Thursday, April 23, 2015

2015 Book Haul #4


Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. I get to show off all the books I’ve gotten recently.

I promised myself that I wasn’t going to get any more books until I’ve read the ones I already own, but books have a nasty habit of randomly accumulating. Here are the ones that I’ve acquired in the past few weeks.



Doubt (Stage Play Script) – John Patrick Shanley


Chosen as the best play of the year by over 10 newspapers and magazines, Doubt is set in a Bronx Catholic school in 1964, where a strong-minded woman wrestles with conscience and uncertainty as she is faced with concerns about one of her male colleagues. This new play by John Patrick Shanley—the Bronx-born-and-bred playwright and Academy Award-winning author of Moonstruck—dramatizes issues straight from today’s headlines within a world re-created with knowing detail and a judicious eye. After a stunning, sold-out production at Manhattan Theatre Club, the play has transferred to Broadway.




Hachiko Waits – Lesléa Newman (Author), Machiyo Kodaira (Illustrator)


“What a good dog you are. What a fine dog you are. Hachi, you are the best dog in all of Japan.” 
Professor Ueno speaks these words to his faithful dog before boarding the train to work every morning. And every afternoon, just before three o’clock, Hachi is at the train station to greet his beloved master. One day, the train arrives at the station without the professor. Hachi waits. 
For ten years, Hachi waits for his master to return. Not even Yasuo, the young boy who takes care of Hachi, can persuade him to leave his post. 
Hachiko Waits, a novel inspired by a true story, brings to life the legendary Akita who became a national symbol for loyalty and devotion. This is a must-read for dog lovers of all ages.




A Darker Shade of Magic – V.E. Schwab


Kell is one of the last Travelers—rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit.

Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London—but no one speaks of that now. 
Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure.' 
But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive—trickier than they hoped.


 

Vicious – V.E. Schwab


Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the arch nemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

In Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn’t automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question.



7 comments:

  1. Hachiko Waits is supposed to be wonderful and a little heartbreaking. I cried like a baby when I first heard the story.

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  2. These are all new to me :)

    I hope you enjoy :) Happy Reading!

    Here's my Weekly Wrap Up

    Michelle @ Book Briefs

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  3. Yay for A Darker Shade of Magic! I've heard amazing things so I'm reading it next! I hope we both love it! (:

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  4. Oooooh ADSOM! I read it a few weeks ago and it was really good! I need to read Vicious now for sure! Hope you enjoy them all!
    Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight

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  5. I so need to read ADSOM at some point. I hope you love all your new books this week.

    Grace @ Books of Love

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  6. Great haul this week! I recently bought Vicious and can't wait to read it. ADSOM sounds so amazing! Happy reading!
    Krystianna @ Downright Dystopian

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  7. Hachiko :D I use to live in tokyo and remember seeing the statue they built for hachiko XD

    Nice haul , happy reading

    Maura @ monsterofbooks.blogspot.com

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