Stacking the Shelves: in which I show my face with the Princess

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews to showcase all the books we got in the past week. Those can be bought, won, gifted, for review, borrowed, print or ebooks... no matter, just share what you got :)

Well, this week was both slow and at the same time awesome for me! Because of this:

Please excuse my unkemptness! I spent Good Friday in my PJs, aka ratty band shirt and oversized hoodie, haha ^^' But I FINALLY got my copy of Clockwork Princess on Thursday afternoon! Not that I preordered it months ago but amazong was being an ass or anything -__-'' And now that I finished Cat Winters' wonderful In the Shadow of Blackbirds, I can read it :D I'm a little scared though... it's going to break my heart either way :/

The only other book I got is Hamlet, and I actually bought it last week but forgot to put it into my haul. I need it for one of my classes, and it will be my first time reading it. Which is sort of embarrassing considering that I'm a postgrad student of English Literature. But I actively avoided the play this far - Shakespeare's tragedies are too good; they tear me up inside. Just think of Othello and Macbeth! That's why I read more of his comedies. Anyway, I got myself the Arden edition because I like their notes and introductions.

goodreads

I know what the play is about of course but I'm fuzzy on the details so I'm actually looking forward to reading it now! I'll get to it some time next week.

I haven't been very active post wise and the main reason for that is that I was sick from Monday afternoon to Friday morning. I found it hard to focus with the fever I had and couldn't stare at a screen or book too long because my eyes started to hurt.

But I posted a new review Friday night. It's for Florence by Ciye Cho, a mermaid book that I enjoyed a lot.

So... thoughts on my haul? My silly face? The books (no spoilers please)? Also, happy Easter to all!! May the chocolate bunnies be with you ^^ And please share links to you own haul!

Top Ten Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2013

Today is already the last day of the Top Ten event hosted by Rachel from Fiktshun,  Lisa from A Life Bound By Books, Jessica from Confessions of a Bookaholic and Jaime from Two Chicks on Books and Mindy from Magical Urban Fantasy Reads.

Since this is also a week of looking forward, this last day's topic is about the books we're most excited to read next year. And again, it's very hard to limit that to only 10...
This list is without a couple books I'm excited about but already have ARCs for, though I haven't read them yet.


  Splintered, by A.G. Howard
I heard about Splintered ages ago and was immediately intrigued. A dark retelling of Alice in Wonderland! And now I keep reading all those amazing reviews and just can't wait to see for myself what it's like and whether I prefer Jeb or Morpheus... 


Clockwork Princess, by Cassandra Clare
Will Herondale. That is... well, not all, but a great deal of it. Will breaks my heart like few book boys can. I would have included him in my book boyfriend post yesterday, but I read Clockwork Prince in 2011. I hurt. I hurt so much I actually cried ugly tears past midnight on Christmas. I just need to know how it all ends, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Will/Tessa though I don't see how it could happen. Don't get me wrong, I like Jem too. He's a wonderful guy, and I don't doubt that he loves Tessa and would do anything for her. I just like Will more and feel that I understand him better.


With All My Soul, by Rachel Vincent
I'm fairly new to this series, meaning I read it all in 2012, but I feel very bittersweet about it ending. I have grown to love Kaylee, Tod, Sabine, Emma, and the others so much! I think there will be a happy ending, though not one without heartbreak, but I will be sad no matter what because I'll have to say goodbye to the world Rachel Vincent created. I'll actually have to say goodbye to two of her worlds, because Oath Bound will be released in April as well. (Did that count as cheating?)


Dance of the Red Death, by Bethany Griffin
 After the way Masque of the Red Death ended, I am extremely curious about and somewhat wary of the sequel. The writing will be phenomenal, I'm not worried about that. But nothing good could possibly be in store for Araby in a world as destroyed as hers, or could there? I hope she and Will can work things out, and I hope Elliott will deboard the airship before it lands *ahem*. I guess you can tell who I'm rooting for...


The Indigo Spell, by Richelle Mead
I thought this would be a trilogy, with The Indigo Spell concluding it all, but I recently heard that there will be more books. I am not at all annoyed with that, because I love this series even more than I did Vampire Academy. It's a bit more... grown up? Also, I really enjoy seeing it all from the alchemyst's point of view. Though how much longer Sydney's POV will be alchemyst-conform remains to be seen. Not all that much, is my guess...
Also: Adrian Ivashkov. Enough said.


The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, by Holly Black
Yup, this one does not have a cover yet. But I've wanted it for the better part of a year already. It'll be out in September. It shares its name with one of Holly Black's short stories that I've read... and re-read. I love that story, and I just can't wait to read a whole novel set in that world! I hope Dante will be in it. He was only a subsidiary character, but I really liked him. I also hope that the cover will be revealed soon!


Sweet Peril, by Wendy Higgins
Kaidan Rowe. Not the only reason I want this book asap, but an important one - especially since we were lucky enough to read a couple scenes from his POV. However, Sweet Evil also had a great heroine in Anna and an incredibly intriguing world that I miss. I'll definitely re-read it before digging into Sweet Peril when it comes out. May the Neph rebellion start soon!


A Darkness Strange & Lovely, by Susan Dennard
I loved Something Strange & Deadly to pieces, and I can't wait to read more of Eleanor and the Spirit Hunters' adventures! Susan Dennard posted a few teasers during NaNoWriMo, so I already know that there will be an airship crash in Egypt, and that part of it takes place in Paris. Yay! And there will be more Daniel.


Phoenix, by Elizabeth Richards
After pining for Black City for a year and then finally getting to read it, I'm already waiting... again. Thank god the sequel will be out in June rather than November. I really need more of Ash and Natalie and the Darklings! Elizabeth Richards dystopian world is just so intriguing, I simply need more of the conflict and plot and romance...


Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, by April Genevieve  Tucholke
Bad, bad boy. The description already makes it clear that River is a liar... but is he demonic in nature, too? And I'll have to wait until August to find out! Dark crumbling houses. Cliffs. Sea. Kisses in cemeteries. A boy crooked smile and a taste for coffee. Dear book fairy, let there be ARCs on NetGalley or Edelweiss...


Honorable mentions:
Gameboard of the Gods, by Richelle Mead 

The Eternity Cure, by Julie Kagawa (I dislike the cover change)

Gods and Monsters #3, by Kelly Keaton

Angel Fever, by L.A. Weatherly

Nevermore #3, by Kelly Creagh


Those last three have no covers, and in some cases also no titles yet. I just hope they really do come out next year, and not in 2014... 

What do you think of my picks, and what are you excited for in 2013?