Stacking the Shelves (50)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

I only got a few books this week which is fine by me. I started going to the gym at my new job a few weeks ago so that has been taking a lot more out of me then I expected. I have been really tired so I have not been reading as much as I wish I could be.

I discovered audio books and working out is a great idea so this week I am currently re-reading in audiobook form Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Lani Taylor. I also have a physical book on the go which is The Season of Passage by Christopher Pike. I read Blue Dahlia by Nora Roberts.

Borrowed

The Season of Passage- Christopher Pike

Pushing the Limits- Katie McGarry (Library)

Blue Dahlia by Nora Roberts (Already returned)













Bought New

The Farm- Emily McKay



















What did you get in your mailbox?

Barefoot Gen, Volume One- Keiji Nakazawa

Title: Barefoot Gen: A Cartoon story of Hiroshima
Author: Keji Nakazawa
Source: Bought new
Series: Yes
Rating: 4/5












This harrowing story of Hiroshima was one of the original Japanese manga series. New and unabridged, this is an all-new translation of the author's first-person experiences of Hiroshima and its aftermath, is a reminder of the suffering war brings to innocent people. Its emotions and experiences speak to children and adults everywhere. Volume one of this ten-part series details the events leading up to and immediately following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

This book was hard to find. I searched my library and they didn't have it and none of my local book stores carried it. I finally found it through Chapters, but I had to order it online. I originally heard about this from The Claude Reads. She gave it such an amazing review that I knew I had to read it. 

It took me a little while to get into this book, there is a lot of back story to get through, and there is a lot of characters to remember but once I got past that it got really good. It was really sad. The visual section of the book really added to the story, it made it seem to much more real. Gen takes a little time to get used to, he seems a little selfish. His father raises his children to believe that the war is a waste of time and that everyone should be treated equally. He is punished and called a traitor. The children and everyone else in the country are starving and suffering from malnutrition due to the fact that there was not enough food to go around. 

The part that really got to me about this story is it is an autobiography. I love historical novels but this one made me especially sad. I have watched a few documentaries on Hiroshima but I still cannot comprehend how someone could do this to another human being. The bomb "little boy" was dropped on civilians, women and children were killed and the after affects of the bomb were horrendous. People suffered from radiation poisoning which caused issues for generations.

I want to continue with this series, I believe the second book is a continuation of the story after the atomic bomb has been dropped.  I hope that I get completely absorbed into the book like I did with this one. I read it in an afternoon. 

13 Little Blue Envelopes- Maureen Johnson

Title: 13 Little Blue Envelopes
Author: Maureen Johnson
Source: Bought new
Series: Yes
Rating: 3.5/5














Inside little blue envelope 1 are $1,000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket.

In envelope 2 are directions to a specific London flat.

The note in envelope 3 tells Ginny: Find a starving artist.

Because of envelope 4, Ginny and a playwright/thief/ bloke-about-town called Keith go to Scotland together, with somewhat disastrous-though utterly romantic-results. But will she ever see him again?

Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it's all because of the 13 little blue envelopes.

This was my first Maureen Johnson book and I was really underwhelmed by it. I hoped this book would be a discovering yourself while travelling novel. In a way it was, Ginny follows the rules listed inside the thirteen envelopes her aunt Peg when she died. 

Ginny takes a summer to follow the envelopes that her aunt has let her. The first envelopes tells her to go to London and to go to a flat where she meets Richard. The envelopes take Ginny all over Europe in the hopes of understanding her eccentric aunt.  I loved all the places that Ginny visited and I hope to one day visit at least a few of the places she managed to make it to.

I found Ginny to be a flat character, she was predictable and the romance in the story left me feeling a little disappointed. I just could not connect with Ginny. I liked the idea of the envelopes but I was not overly interested in what happened in between.  Keith was a pretty eccentric character, I thought he was pretty funny to read about, at times I thought he was a little mean to Ginny but she allowed him to treat her that way so I could not extend too much sympathy. Then there was Richard. Oh I loved him, I thought he was so sweet. I loved him and I wanted to give him a big hug. He was so caring, he looked out for Peg and Ginny. He was my favourite character.

The plot was interesting, I loved that Ginny had the opportunity to visit all these amazing places and meet so many people. The letters gave Ginny an insight into her aunt Peg's life that she never revealed while she was alive which I think helped Ginny deal with her death.  I really liked the ending, I completely convinced myself that I was not going to read the second book but that ending changed my mind. I need to know what happens next. I hope that there will be more Richard. 

Stacking the Shelves (49)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

This is my birthday edition. I used my gift cards from Chapters and bought some fabulous books.  I also received some fabulous books.

None book related I got a new laptop for my birthday which I am so excited about! It beats my old clunker :)


Gifted

Shatter Me- Tahereh Mafi

Easy Tammara Webber

52 Reasons to Hate My Father- Jessica Brody

The Space Between Us- Jessica Martinez

Lullaby- Amanda Hocking

Barefoot Gen- Keiji Nakazawa

The Bro Code for Parents- Barney Stinson

I also pre-ordered Unravel Me :)



My Amanda Hocking book my bf bought is.....

Signed!! I was super excited :)

Bought New



Hearts at Stake- Alyxandra Harvey (Signed!)

Blood Feud- Alyxandra Harvey (Signed!)

Dark Light- Leslie Livingston

What did you get in your mailbox?

December TBR

I am trying a mix of what Katie at Katie's Book Blog and Priscilla at The Readables, I recommend both of there blogs they are great.

I was so busy in November it was crazy. I thought things would settle down once I started working again but it did not slow down unfortunately. I feel like I have been run off my feet and had no time to read at all. I know that December is going to be even more crazy so my list is puny. I hope to read more than I have listed.


Classic

Little Women – Louisa May 

Adult

The Gift- Cecelia Ahern

YA

Broken A.E. Rought

E-Reader

Isolation- Dan Wells

Re-Read

Shade- Jeri Smith-Ready

What do you plan on reading this month?