Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews to share your weekly book haul. It can be what you bought, received, borrowed, or were gifted. For more info you can go here.

Bought 

Thankless in Death by J D Robb (Goodreads) (I've almost got this whole series now)
Afterlight by Elle Jasper (Goodreads)

Won
I won a few books during Armchair BEA. The last 2 are for my son.
City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett (Goodreads) from Broadway Books and Meaghan @ A Cinaste's Collection
Guys Read: True Stories edited by Jon Scieszka (Goodreads) from Walden Pond Press
Double Reverse by Fred Bowen (Goodreads) from Peachtree Publishers

Library
The Falconer by Elizabeth May (Goodreads)
The Thousand Names by Django Wexler (Goodreads)
The Sandman Vol 1: Preludes &Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads)
The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (Goodreads)
The Very Best of Tad Williams (Goodreads)

Some Thursday Randomness

Thursday Randomness

This week I'm going to just talk about some things that I've run into around the web this week. The first is art work by Amy Brown. They posted about their Coffee and Tea figurines. I don't drink coffee or hot tea but I loved the Hot Cocoa figurine. She also has some great fairy and other fantasy style art pieces available on her website here.

Hot Cocoa Faery

Mr Crankypants Refuses to Take his Nap

Now for some true randomness. Book Quotes that I've found on Pinterest.

New Releases ~ week of 6/16/2014

*All links go to Goodreads

A Better World by Marcus Sakey (#2 BrillianceSaga)

A Major Seduction by Marie Harte (#2 Good to Go)
Better When He's Bad by Jay Crownover (#1 Welcome to the Point)
Breaking Free by Cathryn Fox (#4 Invitation to Eden)
Carrying the Sheikh's Heir by Lynn Raye Harris (#2 Heirs to the Throne of Kyr)
Chasers of the Wind by Alexey Pehov (#1 Cycle of Wind and Sparks)
Cibola Burn by James S A Corey (#4 Expanse)
Cowboy Take Me Away by Lorelei James (#16 Rough Riders)
Dark Metropolis by Jaclyn Dolamore (#1 Dark Metropolis)
Explosive Engagement by Lisa Childs (#2 Shotgun Weddings)
Graduation Day by Joelle Charbonneau (#3 Testing)

No Dawn Without Darkness by Dayna Lorentz (#3 No Safety In Numbers)
Relinquish by Amy Thompson (#2 Lost Souls)
Riding Hard by Vicki Lewis Thompson (#17 Sons of Chance)
Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo (#3 Grisha Trilogy)
Shattered by Kevin Hearne (#7 Iron Druid Chronicles)
Socialite's Gamble by Michelle Conder (#3 Chatsfield)
Still Life by Jacqueline West (#5 Books of Elsewhere)
Terminal City by Linda Fairstein (#16 Alex Cooper)
The Blind Date by Melody Carlson (#2 Dating Games)
The Body in the Woods by April Henry (#1 Point Last Seen)
The Bookshop On The Corner by Rebecca Raisin (#3 Gingerbread Cafe)
The Five Faces by Frank Tuttle (#8 Markhat)

The Late Scholar by Jill Paton Walsh (#4 Lord Peter Wimsey & Harriet Vane)
The Long Mars by Terry Pratchett (#3 Long Earth)
The Lost Mission by Allen Zadoff (#2 Boy Nobody)
The Old Blue Line by J A Jance (#15.5 Joanna Brady)
The Red Room by Ridley Pearson (#3 Risk Agent)
The Summer Wind by Mary Alice Monroe (#2 Low Country Summer Trilogy)
Top Secret Twenty-one by Janet Evanovich (#21 The Stephanie Plum Series)
Vanished by Kendra Elliot (#5 Bone Secrets)

Review ~ Fables: The Good Prince

Fables: The Good Prince; Volume 10

by Bill Willingham
illustrated by Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Aaron Alexovich, Andrew Pepoy
genre: Graphic Novel, Adult, Fary-Tales, Fantasy

Summary (Goodreads): With war looming between the forces of the Adversary and the free Fables living in the mundane world, everything now depends on a humble janitor known as Flycatcher. Released from centuries of trauma-induced amnesia, Prince Ambrose (as he was known in happier times) faces a long and difficult road—one that will take him through the lands of the dead and into the heart of the enemy’s realm. Once there, this unassuming and unlikely hero will face his greatest and most arduous test—and the future of both Fabletown and the Homelands will turn on the outcome.

Collects issues #60-69 in Bill Willingham’s Eisner Award-winning Vertigo series.

My Thoughts: Took a bit for me to get into this volume. Then when I was finally engrossed in the story there was a break from Fly's story to insert a story about Snow, Bigby and family. I get how the contents of this was/will be important but the change in illustrations was off for me. I spent more time trying to figure out who Rose was (even though it couldn't have been anyone else) that enjoying what was in front of me.
Once it got back to Ambrose (Fly) and his journey I could not put it down. There were a lot of things that happened that I could see having consequences in future volumes. I'm most curious about the villains and also who decides to leave The Farm.
Overall, The main part of this worked. I liked the story and the illustrations. Finding out who the old knight was and getting redemption for some characters that truly deserved it, including Ambrose. Still a long ways to go before I catch up on this series but as long as I'm enjoying them I'll keep reading.

Rating: 4

Some Thursday Randomness

Thursday Randomness

So we finally got around to watching Frozen this past weekend. With a 9 yr old son, it wasn't high on our priority list.

I went into this expecting to be blown away. There was so much hype and talk about how this was the greatest thing ever. Needless to say it fell short on all the claims (for me). It was a really good Disney movie and it will get watched again but it is not even close to my favorite ever. 

There were great moments/animation that were visually stunning, like the ice castle being created (this was probably my favorite part of the whole movie). I'm okay with the song, my son not so much. He covered his ears when it came on because he is so tired of it from girls singing it constantly at school. I get why it won awards, it's a great song. 

I also liked that the act of true love was between sisters and the (partial) villain was the prince.  I liked the reindeer and my son loves the snowman.

My favorite musically is still Aladdin, especially when the genie shows up. Visually, it's either Brave or Beauty and the Beast. My favorite princess has been Aurora. Sleeping Beauty has been my favorite fairy-tale since I was very little. Plus, a special shout out to Up and The Incredibles two that we will watch even when son is not around.

Thinks I'll go watch some dragons now. Looking forward to the sequel coming out this week. Hope it's as good as they are saying.