What's new on my shelves...

Hello everyone :)
I hope you all had a great christmas! I got a lot of books and could fill the whole post with them, but let's talk about other news on my shelves by answering some questions...

What are you reading currently?
I started reading two books this week. The first one is a newer version of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin by Tolkien, edited together by his son. I love it! Middle earth has such a strong mythology and the old stories help understanding that a lot.
I watched The Hobbit movie, too this week (All I'm saying is: Fangirl Heaven!) and when they found the swords Gandalf said that they were made by the elves of the first century while I was sitting in the cinema screaming "In Gondolin!". Nothing is better than convincing a whole cinema of your nerdness.

The second one is The Demon Lover by Juliet Dark which I got through Net Galley. So a huge thank you goes to the Random House Publishing Group for accepting my request. I already went through half of the book and I really like it so far! It has the perfect theme for me centering on fairy tales and old gothic lit.

What is new on your shelf?
Well I got many new books for christmas but the one I look most forward too would be a Sneak Peek of The Archived by Victoria Schwab. The book sounds really amazing and I can't wait to start reading it!

What have you just finished on your shelf?
The last "book" I finished was actually a manga, I have a lot of catching up to do with the One Piece series. I did start a lot of books lately but never get to finish them... Well I should change that more than fast!

What is the most anticipated book you want to read next?
That's a tough one! There are so many upcoming books I would love to get!
I would die to get my hands on Mind Games by Kiersten White. The synopsis just sounds so interesting:

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future. 

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways… or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

How yould you answer those questions? What did you change on your shelves this week?
Leave a comment and tell me about your books, I would love to hear from you :D
Love and words
KJ

Summary and Cover taken from Goodreads

Waiting on Wednesday (4)

Yes, I said I wouldn't do another Waiting on Wednesday post because of various reasons. BUT I need to share this book with you so desperately... What better way than to share it on a Wednesday?

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly post that highlights upcoming books bloggers are excited about to read. It is hosted at Breaking the Spine.

So here is the story: I was just browsing a post over at The Lucky 13s wich featured a list of 68 opening lines from books debuting in 2013.
And there it was:

List compiled by Cat Winters, author of In the Shadow of Blackbirds, a World War I-era YA ghost tale coming April 2, 2013, from Amulet Books/ABRAMS.

I thought that this book sounded very interesting. I love historical settings, especially from the early 19th century (Seriously, look at the dresses! ;D) and ghost stories are always something to enjoy. Therefore I went over to Goodreads and searched for the book. I read the summary. I. Can. Not. Wait. It sounds so awesome!
Here is the summary:

In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?

Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.

So let us sum up, why I want this book: First of all the setting sounds great and interesting. After all I loved All Quiet on the Western Front And the protagonist is named Mary Shelley... You mean like THE Mary Shelley who wrote Frankenstein? I want that name, too! :D
Than there seems to be a tragic love story, which I always like. And don't forget the haunting pictures!
This sounds like the perfect book for me! So why can't it be April already? Seriously, if the world goes down on Friday (which will definitely so not happen!) I'll be really mad, because I didn't get to read all those amazing books I'm still waiting on!

What do you think of this story? Does it sound as interesting to you as it sounds to me?
Share your Waiting on Wednesday picks in the comments :)
Love and words
KJ

Cover and Summary  as usually taken from Goodreads 

12 books of 2012

Aloha friends and foes
What are you up to this week?

Well, I recently read a blog post by J.R. Johansson author of the upcoming novel Insomnia (check it out!) about her 12 favourite books.
And I thought I'd do the same. So here is a list of the 12 books I read in 2012 and loved. They are in no particular order, and the links lead you to the reviews:

1. Matched by Ally Condie
Isn't it funny that I cannot find the words to express how much I enjoyed a book where words were so important for the story? My favourite scene was definitely the one where Cassia read the poem for the first time. It showed how much power and energy words can have, one of the many reasons I love poems. The scene was beautifully writtten and like a poem itself, really poetic. 

2. The Eagle Of The Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff
Rosemary Sutcliff has a really great writing style. She delivers a beautiful image of ancienct Britain and the people living in it, so vivid that you fear and wish the scene comes to life between the pages.
I cannot even pick a scene I liked the most, since there were so many with big symbolism or pure epicness (yes, I have to call it "epicness") in it.

3. A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
Whenever I think this world can not get bigger, better or more epic I read the next installment and it comes bigger, better, and more epic. I love the series and I loved this book simply for the great characters and vivid and interesting world they're fighting for.

4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I had a bet with a friend going on that I would be able to finish this book within two days. I did. And I could finish this review within two seconds: AWESOME!
But even the Antagonists in this book are awesome. I can emphathize with everyone and I shared the thrill with all of them. 

5. The Heroine's Bookshelf by Erin Blakemore
The chapters of this book work like mirrors, because they capture so many nuances and different states of life. This book feels like a journey to myself and to the person I want to become one day, a true heroine, no matter if I ever "safe the world". It's enough, if I save my own day. Erin Blakemore shows that amazingly. 

6. The Perks of being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
How can you write about something when the only thing that comes to your mind is "I freakin' love this!"Charlie is in my opinion one of the nicest characters I ever read about. He is introverted and he does not quite participate in life. But because of that he sees things differently and asks questions about life most people would never think of. This gives a phylosophical touch to the entire novel. 

7. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
I loved the characters and I feared for them like I don't do often. It was an amazing journey back to a world I loved visiting the first time. If you thought the capitol can't get any meaner, read this books!

8. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
If you read between the lines this book can make you sad as well as unbelievable happy. It is a great book for children and even more for adults. Because it shows you what really matters in life and what is terrible wrong with us today. 

9. The First Truth by Dawn Cook
When i started this book I wanted to set sales and leave home, for a journey into distant countries full with magic, fantasy, and a lot of words.Dawn Cook, who you might know as Kim Harrison is able to write a book in this genre without making the reader think "Oh, we already had that", half a dozen times. This plot seems to be new and thrilling. 

10. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
Cassandra Clare wrote a fulminate third book to a wonderful series. If I remember right The Mortal Instruments was planned as a trilogy and this book would have been a perfect ending. She creates a wonderful world that lives through its details. The world of the shadowhunters is rich with myths, beliefs and traditions. But the little details got me even more.

11. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
How far is science allowed to go? Should humanity arise over the rules of nature and become its’ own god? Those questions were important back when Stevenson wrote his novel and today, were new technically devices and a growing medicine are part of our everyday life, have become even more important.

12. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
The story of Katniss has a hidden meaning and tells the reader something. The book teaches something about war, how to protect, how to loose, and something about human cruelty. 
There are not many contemporary books that have a message. Normally you find those messages just in old classics by Schiller or Goethe who tried to teach the people something. But the Hunger Games trilogy is different, there is a message hidden in every book. And you do not even need to read between the lines, it is right there in the open. 

I know I'm not posting a lot lately, but I do not have a lot of time to read. If you still want to stay updated with bookish news and my reading goals follow me on twitter, I'm a little more present there these days (there's supposed to be a button somewhere under the contact section, so just click that :D)

What were you're 12 favourite books of 2012?
Love and words
KJ

Cassandra Giovanni's books