, and has all sorts of characteristics that just make her unlikeable.  Yes, part of it is all on her.  She thinks the world should revolve around her because of who she is and who her mother is.  She's use to being in the spotlight.  But, the interesting part for me was that she hates the way the media portrays her at time.  She's more than what the picture shows.  What she never stops to consider is that she can change that.

But then her mother ends up in hot water and a stint in rehab is the only way to circumvent jail time.  Hollister is shipped off to New Jersey were people barely know her name.  There's no paparazzi and nobody cares what she does, wears, etc.   Hollister has no idea how to be this other person.  At first, I thought this wasn't going to effect her at all.  She had herself convinced that it was just a short time away and that she could deal.  But, kids can be cruel and she learned the hard way the she really did need friends.

Through all of this, I loved the fact that she learned what true friendship meant.  She maybe grew up with the girls back home, but they had no idea what it meant to stand by someone through thick and thin.  Sometimes its the little gestures that mean the most.  She also discovers what she can do with all that money and power that she has.  It doesn't need to be wasted on parties and clothes.  It can be put to causes that matter.

The only part of the story that bugged me a little was when Hollister took one of her new friends for a makeover.  I know she was just trying to be nice because her friend had way less money to spend on herself.  But, it's the idea that she wasn't good enough the way she way.  She had this potential to be "pretty" but not the means to get there.  However, what Hollister did for her gave her a significant boost of confidence.  So, I had a hard time deciding how I really felt about it.

Augusta Blythe has a talent that is flying under the radar!  I hope I have the opportunity to read and review whatever she writes next.   

 

Review - Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse #11) by Charlaine Harris

Title: Dead Reckoning

Author: Charlaine Harris

Series: 11th (1 -8, Dead and Gone, Dead in the Family)

Pages: 336

Published:  May 3rd 2011 by Ace Books

ISBN: 9780441020317

Source: Personal Copy

Description: There's a reckoning on the way ... Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in Bon Temps, Louisiana. It's a job which has its own challenges, but now the vampires and the shapeshifters are finally 'out', you'd think the supernaturals would get on with each other. But nothing is that simple in Bon Temps! ... and Sookie has a knack for being in trouble's way; not least when she witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. Sookie suspects otherwise, but before she can investigate something else - something even more dangerous - comes up. Sookie's lover Eric Northman, and his 'child' Pam are plotting something in secret. Whatever it is, they seem determined to keep Sookie out of it; almost as determined as Sookie is to find out what's going on. She can't sit on the sidelines when both her work and her love life are under threat - but as their plans gradually become clear Sookie finds the situation is deadlier than she could ever have imagined. 

I Give This ...

  

I often wonder if I would still feel the same way about certain series if I felt they had possibly gone on for too many books.  Because I think I've reached that point with that series. I think this book was written just to fill space and because it was probably part of a required contract.

Ok, so it wasn't all that bad.  We get a glimpse of all our favorite characters.  But poor Sookie still has people who hate her, people who love her, people who use her, and then those who want her dead.  It seems more often than not they fall into the last category.  Its amazing that very few people don't get seriously hurt in the process.  Granted, it always helps that half of the people that surround Sookie are of the supernatural variety.

There are two things that I found greatly interesting in this book.  First off, Sookie is in the possession of a very powerful Fae artifact.  It's something that is very old and she must keep it a secret or basically all of the Fae who still live in this dimension will be after it.  I think this little item will be extremely important either in the next book or that last in the series.  

Next, the blood bath planned by Eric and Pam.  We all no that the Regent has to go.  It's either him or Eric, and well I kind of want Eric to stick around.  I was kind of amazed that the entire plan succeeded in any way, especially without more consequences.  I know that's a spoiler in a way, but come on...I think we all knew it was going to happen.  Sadly, I think the relationship between Sookie and Eric isn't the same after this book.  I'm curious how that will play out in the end.

It's almost done, so I hope the next two books send the series out with a band.  This one was just so-so.  

Top Ten Books I Would Love To See As A Movie/TV Show

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  If your curious about this meme, visit Top Ten Tuesday where they have previous topics and upcoming topics listed as well.

 

 

Today's theme is top ten books that I would love to see made into a movie/T.V. show.  This is one seems harder because nowadays, it feels like every book out there is being made into a movie.  But, there are a few that I can think of.

 

1. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - There's a good possibility we will finally see this one.  Word on the street is filming is set to begin this fall in Scotland with a premiere on Starz in 2014.

2. Insomnia by Stephen King - It seems like every Stephen King book gets made into a movie or TV series.  But, of course not one of my favorites!

3. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder - I think this would make an excellent movie!  Plus Valek would be awesome on screen!

4. Graceling by Kristin Cashore - I think we need more movies with kick ass heroines!

5. The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa - I actually think this would be a really good TV series if done right!

6. Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys - Think Schindler's List!

7. Fablehaven by Brandon Mull - It would have to be done in the same manor as Harry Potter, but it would be awesome to see!

8. The Luxe Series by Anna Godbersen - I would watch it just for the dresses!

9. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - I had heard this was in the making and in further research discovered its due out this fall!

 

10. Any of Michelle Moran's books - I could use a good historical movie!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list. Click on the picture to be taken to Sheila at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books!

 

Read Last Week: 

 

• Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts 
• Scorched by Mari Mancusi
• Dance of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin  

 

 Currently Reading: 

 

• The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

 

Up This Week: 

 

• The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
•  Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning