Stacking the Shelves #30

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Review

From the Library:

My Invisible Boyfriend by Susie Day

Heidi has the perfect solution to her popularity problems - a fake boyfriend. She's even made him an Internet profile that makes him look like a motorcycle-riding, poetry reading bad boy. *swoon* Heidi's friends are so impressed they start emailing Heidi's fake boyfriend with their problems . . . including their problems with Heidi.

As if that weren't bad enough, a delicious and possibly single person called "A Real Boy" emails Heidi to say he knows the truth. Can Heidi escape from her world wide web of lies? OR will her chance at romance disappear faster than you can type gtg?

Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children's League call Ruby "Leader," but she knows what she really is: a monster.

When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children's League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America's children - and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts - has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future - and who now wouldn't recognize her.

As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam - and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart - she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?

Bought:

The Archived by Victoria Schwab

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened buy determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often-violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn't just dangerous - it's a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da's death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone, too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.

Defy by Sara B. Larson

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

Enders by Lissa Price

With the Prime Destinations body bank destroyed, Callie no longer has to rent herself out to creepy Enders. But Enders can still get inside her mind and make her do things she doesn't want to do. Like hurt someone she loves. Having the chip removed could save Callie's life - but it could also silence the voice in her head that might belong to her father. Callie has flashes of her ex-renter Helena's memories, too . . . and the Old Man is back, filling her with fear. Who is real and who is masquerading in a teen body?

Cinders & Sapphires by Leila Rasheed

Rose Cliffe has never met a young lady like her new mistress. Clever, rich, and beautiful, Ada Averley treats Rose as an equal. And Rose could use a friend. Especially now that she, at barely sixteen, has risen to the position of ladies' maid. Rose knows she should be grateful to have a place at a house like Somerton. Still, she can't help but wonder what her life might have been had she been born a lady, like Ada.

For the first time in a decade, the Averleys have returned to Somerton, their majestic ancestral estate. But terrible scandal has followed Ada's beloved father all the way from India. Now Ada finds herself torn between her own happiness and her family's honor. Only she has the power to restore the Averley name - but it would mean giving up her one true love . . . someone she could never persuade her father to accept.

Diamonds & Deceit by Leila Rasheed

London is a whirl of balls and teas, rivalries and alliances. Rose has never felt more out of place. With the Season in full swing, she can't help but feel still a servant, dressed up in diamonds and silk. Then she meets Alexander Ross, a young Scottish duke. She has heard the rumors about Alexander's sordid past, just like everyone else has. Yet he alone treats her as a friend. Rose knows better than to give her heart to an aristocrat with such a reputation, but it may be too late.

Ada is engaged to a handsome man who shares her political passions and has promised to support her education. So why does she feel hollow inside? Even if she hated Lord Fintan, she would have no choice but to go through with the marriage. Her father's heir seems determined to bring her family to financial ruin, and only a brilliant marriage can save Somerton Court and the Averleys' reputation.

Meanwhile, at Somerton, Sebastian is out of his mind with worry for his former valet, Oliver, who refuses to plead innocent to the murder charges against him - for a death caused by Sebastian himself. Sebastian will do whatever he can to help the boy he loves, but his indiscretion is dangerous fodder for a reporter with sharp eyes and dishonorable intentions.

Oddfellow's Orphanage by Emily Winfield Martin

What do an onion-headed boy, a child-sized hedgehog, and a tattooed girl have in common? They all live at Oddfellow's Orphanage!

Discover the magical, marvelous world of Oddfellow's through the eyes of its newest orphan, Delia. From the unusual students to classes in Cryptozoology and Fairy Tale Studies, from Haircut Day to a sea-monster-sighting field trip, nothing at Oddfellow's is ordinary . . . except when it comes to friendships. In that, Oddfellow's is like any other school, where children discover what they mean to each other while learning how big and astonishing the world really is.

For Christmas:

(because some were delayed)

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

It's 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. She devises a plan to get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in a police investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street.

Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in a quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Since his mother's death six years ago, Carter Kane has been living out of a suitcase, traveling the globe with his father, the brilliant Egyptologist Dr. Julius Kane. But while Carter's been homeschooled, his younger sister, Sadie, has been living with their grandparents in London. Sadie has just what Carter wants - school friends and a chance at a "normal" life. But Carter has just what Sadie longs for - time with their father. After six years of living apart, the siblings have almost nothing in common. Until now.

On Christmas Eve, Sadie and Carter are reunited when their father brings them to the British Museum, with a promise that he's going to "make things right." But all does not go according to plan: Carter and Sadie watch as Julius summons a mysterious figure, who quickly banishes their father and causes a fiery explosion.

Soon Carter and Sadie discover that the gods of Ancient Egypt are waking, and the worst of them - Set - has a frightening scheme. To save their father, they must embark on a dangerous journey - a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family and its links to the House of Life, a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

The Prophecy of Stones by Flavia Bujor

In a magical realm, three teenage girls - Jade, Opal, and Amber - are chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy. Although they meet as strangers, they must learn to trust one another with their lives as they embark on an epic journey, armed only with magical stones. On the day of their fourteenth birthdays, they set out on a quest that will require them to leave their homes and families to face fierce enemies in an effort to save an enchanted land called Fairytale, where magic reigns and evil is unknown.

At the same time, in a parallel world, a young girl named Joa fights for her life in a hospital bed in Paris. While she is dreaming, she is transported to a magical realm where three young heroines fight a spectacular battle. Their success or failure will determine the fate of Fairytale . . . and Joa's survival.

Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey

Wilde Island is in an uproar over the recent death of its king. The uneasy pact between dragons, fairies, and humans is fraying and the royal witch hunter begins a vengeful quest to hunt down girls with fire in their hearts and sparks in their soul.

Strong-willed Tess, a blacksmith's daughter from a tiny hamlet near the mysterious Dragonswood, wants more for herself than a husband and a house to keep. But in times like these, wanting more can be dangerous.

Accused of witchery, Tess and her two friends are forced to flee the violent witch hunter. The journey is bleaker than they ever imagined and they have no choice but to accept when an enigmatic huntsman offers them shelter in the dangerous Dragonswood. Staying with him poses risks of its own: Tess has no idea how to handle the attraction she feels for him - or the elusive call she hears from the heart of the Dragonswood.

Crossed by Ally Condie

Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his sure death - only to find that he has escaped into the majestic, but treacherous, canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life and the enthralling promise of rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices everything to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again.

The Death Cure by James Dashner

Thomas knows that WICKED can't be trusted. They stole his memories and locked him inside the Maze. They forced him to the brink of death by dropping him in the wilds of the Scorch. And they took the Gladers, his only friends, from him.

Now WICKED says that the time for lies is over. That they've collected all the data they can from the Trials and will rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission: to complete the blueprint for the cure for the Flare. But Thomas must undergo one final test.

What WICKED doesn't know, however, is that Thomas has already remembered far more than they think. And it's enough to prove that he can't believe a word of what WICKED says.

The time for lies is over. And the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever have imagined.

The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

Michael is a gamer. And like most gamers, he almost spends more time on the VirtNet than in the actual world. The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and it's addictive. Thanks to technology, anyone with enough money can experience fantasy worlds, risk their life without the chance of death, or just hang around with Virt-friends. And the more hacking skills you have, the more fun. Why bother following the rules when most of them are dumb, anyway?

But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And recent reports claim that one gamer is going beyond what any gamer has done before: he's holding players hostage inside the VirtNet. The effect are horrific - the hostages have all been declared brain-dead. Yet the gamer's motives are a mystery.

The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker.

And they've been watching Michael. They want him on their team. But the risk is enormous. If he accepts their challenge, Michael will need to go off the VirtNet grid. There are back alleys and corners in the system human eyes have never seen and predators he can't even fathom - and there's the possibility that the line between game and reality will be blurred forever.

Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle

In 1837 London, young daughters of viscounts pined for handsome, titled husbands, not careers. And certainly not careers in magic.

Shy, studious Persephone Leland would far rather devote herself to her secret magic studies than enter society and look for a suitable husband. But just as the inevitable season is about to begin, Persy and her twin sister discover that their governess in magic has been kidnapped as part of a plot to gain control of the Princess Victoria. Racing through Mayfair ballrooms and royal palaces, the sisters overcome bad millinery, shady royal spinsters, and a mysterious Irish wizard. And along the way, Persy learns that husband hunting isn't such an odious task after all, if you can find the right quarry.

Betraying Season by Marissa Doyle

Penelope Leland has come to Ireland to study magic and prove to herself that she is as good a witch as her twin sister, Persy. But when the dashing Niall Keating begins to court her, Pen can't help being distracted from her studies.

Little does Pen know Niall is acting upon the orders from his sorceress mother. And although it starts as a sham, Niall actually falls deeply in love with Pen, and she with him. Even if he halts his mother's evil plan, will Pen be able to forgive him for trying to seduce her into a plot? And what of Pen's magic, which seems to be increasingly powerful?

The Pale Assassin by Patricia Elliott

Spoiled, beautiful, and orphaned fourteen-year-old Eugenie de Boncoeur is accustomed to outrageous privilege. The French Revolution may rage around her, but Eugenie is far more interested in her over-the-top life of fancy parties, gorgeous dresses, and doting governesses. What Eugenie doesn't know is that her guardian has promised her in marriage to a wealthy revolutionary. Called Le Fantome for his ghostly white skin and chilling manner, he has long nursed a secret grudge against her family.

As the Revolution becomes increasingly violent, Eugenie dusts off her lightly used brains and rises to the challenge of survival. Soon she is in the thick of turmoil and romance, discovering shocking secrets and surprising loyalties in her desperate quest to get out of France alive. But wherever Eugenie goes, the pale assassin is never far away. . . .

The Traitor's Smile by Patricia Elliott

As the French Revolution rages around her, wealthy and beautiful aristocrat Eugenie de Boncoeur is no longer safe in her own country. She flees the bloody streets of Paris for her cousin Hetta's house in England, narrowly escaping the clutches of the evil Pale Assassin, who is determined to make her his wife. In England, Eugenie misses luxurious dresses and fancy parties, and she finds herself at odds with her fiercely political cousin. But just as Eugenie is beginning to accept her new life, the vengeful Pale Assassin sends her a chilling ultimatum. In a thrilling game of cat and mouse that takes Eugenie back to Paris in the grip of the Terror, she must remain one step ahead of him - for she is but one step ahead of him - for she is but one step away from the guillotine.

White Heat by K. M. Grant

After escaping the pyre, Raimon has taken the Blue Flame with him into hiding deep within the mountains of the Occitan. Although he longs to follow Yolanda to Paris, where she has been sent to marry Sir Hugh, he must instead fulfill his duty of protecting the Blue Flame and save their beloved country from the advancing forces set on destroying it.

In Paris, Yolanda ignores Sir Hugh's attempts to win her heart, even though she believes Raimon is dead. But as his war train, backed by the French king, heads for the Occitan, she must find a new way to fight for both her country and her own future.

Can Raimon and Yolanda's love survive all the ravages of a siege, a forced betrothal, and the growing divisions within their beloved homeland?

The Minister's Daughter by Julie Hearn

Conceived on May Morning, Nell is claimed by the pixies and faeries as a merrybegot, one of their own. She is a wild child: herb gatherer and healer, spell-weaver and midwife . . . and, some say, a witch.

Grace is everything Nell is not. She is the Puritan minister's daughter: beautiful and refined, innocent and sweet-natured . . . to those who think they know her. But she is hiding a secret - a secret that will bring everlasting shame to her family should it ever come to light.

A merrybegot and a minister's daughter - two girls who could not have less in common. Yet their fates collide when Grace and her younger sister, Patience, are suddenly spitting pins, struck with fits, and speaking in fevered tongues. The minster is convinced his daughters are the victims of witchcraft. And all signs point to Nell as the source of the trouble. . . .

The Pearls of Lutra by Brian Jacques

The gruesome discovery of a skeleton in Mossflower woods heralds the start of both a mystery and a quest.

Far away, on the tropical island of Sampetra, Emperor Ublaz, also known as Mad Eyes, sends his fearsome lizards and corsairs on a murderous mission to Redwall. Back at home, the Abbey dwellers race against time to unravel a fiendishly difficult series of riddles. At a northern shore, a young otter fashions a bow and arrows from a yew branch and vows to avenge the slaughter of her family.

Why does Martin, son of Mattimeo, undertake a perilous voyage with his brave companions? Who is Grath Longfletch and why do vermin fear her green-plumed arrows? And what are the fabulous Tears of all Oceans that inspire such passion and greed?

The Squire's Tale by Gerald Morris

Growing up an orphan in an isolated cottage in the woods with Trevisant the Hermit, young Terence never expected much adventure in his life. But one evening a stranger named Gawain shows up and Terence's life takes an odd turn. Gawain - who defeats his first knight armed only with an empty stewpot - is destined to become one of the most famous knights of King Arthur's Round Table. Trevisant, who can read the future, sends Terence off with Gawain to King Arthur's court to be his squire.

In no time Terence is plunged into the exciting world of kings, wizards, knights, wars, magic spells, damsels-in-distress, and enchanters. Soon out on a quest with Gawain, Terence embarks on a quest of his own - to solve the mystery of his parentage. Their journey brings them into another realm where they encounter a helpful sprite named Robin, a castle in the mist, and an evil enchantress intent on destroying King Arthur. There Terence learns the secret of his past and discovers a challenge that only he can face.

Starters by Lissa Price

Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, are on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie.

Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man. He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders - seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson.

It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party - and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . . .

Pirates! by Celia Rees

At the dawn of the eighteenth century, when girls stay home and sew while men sail the high seas finding adventure, danger and gold, two unusual girls, Nancy Kington and Minerva Sharpe, one a rich merchant's daughter, the other her plantation slave, set sail for Jamaica on a ship the crew renames Deliverance. Not just any trading ship, Deliverance flies black flags from its mast and proclaims to all that the new ship is a pirate vessel, striking fear into the hearts of those she approaches. Or so they hope.

For Nancy, Deliverance is her escape from an arranged marriage with a controlling and devilish man. For Minerva, it is escape from slavery, as well as from the fearsome overseer on Nancy's family plantation. But in the end, the money, the adventure, the companionship and the chance to see the world not as women, but as fearsome pirates, is an opportunity neither can deny.

The Second Bend in the River by Ann Rinaldi

Rebecca Galloway is just a little girl when she first glimpses the powerful Shawnee chief on her family's homestead in Ohio Territory. He is Tecumseh, and his village once stood where the white settlers now build their cabins and plant their corn.

As Rebecca grows up, she leads the busy life of a pioneer girl, helping her mother with the endless household chores. More and more, she looks forward to the visits of Tecumseh, a respected leader who works for peace between the settlers and the native peoples. Rebecca helps with his speeches by tutoring him in English grammar, and he in turn teachers her about Indian ways and beliefs. When their longtime friendship deepens into love, Rebecca must choose between the life she knows and the man she cherishes.

The Staircase by Ann Rinaldi

Lizzy Enders is furious. Her father has left her, without so much as a good-bye, at a girls school run by the Sisters of Loretto in Santa Fe, New Mexico Territory. How could he abandon her in this strange, brooding place, where she is surrounded by silly girls who pray to Saint Joseph for miracles and tell stories of beheadings and bleeding saints?

Lizzy, and Methodist, doesn't understand the many rules of the Catholic nuns - and she doesn't want to. What Lizzy does want is her mama, who died on the Santa Fe Trail . . . and for her father to need her with him. But what's the point in wishing for things that never can be? Stuck with an insufferable roommate who convinces the other girls to shun her, Lizzy makes friends with a poor wandering carpenter hired to build a staircase to the new chapel's choir loft. Through their friendship, Lizzy begins to understand that the way she sees things is not always the way things are - and that maybe she hasn't been abandoned after all.

The Letter Writer by Ann Rinaldi

Living under her stepbrother Richard's roof, Harriet Whitehead feels like an outsider in her own family. She knows that if her father were still alive, he'd protect her from the harsh words and second-class treatment leveled by her stepbrother and stepsister. She also knows that if he were alive, she'd have a place in this family. So when Richard gives her the task of letter writing her his blind mother, Harriet for once begins to feel valued and accepted.

Then Nat Turner, a slave preacher, arrives on her family's plantation, and Harriet's world opens up. She is enthralled by the gentle, eloquent man who teaches of an all-forgiving God, a concept far removed from the fire and brimstone bellowed by her preacher stepbrother.

When Nat asks Harriet for a map of the surrounding country so he can spread the word of God, she draws it for him - wanting to be part of something important. But the map turns out to be the missing piece that sets Nat Turner's secret plan in motion and makes Harriet an unwitting accomplice to the bloodiest slave uprising in U.S. history.

Sword Song by Rosemary Sutcliff

Sword Song is the swashbuckling story of Bjarni, a Viking swordsman. Banished from his home for a murder he didn't intend to commit, Bjarni takes up a new life as a mercenary. He journeys from England to Dublin, and then to the islands off the west coast of Scotland. There he meets the man who is to shape the course of his life for years to come, a life that will lead him from boyhood to manhood - fighting among the clan chiefs from the west coast of Scotland in feuds as bitter and bloody as can be imagined.

Dawn Wind by Rosemary Sutcliff

Owain was fourteen when the British warhosts gathered in a desperate attempt to hold what territory they still had against the Saxons.

He was the only survivor of that great battle, and it seemed that everything was over, nothing left now but the dark. Still, Owain could never quite stop hoping that one day the dawn wind might blow and some part of the Britain he had known might be restored again.

ARCs

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee

Ophelia Jane Worthington-Whittard doesn't believe in anything that can't be proven by science. She and her sister, Alice, are still grieving for their mother when their father takes a job in a strange museum in a city where it never stops snowing. On her very first day of exploring the museum, Ophelia discovers a boy locked away in a forgotten room. He is a prisoner of Her Majesty, the Snow Queen. And he has been waiting a long time for Ophelia's help.

As Ophelia embarks on an incredible adventure to rescue the boy, everything she believes will be tested. Along the way she learns more and more about the boy's own remarkable journey to reach her and save the world.

The Forbidden Stone by Tony Abbott

It all began when four friends - Wade, Lily, Darrell, and Becca - received a strange, coded email from Wade's uncle Henry shortly before the old man's sudden death. They set off for Germany to attend the funeral with Wade's father, Roald, and discover that Uncle Henry left them yet another baffling message that they suspect is the key to figuring out how and why he died.

The more clues they discover, the farther they travel down a treacherous path toward an ancient, guarded secret. Soon they are in a breathless race across the globe, running for their lives as a dangerous shadow organization chases them. Their only hope of saving themselves - and the world - is to find twelve magical relics from a hidden past and unlock the Copernicus Legacy.

This Week, On The Reading Hedgehog.......

December 30, 2013 - Monday

December Book Haul

December 31, 2013 - Tuesday

2013 Reading Wrap-Up

January 1, 2014 - Wednesday

2014 New Year's Resolutions + TBR

January 2, 2014 - Thursday

Review: The Fault in Our Stars - John Green

January 3, 2014 - Friday

Review: The Deception of Tara Magee - Kathy J. Scott

Next Week, On The Reading Hedgehog.......

January 6, 2014 - Monday

Review: Champion - Marie Lu

January 7, 2014 - Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday #27: Top 10 Goals/Resolutions For 2014

January 8, 2014 - Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday #30

January 9, 2014 - Thursday

Review: Rebel Spring - Morgan Rhodes

January 10, 2014 - Friday

Review: Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy - Karen Foxlee

January 11, 2014 - Saturday

Weekend Recommendations #30