Stacking the Shelves #13

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where you share what books you obtained over the week.

Tempest (Tempest #1) by Julie Cross

Vortex (Tempest #2) by Julie Cross

Salvation by Anne Osterlund

The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth LaBan

For My Nook

Isolation (Partials Sequence #0;5) by Dan Wells

What books did you get this week?

Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally

Book: Stealing Parker (Hundred Oaks #2)
Author: Miranda Kenneally
# of Pages: 242 (Paperback)
Challenge: 2013 TBR Pile Reading Challenge
Rating: 4 stars

From Goodreads:
Parker Shelton pretty much has the perfect life. She’s on her way to becoming valedictorian at Hundred Oaks High, she’s made the all-star softball team, and she has plenty of friends. Then her mother’s scandal rocks their small town and suddenly no one will talk to her.

Now Parker wants a new life.

So she quits softball. Drops twenty pounds. And she figures why kiss one guy when she can kiss three? Or four. Why limit herself to high school boys when the majorly cute new baseball coach seems especially flirty?

But how far is too far before she loses herself completely?

My Thoughts:
I absolutely adored Catching Jordan and I was very excited to read Stealing Parker.

The one thing I loved most about the book was Will. He is smart, funny, and kind, an overall awesome guy. I really do hope that he makes an appearance (even if it's a brief one) in Kenneally's future books.

Parker has to deal with a lot of crap after the incident with her mother.  I did sympathize with Parker, but I wish she would have stood up for herself rather than doing what she did. She is a good person. She just made some careless decisions. On a different note, Parker was a great friend, especially to Drew. She always considers his feelings and does everything she can for him.

Overall, Stealing Parker had some pretty memorable characters and was amazingly written. And although I did not love it as much as Catching Jordan, it was still a great book. If you have not yet read Kenneally's books, then I highly recommend that you do so.

Tomorrow is Today by Julie Cross

Book: Tomorrow is Today (Tempest #0.5)
Author: Julie Cross
# of Pages: 34 (ebook)
Challenge: 2013 Ebook Challenge
Rating: 4 stars

From Goodreads: The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, throws lots of parties, is interested in a girl he can’t have, and oh yeah, he can travel back through time.

But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

My Thoughts:
I loved how this story was told from a guy's point of view. Jackson is in college and can travel back in time. I was surprised by how much I liked Jackson. He was interesting and witty and I really want to know more about his time travelling ability. Holly, Jackson's love interest, has a mysterious element about her. Though she does not stand out as much as Jackson, I am just as curious to know more about her.

Overall, Tomorrow is Today was a very enjoyable read and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of Tempest.

Stacking the Shelves #12

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where you share what books you obtained over the week.

Crash (Visions #1) by Lisa McMann

Goodreads

Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky #2) by Veronica Rossi

Goodreads

Article 5 (Article 5 #1) by Kristen Simmons

Goodreads

Just One Day (Just One Day #1) by Gayle Forman

Goodreads

Easy by Tammara Webber

Goodreads

Ali's Pretty Little Lies (Pretty Little Liars #0.5) by Sara Shepard

Goodreads

For My Nook

Tomorrow is Today (Tempest #0.5) by Julie Cross

Goodreads

Origins: The Fire (Mila 2.0 #0.5) by Debra Driza

Goodreads

The Lies that Bind (The Liar Society #2) by Lisa and Laura Roecker

Goodreads

What books did you get this week?

2013 YA Contemporary Challenge

This challenge is hosted by Katie at Katie's Book Blog.

Levels:

Level 1: 5+ books

Level 2: 10+ books

Level 3: 15+ books

Rules:

You can read any contemporary YA novel that is published between January 1, 2013 and December 30, 2013 but you must read them in 2013. (All formats accepted: paperback, ARC, e-book).

For now, I'm going to go for Level 1.

Books:

• Just One Day by Gayle Forman
• Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook
• Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally
• Dare You To by Katie McGarry
• The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller
• If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

Pretty Little Secrets by Sara Shepard

Book: Pretty Little Secrets (Pretty Little Liars #4.5)
Author: Sara Shepard
# of Pages: 447 (Hardcover)
Rating: 3.5 stars

From Goodreads:
Rewind to junior year in Rosewood, Pennsylvania, to a winter break no one has ever heard about. . . .

Fat snowflakes fall onto manicured lawns, quilted stockings hang over marble fireplaces, and everyone is at peace, especially Hanna, Emily, Aria, and Spencer. Now that Alison’s murderer is in jail and A is dead, they can finally relax. Little do they know there’s a new A in town. . . .

Rule number one of being an effective stalker: Get to know your prey. So I watch these liars day and night, keeping an eye on the trouble they get into, the messes they make, and the secrets they keep. Hanna’s desperate for a very personal session with her gym trainer. Emily is number one on Santa’s naughty list. Aria’s old flame from Iceland is about to land her in hot water. And Spencer’s resorting to some backhanded tactics to get what she wants.

What happens on holiday break stays on holiday break—right? But guess what. I saw. And now I’m telling.

Taking place between "Unbelievable" and "Wicked," "Pretty Little Secrets" is a very special "Pretty Little Liars" tale revealing the liars’ never-before-seen misadventures over their junior-year winter break.(

My Thoughts:
This book has four short stories, one each for Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna. They take place during winter break or rather between books 4 and 5 of the PLL series. Although each story was interesting, the only one that stood out to me was Aria's.

All four girls does something bad. Yet, I do not remember any of their wrongdoings mentioned in the books that followed. There are also new and fascinating characters that are introduced and I'm wondering if any of them are going to reappear in the future.

Overall, the short stories were very intriguing, but I do not really see how they add to the plot of the PLL story unless they are somehow going to tie into the last couple books of the series.

Burned by Sara Shepard

Book: Burned (Pretty Little Liars #12)
Author: Sara Shepard
# of Pages: 336 (Hardcover)
Rating: 3.5 stars

Goodreads Summary
It's spring break, and the pretty little liars are trading in Rosewood for a cruise vacation. They want nothing more than to sail into the tropical sunset and leave their troubles behind for one blissful week. But where Emily, Aria, Spencer, and Hanna go, A goes, too. From scuba diving to tanning on the upper deck, A is there, soaking up all their new secrets.

Emily is smooching a stowaway. Aria's treasure-hunting partner is a little too interested in her booty. Spencer's going overboard trying to land a new boy. And a blast--or rather, a crash--from Hanna's past could mean rough waters ahead for everyone.

The liars better tighten their life jackets. A perfect storm is brewing, and if they aren't careful, A will bury them at sea. . . .

My Thoughts:
For spring break Spencer, Aria, Hanna, and Emily are going with their class on a cruise in the Caribbean. Although they are glad to be leaving Rosewood for a while, they cannot help but think about what happened during their spring break the year before.

The car accident Hanna was in the previous summer comes back to haunt her. Emily falls for a new girl. Spencer competes for a boy. And Aria gets a little too close to someone who could be a potential threat.

This was supposed to be the last book in the Pretty Little Liars series. But alas, Shepard extended it by another 2 books. Although there was an unexpected twist at the end of the book, I was disappointed that nothing big happened. Sure A caused a lot of chaos and fright, but I kept waiting for some great OMG moment to happen and it never did.

I've been trying to figure out who A is, but there are so many potential candidates that he/she could really be anyone. Also some of the things A is threatening and demanding of the girls are getting redundant. Aria keeps remembering something bad she did in Iceland during the summer but there has yet to be any specifics on it. Hopeuflly they will be revealed in the next book.

Overall, Burned was a good book, but I was disappointed with it's lack of wow factors that would have made it stand out from the other books in the series.

Rage Within by Jeyn Roberts

Book: Rage Within (Dark Inside #2)
Author: Jeyn Roberts
# of Pages: 354 (Hardcover)?????
Rating: 4.5 stars

Goodreads Summary
Aries, Clementine, Mason and Michael have survived the first wave of the apocalypse that wiped out most of the world’s population, and turned many of the rest into murderous Baggers. Now, they’re hiding out in an abandoned house in Vancouver with a ragtag group of surviving teens, and trying to figure out their next move. 

Aries is trying to lead, but it’s hard to be a leader when there are no easy answers, and every move feels wrong. Clementine is desperate to find her brother Heath, but it’s impossible to know where he’d be, even if he is still alive. Michael is still haunted by the memories of his actions during his harrowing struggle to survive. And Mason is struggling with something far worse: the fear that he may be a danger to his friends. 

As the Baggers begin to create a new world order, Aries, Clementine, Mason and Michael will have to trust and rely on each other in order to survive.(

My Thoughts:
Things are steadily getting worse. The Baggers are more organized now. Rounding up the survivors and trying to rebuild a world that they rule. Michael is trying to help Clementine find her brother. Aries is doing her best to be a good leader for the other teens and she is starting to feel the stress. Mason tries to keep to himself, though it is not easy in a house full of people.

I really liked how we get to see what happens to a couple of the characters before all the madness started. It's getting harder for them to survive and arguments are occurring more frequently. Despite all the craziness, there is a little romance.

I liked Mason in Dark Inside and grew to love him more in Rage Within. And I knew Clementine was tough, but she really kicked ass in this book. I seriously think that she should be the leader instead of Aries.

I haven't seen anything about a sequel. But after that ending there surely has to be one. Does anyone know if there is going to be one?

Overall, Rage Within was a spectaular read. It was dark, gripping, and it left me with chills.