Stacking the Shelves (5) - The one with thirteen review galleys

Meme Hosted by Tynga's Reviews

Hey Everyone! Today is Stacking the Shelves day! Here we'll show you all the posts done for the past week including reviews, interviews, guest posts, giveaways, and memes as well as the books and swag we've gotten!! 

What Went On for the Past Two Weeks

Reviews 

Waiting on Wednesday

Launch of Messy Bun Designs!

on to the books...

The below books are all review books either from the author, publisher, blog tour host, NetGalley, or Edelweiss. Thanks everyone! 

 Indigo Awakening (The Hunted, #1) by Jordan Dane

Taken (Taken, #1) by Erin Brown

Pivot Point (Pivot Point, #1) by Kasie West

The Goddess Inheritance (Goddess Test, #3) by Aimee carter

Mila 2.0 by (Mila 2.0, #1) Debra Driza

'Til the World Ends (Blood of Eden, #0.5) by Julie Kagawa, Ann Aguirre, and Karen Duvall 

Unresisting (The Unresisting, #1) by Shane Morgan 

Manipulation (Shadows, #2) by Jolene Perry 

Insight (Shadows, #1) by Jolene Perry

Torched by Andrea Lynn Colt

Dark Return (Seeker, #2) by Taryn Browning

Reawakened (Angel Creek, #2) by Ada Adams

How To Get Over Your Ex by Nikki Logan

What did you get this week?

Mini Reviews: The Crimson Hunt and Crash

Title: The Crimson Hunt (Eldaen Light Chronicles)
Author: Victoria H. Smith
DOP: November 8, 2012
Genre(s): New Adult (Paranormal)
Rating: 2/5 stars
Add to Goodreads

The Crimson Hunt had the most amazing synopsis, however I was unfortunately disappointed when I started reading the novel. I felt the undeniable and unexplainable attraction to this mysterious guy was just so overly done in books. Also, the paranormal aspect of the novel started only halfway through the novel, where by then I was already restless and tired of the push and pull between them. Also, the love interest, Luca, does something that I could never forgive or get past so I couldn't digest the romance that went on and skimmed through any romantic moments between the two. This reminded me a bit of The Shadow Society with the people from the other world. Also the whole chosen one wasn't something that I liked. I just felt this novel was a bit too repetitive and I just didn't enjoy it. The only thing that I actually liked was her best friend and also Luca's parents. Other than that, this novel won't be a memorable one for me.

Title: Crash (Crash, #1)

Author: Nicole Williams

DOP: July 19, 2012

Genre(s): New Adult (Contemporary)

Rating: 4/5 stars

Add to Goodreads 

Wow, Crash took me on a whirl winded and scary ride. The main protagonist, Lucy experienced it all first handed and let me tell, I was afraid for her life and just intimidated by the world she ventured in and I was only the reader. Imagine how she felt huh? Anyways, Lucy meets Jude and they instantly start a relationship together. Granted it was immediate, but full of taunts, teases, and warnings to drop everything and run the other way. You didn't expect that huh? that last bit was told by Jude to Lucy multiple times. I, and Lucy herself, didn't take him seriously. I mean how many "bad boys" have you guys read in novels that turned out to be misunderstood caring guys? almost 100% of them! However Jude breaks that mold.. not just breaks, but shatters it to micro pieces. The company he keeps are so freaking scary and dangerous. Lucy ended up in near death situations, and in heart breaking ones too. Honestly I applaud Lucy for sticking to what she believes in and wants, any sane girl who feared for her life would have ran the other way in an instant. See here is my dilemma, I liked this novel (hence the 4 stars) but at the same time I was uncomfortable reading it. Jude would call himself trash every 5 seconds and I would be holding my breath for any more dangerous situations. So I really enjoyed this novel, but its the type of novel that you would need to take a long break from after you finish it, which is why I haven't picked up Clash yet. I am scared witless of what would happen next. All in all, Williams is a great story writer, I was always looking for that book that has an authentic bad boy and I guess I found it! Pick it up, its a great new adult novel. 

Review: Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Cursed 

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publication date: September 18, 2012

Genre(s): Young Adult (Paranormal)
Challenges: SARC

Source: Own
Format: Egalley

Pages: 288

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Dying sucks-- and high school senior Ember McWilliams knows firsthand. After a fatal car accident, her gifted little sister brought her back. Now anything Ember touches dies. And that, well, really blows.

Ember operates on a no-touch policy with all living things--including boys. When Hayden Cromwell shows up, quoting Oscar Wilde and claiming her curse is a gift, she thinks he's a crazed cutie. But when he tells her he can help control it, she's more than interested. There's just one catch: Ember has to trust Hayden's adopted father, a man she's sure has sinister reasons for collecting children whose abilities even weird her out.

However, she's willing to do anything to hold her sister's hand again. And hell, she'd also like to be able to kiss Hayden. Who wouldn't? But when Ember learns the accident that turned her into a freak may not have been an accident at all, she's not sure who to trust. Someone wanted her dead, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she is to losing not only her heart, but her life. For real this time.

Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout has been one of my most anticipated titles of 2012. I mean look at the gorgeous cover! and the main protagonist reminded me of Juliette from Shatter Me. Starting the novel, I had high expectations, I can't lie. However I knew a ton of people who were disappointed with this novel so I was wary of that. The first 50 or so pages were interesting, giving us the background history of Ember and how she got her gift, but curse is what she calls it. I also adored her little sister. However as soon as she gets relocated and treated like she is a monster by people who have their own gifts and understand the feeling of alienation from 'normal' people. 

I was not a fan of most of the secondary characters. They were a bunch of hateful, judgmental people and always loved to put Ember down when they had the chance. The secondary character I liked was Aunt Liz, who was the woman that took care of Ember's little sister. I really wanted to see more of Ember's little sister but she barely shows up after those 50 pages. We do get to see a ton of Hayden, her love interest. He was not afraid of her, didn't think of Ember as a monster and just wanted to help her and basically to stop thinking of herself as a monster and start thinking of what she has as a gift, not a curse. As far as supportive love interests go, Hayden tops them all. I also really enjoyed Ember's POV. While she was a bit hard on herself, anyone who went through her experience would be as messed up as she was. I also loved seeing the both of them interact together. They didn't do any of the push and pull we saw in The Lux series, they were true with their feelings and that was a refresher from the usual YA romances. 

Lastly is the mystery of the car accident and who is still out to get her. I had a huge hunch on who the person who was behind all this was and in the end I was right. I really hate it when the mystery is a bit too obvious. I wished there was a twist with the mystery, but I give jennifer props for explaining a bit about the parents and who they are. When you read Cursed, you'll get what I mean. I do recommend it to paranormal readers and fans of Armentrout. I did enjoy it overall. 

Other books by Jennifer L. Armentrout:

Obsidian (The Lux series #1)

Onyx (The Lux series #2)

Review: What Happen's Next by Colleen Clayton

Title: What Happens Next 

Author: Colleen Clayton

Publication date: October 9th, 2012

Publisher: Poppy

Genre(s): Young Adult (Contemporary)

Challenges: Contemporary, Debut

Source: Library
Format: Hardback

Pages: 320

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

How can you talk about something you can’t remember?

Before the ski trip, sixteen-year-old Cassidy “Sid” Murphy was a cheerleader (at the bottom of the pyramid, but still...), a straight-A student, and a member of a solid trio of best friends. When she ends up on a ski lift next to handsome local college boy, Dax Windsor, she’s thrilled; but Dax takes everything from Sid—including a lock of her perfect red curls—and she can’t remember any of it.

Back home and unable to relate to her old friends, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey “The Living Stoner” Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey (slacker, baker, total dreamboat), Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if she can just shake the nightmares and those few extra pounds, everything will be perfect... or so she thinks.

For a book to physically pain me, is nearly impossible. I don't know how Colleen Clayton managed to do that, but she did. While reading "What Happens Next", there were moments where I felt pain right in the middle of my heart, but there were also parts where I felt like my own body was feeling the pain. To read about such a sensitive topic as this, was hard. I've had a very close friend who experienced something like this, and I know it's also happened to so many girls out there. For me, I honestly enjoy reading realistic fiction, because it gets you to read about tough, life situations. Even though it was a bit painful to read about this book considering many girls went through the exact same thing, I'm still glad I did. What Happens Next made me learn things that I never actually knew, and it did open my eyes to a lot of things.

The main protagonist, Cassidy, also known as Sid, goes to a Ski trip with her school. Sid has always been a normal teenager. A straight A-student, a member of the cheerleading squad, and having her two best friends. Sid also always felt a bit unconfident about her looks. Thinking that just because she's got those extra curves, or those extra pounds, and that flashing red hair, that she's ugly and no boy would ever be interested in her. Therefore, in her Ski trip, she meets one handsome guy who actually seems to have an interest in her! The problem is that, Sid doesn't mind that he's a "few" years older, and when he invites her to a so-called party, she actually sneaks out and meets up with him. I was literally smacking my ipad screaming "NO NO WHAT ARE YOU DOING? ARE YOU CRAY CRAY?" That's like the first rule our parents teach us. NEVER go ANYWHERE with strangers! I just kept thinking, is she stupid? or is she that naive to actually just go to an address some stranger wrote for you on a paper? Anyhow, the damage is done, and things just get nasty.

After the incident, Sid really just broke my heart. Her situation was crazy. She lots her friends, and her social life practically got flushed down the toilet. Except for some students who thought her sneak out was cool. When Sid decides to help in the A/V room, she meets Corey, who is also known as "The Living Stoner" at her school. One thing that was weird, was that he wasn't hot!! Not like one of those dreamy bad boys we always read about in YA novels. I'm not sure if the fangirl in me really enjoyed that, but it was a different taste! I also liked how Corey really helped Sid through the difficulties she was facing, and boy, were those some difficulties. Like I said, Sid BROKE MY HEART! She was going through so much pain, and to keep that all inside, I know it must have torn her apart. She did crazy things, and was mentally and physically affected by what happened. I just wanted to kill her (again) for not confiding in anyone about what happened! Anyhow, I really loved the ending, and was really glad that things were starting to get better and better for her. It really pains me to know that girls are suffering from what Sid also suffered, and I really just want all of them to never give up, and not let what happened eat up all of their future and their dreams. I truly recommend What Happens Next to every young adult reader, especially the girls out there. 

Double Review: Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Destroy Me (Shatter Me #1.5)

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Publication date: October 2, 2012

Genre(s): Young Adult (Dystopian)
Challenges: Dystopian

Source: Own
Format: Egalley

Pages: 111

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

In Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me, Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner—and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of. . .

Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.

Set after Shatter Me and before its forthcoming sequel, Unravel Me,Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.

I must point out that I generally do not read novellas, however knowing that this novella is from Warner's POV and that it is set AFTER Shatter Me made me pick it up immediately. I've always had a soft spot for Warner and even mentioned in my review that no one is pure good or bad but only a result of their environment. Warner fit this perfectly in Shatter Me because we could tell he was struggling internally with himself. However in Destroy Me? oh god, you find out that Warner is really just a prisoner as Juliette was. He is a prisoner of his father and I understood. I knew that Warner hated who his father wanted him to be and that he just can't do it. I know why he killed the soldier in cold blood in Shatter Me and your heart further breaks. But most of all? his love for Juliett. The all consuming love he has for her and his need for her to see how similar they both are and how he gets her just broke my heart. Destroy Me is a book that really shows you who Warner really is. It is a book that is going to get tons of Adam fans to convert to Warner fans, I know I am officially Team Warner. Tahereh amazes me again with her short novella, her writing style is totally different from Shatter Me and fit quite well with Warner's voice. I honestly can't wait for Unravel Me to know which direction Tahereh is planning on taking with this amazing series!

Being a huge fan of Shatter Me, I was very excited to start this short novella, Destroy Me. The best part is that, it's told from Warner's point of view! While reading Shatter Me, I definitely had mixed feelings about Warner. I didn't know whether to like him, or whether to hate him. He was just one of those characters where you end up having a love/hate relationship with! Destroy Me starts off from a certain point in Shatter Me, but what I really loved is that we get to hear what Warner thinks about whatever happens, instead of Juliett. I think this novella really got me to connect with Warner much more, and know him as a character. I don't think i'd ever understand Warner if I've never read this book, and I'm so glad I did. I think I judged Warner, without actually knowing the feelings he has inside. That's why I'm going to thank God that I read this book, because I no longer have a love/hate relationship with Warner, but a LOVE LOVE relationship! Despite this book being short, there were also moments where it almost broke my heart. Y'all probably know how Tahereh Mafi writes, but if you don't, its so, oh God beautiful. Anyways, I cannot wait to open the pages of Unravel Me, and let Tahereh break my heart once again!

Other books by Tahereh Mafi:

Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1)

Waiting On Wednesday (33) - Shadowlands

Shadowlands by Kate Brian

Publication Date: January 8th, 2013

Publisher: Hyperion
Find on: Goodreads, Amazon, Book Depository, B&N

Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived… and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection with her father and sister, Darcy, leaving their friends and family without so much as a goodbye.

Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children, but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. But just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?

Serial Killer? Witness Protection? Shadowlands sounds like a book that will make  me itch to find the ending for! Also, going to a new town sounds like a fresh stars, but then a friend goes missing? GASP!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that showcases upcoming releases that we are excited about. 

    

The Launch of Messy Bun Designs + GIVEAWAY

Welcome to the launch of MESSY BUN DESIGNS! 

Messy Bun Designs is a new venture that I have started, outside blogging, for designing blogs! Art revolves around me. I'm all for designing, drawing, painting, editing, and basically anything that's considered art! 

I have a lot of free time right now, so that's where I got myself thinking, maybe I should start designing blogs! I have experience, and as you can see, I designed our blog(MajiBookshelf) as well. I'm more to the simple, cute designs, so if that's what your looking for, then great! 

The great news is, in order to advertise Messy Bun Designs, I will be having a giveaway for ONE lucky winner out there! The winner will get The Messy Bun package, worth 30$ + their own personalized drawing made by me, for their blog design.

Below are examples of some of my original art:

Fill the rafflecopter below, and that's all you need to do in order to participate in the fun! May the odds be in your favor! & Don't forget to head over to the Messy Bun Designs website!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway