Stacking the shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews to highlight books received each week!

During the week of August 29th - September 4th I got...

Got dis bad boy in a trade! 

Also, got this in a trade finally, should have been another book in there, but I guess I'm just happy I finally got something.

Bought this because I just got the second one off Netgalley.

From Netgalley:

Pretty eventful week.

What'd you get that you're most excited about?

The Bookshelf Tag

I saw this tag on The Reading Petal and decided I'd do this. I haven't been tagged and I won't be tagging anyone! Enjoy!

Describe your bookshelf (or wherever it is you keep your books - it doesn't actually have to be a shelf!) and where you got it from:

The first shelf is where I have my hardcovers. I got this shelf from my boyfriend's mom because she bought a new furniture set and my one at home (before I moved to where I live now) was full.

The second shelf is where I have my paperbacks. I bought that shelf from Target because the first one was full, but then I did some books for trade and donated a TON to the library, and moved my picture books/scrapbooks/yearbooks to a different location. And now I most certainly don't need two shelves, but now I have an excuse to buy lots more books!

Do you have a special or different way of organizing your books?

Not really. I guess I just have the series together and then the bottom shelf of each bookcase is adult books. And they're kinda organized by size as well.

What is the thickest/biggest book on your shelf?

And the thinnest?

I got this book in like early high school or middle school out of one of those scholastic book orders that they hand out for you or order books out of. Those were always fun when my dad would let me order some. Honestly though, I don't know why I was buying books of love poetry??

Is there a book from a friend on your shelf?

My sister got this book for me for Christmas last year I think.

Most expensive book?

I don't know. One of them hardcovers.

The last book you read on your shelf?

Zodiac by Romina Russell was the last book I read!

Do you have more than one copy of a book?

I have:
Red Queen in hardcover and ARC form.
Brightly Woven in hardcover, paperback, and ARC form.
The Darkest Minds in hardcover, ARC, and paperback (x2) form.
Never Fade in hardcover, ARC, and paperback form.

My sister and my grandma are borrowing a couple of them so that's why they're not ALL pictured.

Do you have the complete series of any book series?

Here's a few that are pictured.

I have:

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Legend by Marie Lu

The Scarlet Wakefield series by Lauren Henderson

Harry Potter by JK Rowling

The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis

The 100 by Kass Morgan

I think that's it...

What is the most recently published book on your shelf?

The oldest book on your shelf:

A book you've won:

I've never won a book before that I can think of.

A book you'd hate to let out of your sight (aka a book you'd never let someone borrow):

I don't really have any friends who borrow my books. I let my sister and my grandma borrow them, but they are good about keeping them fairly perfect looking.

Most beat up book?

I got this book in a class auction my 4th/5th grade teacher held like twice a year where we could buy stuff with points we got for good behavior and stuff. Yeah, I wrote my name on the cover (can't really see it anymore, but I wrote it small above the H in Harry Potter), and decided duct tape would be the best way to fix a split spine or falling off cover or something. Brilliant.

Most pristine book?

Most of them are all pretty equally pristine.

A book from your childhood?

I think that most of my childhood books are back home at my dad's or lost in a storage unit of my mom's.

A book that is not actually your book?

Last time we went to the bookstore, the boyfriend actually bought more books than I did??? He doesn't read?? But he bought this, Moby Dick, and a really elaborately fancy Bible?? He sits down and reads them sometimes too???

A book with a special/different cover (e.g. leather bound, soft fuzzy cover, etc.)?

A book that is your favorite color?

A book that has been on your shelf the longest that you still haven't read?

I got these books from my grandma. She said they were really good. I haven't read them and I've had them on my shelf for several years..... I don't even know what they're about.

Any signed books?

First ever signed book that I ordered from Apollycon or something like that!

I found this one at a Barnes and Noble!

I just ordered this one from Bookitcon!

This one my sister found at Barnes and Noble at the same time as I got Atlantia. She only bought it because it was signed. It's the fifth book in a series. She gave it to me because she's never going to read it!

I got this one in a trade. And it's kinda cool that it's signed to Raquel because in Spanish 1-3 in high school, that was the name I always chose for myself when we had to pick names.

I also ordered a signed:

Queen of Shadows

A Court of Thorns and Roses

Truthwitch

Something Strange and Deadly

A Darkness so Strange and Lovely

Strange and Ever After

Six of Crows

Ice Like Fire

I wish that I lived somewhere that I could get books signed, but alas, no one comes to South Dakota.

I'm not going to tag anyone to do this, but if you have any desire to do it, I would love to see it!

Review: Zodiac by Romina Russell

Zodiac #1

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date: December 9, 2014

Rating: 3 Stars

Source: ARC trade

Pages: 336

Add it on Goodreads!

Summary (from Goodreads):

Rhoma Grace is a 16-year-old student from House Cancer with an unusual way of reading the stars. While her classmates use measurements to make accurate astrological predictions, Rho can’t solve for ‘x’ to save her life—so instead, she looks up at the night sky and makes up stories.

When a violent blast strikes the moons of Cancer, sending its ocean planet off-kilter and killing thousands of citizens—including its beloved Guardian—Rho is more surprised than anyone when she is named the House’s new leader. But, a true Cancerian who loves her home fiercely and will protect her people no matter what, Rho accepts.

Then, when more Houses fall victim to freak weather catastrophes, Rho starts seeing a pattern in the stars. She suspects Ophiuchus—the exiled 13th Guardian of Zodiac legend—has returned to exact his revenge across the Galaxy. Now Rho—along with Hysan Dax, a young envoy from House Libra, and Mathias, her guide and a member of her Royal Guard—must travel through the Zodiac to warn the other Guardians.

But who will believe anything this young novice says? Whom can Rho trust in a universe defined by differences? And how can she convince twelve worlds to unite as one Zodiac?

This is a book that I have been wanting to read for quite some time for two reasons. The first being JUST LOOK AT THE COVER! And the second being because I found the fact that it was based on astrological signs to be very interesting! I enjoyed this book overall, but I didn't love it as much as I had expected to!

Rhoma Grace, or just Rho, has a real knack for reading the stars, but she does it her own way which gets her in trouble in the beginning of the story because she doesn't show how she comes to her conclusions. But she sees a weird pattern in the stars, but no one believes her that it's probably something bad. So she goes on with her life and is about to play a gig with her band when there is a violent blast that strikes the four moons of Cancer and MANY people die, including the current Guardian of Cancer. She is taken to a space station with the rest of the survivors from the blast and is taken aside and tested and named the new Guardian of Cancer, much to her surprise. She makes her first official act as Guardian a mission to go warn the other Houses about the impending danger to their planets with her advisor, Mathia, and the diplomatic envoy from Libra, Hysan. The only problem with her plan is that no one believes her so her biggest challenge is finding a way to prove it and get the Houses to all get along with each other again.

Rho is the main character of this story. I liked her. I think she might have been kind of dumb sometimes, but I liked her. She was selfless. She was definitely very determined. She told everyone her story of what she saw in the stars even though it seemed way too far fetched to be true. No one believed her, but that never stopped her from at least attempting to warn everyone who immediately needed warning. She was brave to do a lot of the things that she did even though it very well could have been the end of her. 

Mathias is Rho's self appointed Advisor. They had a previous 'relationship' before they really met in the story. They always hung out in the same area and they basically just watched each other for years until she appointed him as her Advisor. I didn't like him. I never found him to be entirely pleasant. He CONSTANTLY doubted Rho and tried to get her to stop doing what she was doing. And he was constantly trying to fight with Hysan and I was basically just over him.

Hysan is the diplomatic envoy from Libra. Rho and Matthias take off on their mission to warn the Houses in his ship. So he ends up tagging along with them. I liked him. He was SO MUCH more pleasant than Mathias. He believed Rho even though her story sounded so crazy and no one else could see what she was seeing in the stars. He was kind and always seemed to be smiling and just so much better than Mathias all around in my opinion.

There is definitely a love triangle in this book. I don't understand it. It seemed to me that for most of the book, one of them is the clear pick! But that's not necessarily the case and I just didn't enjoy it! She says she has feelings for both of them. So obnoxious!

Besides Mathias and the love triangle there are two other things that bother me. One of them being how after the blast no one could find her family, they were missing. Then they were found. Then they were missing again. And it just felt like it kept going back and forth and I guess I could have maybe not read it as clearly as I should have, but that bugged me. Also the fact that not a single person even would consider that Rho's story was true even after all that had already happened, but then one more even happens and suddenly EVERYONE believes her and thinks she's totally sane again and I didn't feel like the way that went was very believable.

Overall, I really did enjoy this book. I found the astrology part of this book to be super interesting. Although, as a Sagittarius, I definitely don't think that I would fit in with the group from this book. I am like the opposite of curious. I am very excited to read the next book and I think that I'm probably going to buy the hardcover of this book! I need that beauty to be on my shelf forever!!

Also since I am doing Bookish Bingo, I have just crossed off the Science Fiction square with this one!

What did you think of this book if you've read it?

Waiting on Wednesday (#12)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting for...

Never Never by Brianna Shrum

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Publication Date: September 22, 2015

Pages: 368

Add it on Goodreads!!

Summary (from Goodreads):

James Hook is a child who only wants to grow up.

When he meets Peter Pan, a boy who loves to pretend and is intent on never becoming a man, James decides he could try being a child—at least briefly. James joins Peter Pan on a holiday to Neverland, a place of adventure created by children’s dreams, but Neverland is not for the faint of heart. Soon James finds himself longing for home, determined that he is destined to be a man. But Peter refuses to take him back, leaving James trapped in a world just beyond the one he loves. A world where children are to never grow up.

But grow up he does.

And thus begins the epic adventure of a Lost Boy and a Pirate.

This story isn’t about Peter Pan; it’s about the boy whose life he stole. It’s about a man in a world that hates men. It’s about the feared Captain James Hook and his passionate quest to kill the Pan, an impossible feat in a magical land where everyone loves Peter Pan.

Except one. 

I keep seeing things about this book everywhere and it sounds so fantastic and I am excited to read it!

Top Ten Tuesday (#10)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish!

This week's topic is top ten book characters that you just didn't click with!

And here are the characters that I just couldn't find myself clicking with...

1. Meadow Woodson from The Death Code by Lindsay Cummings

I don't remember feeling like she was so horribly unpleasant in The Murder Complex, but for the entire second book, I just couldn't find a single moment where I actually liked Meadow. I thought that she was incredibly unpleasant to everyone around her and most of those unfortunate people were there to help her save her family so she just needs to frickin chill.

2. Jessamy from Court of Fives by Kate Elliott

I don't think that Jessamy was really that bad of a character. I think that I really could learn to like her, but I felt like she just used Kal. They barely knew each other. They had like, run into each other twice and she's all up in his business, "Hey, you don't really know me, but do this thing for me that could get you, me, and everyone else involved in trouble. You're a lord, you can do whatever, come on you wanna be cool, don't you?"

3. Nesta from A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

In general, I didn't like any of Feyre's family. But I HATED (I can't put into words how much I hated her honestly) Nesta. In the end, she does redeem herself, but jeez she was unpleasant. She was mean and inconsiderate to Feyre who does all this hard to work to support her dad and two sisters who all seem to think that they're still wealthy and won't lift a hand willingly to do a little work around the house. And then they try to weasel every last cent out of Feyre for things that they truly don't need. And she tried to say she only did it to see if they're dad would lift a finger and try to work. Yeah, well, he probably won't so your plan will backfire. Sit down and shut up and wear your perfectly fine boots and be happy.

4. Rhysand from A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

The only positive thing that I can say about him is that, if it weren't for him, Feyre probably would have been a goner at some point. But he is just creepy. I don't care what is wrong in your life, you don't do what he did. From his creepy oath to his creepy method of entertaining himself while trying to make Tamlin jealous, everything about him is just icky. Reevaluate your life and your choices.

5. Warner from Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

I don't remember a whole lot about this series. I only read the first one and Destroy Me and I just couldn't continue on after that. I don't care how much he changed throughout the books, that was a bad relationship right there. That was wrong. He is icky and gross.

6. Tariq from The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Okay, I've been looking at this list for two days and am not really coming up with anyone beyond the first five. I don't really dislike Tariq, but I just felt like he was kind of possessive of Shazi. And he went around acting more on what he thought was best and what he wanted for Shazi rather than what Shazi wanted for Shazi and that is why I wanted to kick him in the head for a little bit.

7. Professor Umbridge from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I think that this one just goes without saying. She was pretty much a raging witch. With a capital B.

8. Manon from Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Okay, I really didn't care for any of the witches in this book at all. I thought they were just kinda awful. Like, I can't even remember anything specific. I'm really just desperate to come up with ten characters. But I really didn't care for her.

9. Amaya from Court of Fives by Kate Elliott

She acted like she was such a princess and the rest of her sisters were just beneath her and got all uppity every time someone else got attention from a man and it was just annoying and I hated her.

10. Paisley from Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

I'm really just digging for a character at this point, but I really thought that Aria's friend, Paisley, was annoying. She was only in the book for like a chapter and I don't remember why, but I just couldn't stand her.

Who are some characters that you just didn't like?