May 23, 2017
From Our TBR Pile

Review: Damned

Damned
By: Chuck Palahniuk
Website: http://chuckpalahniuk.net/
Release Date: October 18th, 2011
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Rating:


When you think of Chuck Palahniuk I’m sure most people think of perhaps his most well known work, Fight Club, which I understand, given how well written it is and what a hit the move became. But, let’s look at another work of his that is just as sharp and witty to read as Fight Club. I might not have loved it as much, and it seems many fans agree, but still the book is worth the read if you can get into it.

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May 20, 2017
From Our TBR Pile Manga & Light Novels New & Upcoming Releases

Review – Revolutionary Girl Utena Vol. 1 by Chiho Saito

Revolutionary Girl Utena Vol. 1
By: Chiho Saito
Release Date: March 23, 2017
Publisher: VIZ Media; Shojo Beat
Series: Revolutionary Girl Utena #1
Rating:


Sometimes there’s a book I just need. The gorgeous boxed set of Revolutionary Girl Utena was exactly that. I’ll be honest. I’m low-key obsessed with the anime of the same name. I watch it from start to finish a few times a year. Despite this, I never read the manga. Well, now’s my chance! This is the first volume in a two volume boxed set by Be-Papas, the creative collective behind Revolutionary Girl Utena, and Chiho Saito, the mangaka.

And who can resist a beautiful hardcover edition of a manga?

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May 09, 2017
From Our TBR Pile

Review: 45 Pounds (More or Less)

45 Pounds (More or Less)
By: K.A. Barson
Release Date: July 11, 2013
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Rating:


Fat. It sounds like a dirty word, doesn’t it? It’s something you shouldn’t call someone or, heaven forbid, even say in front of someone who isn’t the societal norm of the perfect weight. In this book we see how one teenager takes on this word, her own body and, most importantly, her view of herself, to become the person she feels she needs to be.

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May 02, 2017
From Our TBR Pile

Review – Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Scythe
By: Neal Shusterman
Website: http://www.storyman.com/
Release Date: November 22, 2016
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Series: Arc of a Scythe #1
Award: Michael L. Printz Honor (2017)
Rating:


Here’s a book that I’ve had on my shelf for some time. Now that I think about it, I’ve had this almost since its release date way back in November of 2016. Ah, the bane of the to-read shelf, or shelves, as the case may be. (Yeah, I know. I’m not proud of my book binge buying and not reading habits). Scythe by Neal Shusterman is a young adult dystopian novel about two apprentice scythes, people who ‘glean’ (see: murder) others as a means of population control in a futuristic, utopic world.

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Apr 30, 2017
From Our TBR Pile

Review – Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

Binti
By: Nnedi Okorafor
Website: http://www.nnedi.com/
Release Date: September 22, 2015
Publisher: Tor.com
Series: Binti #1
Award: Hugo Award for Best Novella (2016); Nebula Award for Best Novella (2015); Locus Award Nominee for Best Novella (2016)
Rating:


I was pretty excited when I finally got my copy in this book. Binti by Nnedi Okorafor is a beautifully written, captivating novella that has won both the Nebula and Hugo awards. It’s been on my radar for quite some time, and, finally, I’ve gotten a chance to read it.

You’ve probably heard of this book, but what’s it about, exactly?

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Apr 25, 2017
From Our TBR Pile

Review – Phoenix by S. F. Said

Phoenix
By: S. F. Said
Release Date: (Original) August 1, 2013; (US Release) October 11, 2016
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Award: Carnegie Medal Nominee (2014)
Rating:


Phoenix by S. F. Said is a book which, apparently, has been on my to-read shelf on Goodreads since its original release in 2013. I discovered it at the library, bright orange cover leaping off the shelf, as bright orange covers tend to do. I truly loved this book. Really. Honestly. It was a sit down after dinner and finish it in one go sort of a book, the sort you find only rarely. Surprisingly, this isn’t a book I’ve heard very much about. So, here I am, singing its praises from the proverbial rooftop.

But first, what exactly is this book about?

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Apr 22, 2017
From Our TBR Pile

Review – Toru: Wayfarer by Stephanie R. Sorensen

Toru: Wayfarer
By: Stephanie R. Sorensen
Release Date: February 17, 2016
Publisher: Palantir Press LLC
Series: Sakura Steam #1
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


Sometimes it’s a synopsis that catches your eye. Sometimes it’s the cover. Sometimes it’s the author’s name, or the genre. For me, it was the setting the setting and cover design. Toru: Wayfarer by Stephanie R. Sorensen is a book that’s been on my radar since it was first released back in February of 2016. When I finally got my hands on a copy, I was quite the excited bookworm.

Unfortunately, the excitement didn’t last.

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Apr 18, 2017
From Our TBR Pile

Review: Shadow and Bone (The Grisha, #1)

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha, #1)
By: Leigh Bardugo
Website: http://www.leighbardugo.com/index1.html
Release Date: June 5th, 2012
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Series: The Grisha Series
Award: Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award Nominee for Young Adults (2014), Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (2014), Lincoln Award Nominee (2014), Prix Elbakin.net for Meilleur roman fantasy traduit Jeunesse (2013)
Rating:


When you hear an author’s name enough you become interested. I had heard of Leigh Bardugo a lot lately and decided to give it a try. Six of Crows has had such rave reviews I was afraid to not like her style for something so widely loved. So, I chickened out of starting there and picked up her previously published trilogy, the Grisha trilogy, instead. (Plus, I had a gift card and got the box set.) So, let me tell you about the first book in the trilogy, Shadow and Bone.

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Apr 08, 2017
From Our TBR Pile New & Upcoming Releases

Review – Gauntlet by Holly Jennings

Gauntlet
By: Holly Jennings
Release Date: April 4, 2016
Publisher: Ace
Series: Arena #2
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


Never have I seen a second novel in a series so completely outdo the first in nearly every way. I’ll be honest here. I probably wouldn’t have picked up Gauntlet by Holly Jennings if the publisher hadn’t sent me a digital copy. I found Arena, the first book in the series, disappointing. I could see the potential within the novel and desperately wanted to love it, but found it fell short of the mark. I was hesitant to start reading Gauntlet.

It is immediately obvious that author has grown as a writer. Gauntlet is an exciting, suspenseful, near future sci-fi that will have you rooting for Kali and Team Defiance all the way. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. Because dear lord, people, that cliffhanger!

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