Stacking The Shelves [239]

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!

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 Hey everyone! It's been a slow month here on Tynga's Reviews, I know. I, for one, have been very busy, even working through the holidays, on top of all the festivities. I've had very little time for reading, so that mean no books to review. However, I have a week and a half of vacation, which I'll be spending in Florida, so I plan on getting through as many books as I can bring with me!

I received some wonderful bookish gifts this past week, including this very original art work from my brother. It's sort of like a shadow box, with very interesting old books that have been upcycled and arranged wonderfully. The artist's name is Noelle Hamelyn and you can visit her website for more information.

I also received Indigo gift cards, my go-to bookstore. And so I purchased Star Talk with Neil deGrasse Tyson because I've been on a space kick lately.

So, anything interesting for you this week? Did you received any bookish gifts? Or did you simply buy the books on your list yourself? Share in the comments or insert your link down below!

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Posted by Tynga at 00:11

 Stacking The Shelves  12 People left their mark

Stacking The Shelves [238]

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!

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Merry Christmas (Eve)! Happy Hanukkah! Or simply, happy Saturday!

Personally, I use this time of year to get together with family and see people I haven't seen in months. It's more about family gathering than celebrating something special. So however you're spending your weekend, I hope you're safe, happy and with the people you love.

I also use this time of year to read the books I didn't get the chance to read during the year. So not many new books stacking my shelves this week. Actually, only one and it's available for free, for a limited time.

Free ebook

Immortal Matchmakers, Inc. by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

Enjoy your weekend, wherever you might be.

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Posted by Tynga at 02:26

 Stacking The Shelves  6 People left their mark

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Station Eleven is a realistic and stunning novel about the end of the world. The author didn't need aliens, a meteor or supernatural forces in order to wipe out the majority of humanity. Nor did the fallen humans comes back to life and cause havoc as zombies. The fictional virus called the Georgian Flu killed a good portion of the human population throughout the world, and while a good portion of the novel is dedicated to what happens twenty years after the epidemic, the author also delves into the backstory of her main characters and where they were when the epidemic started.

The more you read the novel, the more your realize how interconnected the characters are. A child actress, a seasoned hollywood actor, a graphic novelist, a paparazzi turned paramedic, and a prophet, just to name a few. Kirsten Raymonde, the child actress now in her twenties,  has survived a great deal in this blacked out world. She is part of the Traveling Symphony, a group of artists that travel across the northeastern USA, performing Shakespeare plays and symphonies for the towns they visit. But when they return to a town called St. Deborah on the Water, something has gone very wrong. The artists they had left behind a while back have vanished and a so called prophet has taken over the town. This prophet and his cult threaten the survival of the members of the Traveling Symphony. And here begins the story of how the Symphony manages to escape and the dangers they encounter on the road to safety.

I would consider Kirsten the main character because her life somehow manages to be linked to most of the other characters in the book, whether in the present or in the past. Her life doesn't necesserily influence everyone else's, but the links are there, however subtle. For example, she was there when the hollywood actor died on stage before the epidemic, while the paramedic tried to resuscitate him. She's obsessed with Station Eleven, a graphic novel by the hollywood actor's ex-wife. Her story is a sad one, full of loss and hardship, but it's the only life she knows and she tries to make the best of it.

This novel isn't just about surviving in the apocalyptic world. It's really about relationships and human connections. I loved the way the author wrote the novel, with its slow build and the links between the present and the past. The old and the new. I'm usually not very fond of novels that go back and forth between past and present, but it was done beautifully in this book. I especially loved how the graphic novel Station Eleven ties into the novel. While not an integral part of the story, the graphic novel somehow allows Kirsten to stay grounded and it also somehow gives her hope. It allows her to remember the past, but also look forward to a brighter future. Personally, I would love for the graphic novel to get published in real life. It's a "fictional" graphic novel, but the author somehow makes you believe it's real. I can almost imagine the art within the covers and the possible outcome of the story.

I can't classify this novel in science-fiction because although it's set in the future, there are no futuristic elements in the novel. It's not dystopian either because there's no global or nation-wide society that promotes oppression and control. Post-apocalyptic might be the best sub-genre, but honestly I want to believe it's more than that. It's about humanity, and its constant need to survive. It's about optimism and our need to leave our mark behind. Many of the key players in this storyline haven't survived past the first few days of the epidemic, however, they   somehow have managed to mark Kirsten's life, even in death.

Station Eleven is a beautiful, dark and fascinating book. While not long very long, it still took me a while to read it. I kept pausing after a few chapters in order to absorb the story and the scenery as much as possible. I highly recommend it, to anyone, even if you're reluctant to read this certain genre.

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Posted by Tynga at 02:37

 canada, Emily St. John Mandel, future, Penguin Random House, Post-Apocalypse, Purchased, Review, virus  1 Person left their mark

Stacking The Shelves

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!

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 Y'all!  It has been so long since I've hosted Stacking the Shelves.  I have so many books in my stack!  Don't worry- I won't make this post miles long; I'll list many of them and only highlight a few.

It's the holiday season!  It got suddenly very cold here where I live yesterday, and that just makes it feel all the more Christmas-y.  :)  We also just got back from a vacay with our boy- we went to see the Biltmore House all decked out in Christmas cheer- and so my little family is in full-on Christmas spirit now.  How about y'all?  Are you celebrating a holiday this month?  Are you ready?  Are you eating so much?  lol  And what books are on your wish list?

First, a sorta-Santa pic of the boy.  I can't resist sharing.

Now, the ARCs:  I got The Book Jumper by Mechthild Glaser at a work function, and The Playbook by Kwame Alexander from a work mentor.  I picked up The Book Jumper based entirely on it's cover (which I know you're not supposed to do, but I do all the time) and my work mentor gave me The Playbook when she saw me reading Booked.

And new books!  The giving season has begun, and I love love love finding packages in my mailbox shaped like books.  :)  Coworkers gave me Kendra by Coe Booth, Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and  David Levithan, and 37 Things I Love (in No Particular Order) by Kekla Magoon.  A local church was giving out free copies of The Hero of Hacksaw Ridge one day at the town's main intersection.  My aunt sent me Christmas Hearts by Tim Roehl.  And I participated in a Secret Santa exchange via The Broke and the Bookish blog, and received Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes, Spot's First Walk, and Llama Llama Jingle Bells.  (The last two are board books for me to share with the boy, of course.)

And finally, the library.  Ohmygoodness.... I have an addiction.  Thank goodness library books are free (when returned on time)!  Rich and Pretty by Rumaan Alam, Booked by Kwame Alexander, Reagan: The Life by H.W. Brands, Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary, Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary, Ramona and Her Mother by Beverly Cleary, Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary, Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary, Ramona Forever by Beverly Cleary, Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary, Ramona's World by Beverly Cleary, Animals That Make Me Say Ewww! by Dawn Cusick, Animal Tongues by Dawn Cusick, Get the Scoop on Animal Poop! by Dawn Cusick, Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio, Let Them Eat Dirt by B. Brett Finlay and Marie-Claire Arrieta, March: Book One by John Lewis, Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas, Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas, The Group by Mary McCarthy, The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige, and The Red Bandanna by Tom Rinaldi.

And what about you?  What did you bring home this week?  Leave your link!

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Posted by Tynga at 01:43

 Stacking The Shelves  13 People left their mark

Stacking The Shelves {236}

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!

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 Hello everyone! Sorry it's been so quiet on the blog lately, we are all pretty busy with Christmas time around the corner!

I do not have any  books to show you as I haven't purchased anything lately. I have more than enough books to keep me busy already lol

I did buy Sia's latest CD though, which is pretty awesome!

Since it's Christmas time I had to take pictures of my girls for those Cards! So here are a few :D

I hope all your shopping is almost over so you can avoid the craziness in the stores, and that you buy a couple of books!

Please show me what you got this week :D

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Posted by Tynga at 00:07

 Stacking The Shelves  20 People left their mark

Stacking The Shelves [235]

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!

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Happy weekend everyone! It's getting pretty cold here in my corner of the world, but quite honestly, not as cold as it usually gets this time of year. We had a little bit of snow and then it melted. That rarely happens around this time of year! Global warming is definitely underway, no matter what some uneducated people say.

Now on to books. I've been saving up for the upcoming holidays so my Stacking the Shelves are a little bare lately. However, I did buy one book for my kindle this week. I discovered a great sci-fi novel last week and I couldn't resist getting the second book right away.

Purchased

Trident's Forge by Patrick S. Tomlinson

What did you add to your shelves?

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Posted by Tynga at 00:00

 Stacking The Shelves  12 People left their mark