Stacking the Shelves [326]

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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My full stack over at Reading Reality isn't much bigger than this one. But this feels like a good weekend to get lost in a good book (or several) and possibly not emerge for a couple of years. YMMV.

I do have some interesting things to tease you with this week. Two are preorders and one is a book that won't be out until January, but they are definitely the ones that have me most intrigued this week!

The Consuming Fire (Interdependency #2) by John Scalzi

Embrace the Passion (Pets in Space #3) by a host of terrific SFR authors

Untouchable (Cutler, Sutler & Salinas #3) by Jayne Ann Krentz 

Please link your STS post in the linky below:

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Posted by Marlene Harris at 08:00

 Stacking The Shelves, sts  7 People left their mark

Stacking the Shelves {325}

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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I picked up kind of a wacky stack this week over at Reading Reality. I got some books for a couple of American Library Association committees that I'm on. For once Amazon managed to throw some books that looked interesting at me through one of their "if you looked at this you might like that" promotions. And a couple of favorites have new books coming out.

So many books, so little time!

The Arrows of the Heart (Uncharted Realms #4) by Jeffe Kennedy

Dark Queen Rising (Margaret Beaufort #1) by Paul Doherty

Winter at the Beach (Moonlight Harbor #2) by Sheila Roberts

Please link your STS post in the linky below:

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Posted by Marlene Harris at 08:00

 Stacking The Shelves, sts  12 People left their mark

Stacking the Shelves [324]

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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Here in the southern United States this is Hurricane Florence weekend. I'm in Atlanta, which is way inland, so all we're expecting is rain. At the moment (Friday afternoon) it looks like it's going to miss us. Of course, that could change by the time you read this.

But if we do have a major rainy day on Sunday, as currently predicted, it should be a great day for reading - and cuddling (or huddling) with the cats!

Speaking of reading, here's a few of the books I picked up this week. My full stack is over at Reading Reality, of course.

So many books, so little time!

California Girls by Susan Mallery

The Mortal Word (Invisible Library #5) by Genevieve Cogman

Rebel Hard (Hard Play #2) by Nalini Singh

Please link your STS post in the linky below:

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Posted by Marlene Harris at 08:00

 Stacking The Shelves, sts  11 People left their mark

Buried Heart by Kate Elliott

Buried Heart by Kate Elliott

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: High fantasy
Hardcover: 467 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release date: July 25, 2017

Series: Court of Fives, #3

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Choose between your parents.

Choose between your friends.

Choose between your lovers.

Choose who you are.

On the run from the murderous King Nikonos, Jessamy must find a way for her beloved Kalliarkos to take his rightful place on the throne. Only then can he end the oppression of the Commoners by their long time Patron overlords. But Kal's rise to power is fraught with manipulation and shocking decisions that make Jes question everything they promised each other. As their relationship frays and Jes's family and friends beg her for help, will she cast Kal and her Patron heritage aside? Will she finally join--even lead--the rebellion that had been burning among the Commoners for years?

This explosive finale of World Fantasy Award finalist Kate Elliott's Court of Five series forces Jessamy to confront an inescapable truth: with or without her, the revolution has begun.

If you recall, my earlier reviews noted how hard it is to continue this book as a standalone. I recommend reading the series all at once due to the complicated political and familial nuances that are hard to grasp from one book to the next. This final novel in the Court of Fives series has allowed Jessamy and Kal to both come into their own forms of leadership, Kal's obviously because of his birthright, but Jessamy too for her parents' leadership positions and her own cunning reputation as Spider. The tensions between the Efeans and the Saroese are high, and Kalliarkos and his allies plus Jessamy and the Efean rebellion are all treading treacherous ground in evading Prince Nikonos's forces and then Lord Gargaron's own house. The game for the Efean throne has a lot of players and everyone Jessamy loves seems to be on different sides. Jessamy herself has more inner conflict to resolve as she's still trying to understand what parts of her are Saroese and what are Efean and even, what make up neither that is uniquely her.

"Heartbreak is the wine of poets."

As foreshadowed earlier in the series, Jessamy's status as half-Efean presents a big relationship gap between her and Kal, and with his Kingship and Jessamy's position as his lover, her race and gender make her easier to be pushed aside as illegitimate by Lord Gargaron or even at risk of assassination. Though Kal would insist she be legitimate rather than his mistress, Jessamy will never command the respect due a queen, neither would the people embrace a "mule" heir. Jessamy must face humiliation and the obvious machinations to seduce Kal despite their affections, but even with the threat of being a pawn against Kal, Jessamy shows her courage and talent as a Fives strategist. Her strength of cunning is what pushes this book to its powerful conclusion.

I loved this book and this series. The conflicts of gender, race, class, family, and morality are so well-drawn and real. The best things in this series, though, are Jessamy and Kal. Both challenge all the stereotypes of their world and use their actions to change the game, change their worlds. Jessamy's parents are atypical YA parents because they have strong relationships with her and show they love her and want the best for her and to keep her safe, but Jessamy shows she's ready for more adult power in rebelling against them when they treat her like a child. Most of the time, she makes the difference in keeping her family alive, even if she actually just doesn't understand their reasoning. It's a really beautiful coming-of-age story with a fierceness of love, loyalty and sacrifice. There are some epic twists at the end, and despite these minor heartattacks, the finale is ultimately satisfying. If you've been missing out on this subtle but powerful fantasy series, what are you waiting for?

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Posted by Kara at 07:00

 Buried Heart, Court of Fives, High Fantasy, Kate Elliott, Little Brown, Review, young adult  Leave your mark

Stacking the Shelves {323]

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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Did you miss me last week? Kara certainly had some interesting books. I also love the Lord John series by Diana Gabaldon, and have a copy of Seven Stones to Stand or Fall somewhere in the towering TBR pile.

Which never stops me from adding new books! Here are a few teasers from this week's Stacking the Shelves over at Reading Reality:

Cat Chase the Moon (Joe Grey #21) by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

The City of Lost Fortunes (Crescent City #1) by Bryan Camp

Nightchaser (Endeavor #1) by Amanda Bouchet

Please link your STS post in the linky below:

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Posted by Marlene Harris at 08:00

 Stacking The Shelves, sts  8 People left their mark

Stacking the Shelves [322]

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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Wow! Summer flew by and we were so busy I didn't have much time to read with all of our life changes. It was a whirlwind! Is that how it felt for you all? Here are the books I've missed posting while I've been up to my ears in utter bedlam.

Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade by Diana Gabaldon
Completed in July.
Probably my favorite versus the first one, but I like The Scottish Prisoner best. There were many unanswered questions/loose threads and that Percy bit was shocking but also...not quite what I expected. I'm going to have to read books 6-8 again, I think, if another book comes out.

Lord John and the Hand of Devils by Diana Gabaldon
Completed in July.
I didn't like most of these as much as anything else, but story #3 was my favorite.

Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon
Completed in July.
I read everything non-Lord John in this book after finishing the main set of novels, but enjoyed going back to finish them all. Now I only have to read the graphic novel, The Exile!

Broken by C. J. Lyons
Completed in July.
July's teen book club pick -- an earlier, more horrific and less mature version of Nicola Yoon's Everything, Everything. Enjoyed, especially talking about the psychology of it and her hyperspeed at making trustworthy friends at a new school.

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner
Completed in July.

This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner
Completed in July.

Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner
Completed in July.
I am still over here missing the Illuminae series, so I finally had some time to snatch all three of her first series. I enjoyed them, but they definitely feel more space opera than space epic. Still great even if the added level of Illuminae's genius was the vast variety of narrative formats and the art. This also has the romance, space, mystery, a bit of adventure, a big villain and strong characters.

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Recently completed.
Our teen book club pick for August!
I was trying to debate whether I could review this because of the alchemy, but I think I landed on just not fantasy/scifi enough. Still, an entertaining, lighthearted romp that touches on sensitive topics but overall rings with genuine wit and devilish adventure. I cannot wait for the second book because I loved Felicity and want to read more about reformed rake Monty. (If you're a fan of historical romances, this is that but for teens with an LGBTQ spin.)

The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Recently completed.
I read the first in the series a while back because I got a signed copy at ALA for my friend and ended up reading the whole story on the plane ride. Love. Did not know there was a second (because I've got my hands full with teen lit, let alone paying attention to children's fiction!), and was ecstatic to find it on the shelf one day. I cried through the latter third of the book. So, so, so good WWII historical fiction for children and Ada's voice holds honesty and bluntness but such sharp perception of her world. Plus, she loves horses. I'm going to buy this series so my children will have it.

Tortall: A Spy's Guide by Tamora Pierce, Julie Holderman, and Timothy Liebe
Recently completed.
I've probably said it before, but Tamora Pierce is possibly my favorite older classic YA author, especially for fantasy and female heroines. This is not for every reader, but truly for big fans and those who might be aspiring writers or worldbuilders. Fascinating. Fantastic explanation of all the immortals, detailed timelines, and other interesting side conversations from the Tortall realm including all the details of how to be a spy for the Whisper Man.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Currently reading.
One of my favorite teens at the library has been on me to read this book. I'm in the process, but it's taking a lot longer to listen to the audiobook (read by Lin Manuel Miranda!) due to my podcast news addiction. I already known I'm in love with the voices of Ari and Dante though (. . . could be Lin Manuel, but I think more the writing). 

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Posted by Kara at 07:00

 Stacking The Shelves, sts  14 People left their mark