In addition to this week's haul, don't forget that Banned Books Week is this week!  Please comment and tell me what banned or challenged books you plan to read.  I'm planning on finally diving into Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler.

For review:
by Jackson Pearce
by Malinda Lo
by Libba Bray
by Ben Hatke
by Madeline L'Engle and Hope Larson
Library:
by Tom Angleberger
by Laura Weiss (Did not finish)
by Sophie Flack
by Tracy Chevalier
Bought:
by Neil Gaiman
by Eric Carle
by Jim Aylesworth
by Eric Litwin and James Dean
by Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff
by Andrea Cremer
by Catherynne M. Valente
by Corrine Jackson
by Kelly Creagh
by Jane Austen
by Sarah Rees Brennan
by Jodi Lynn Anderson
by C.J. Redwine
by The Harvard Lampoon

Gifted:
iPad! Thank you, parents!

Read:
by Catherynne M. Valente
by Laura Weiss (Well, I tried to finish it. Really, I did.)

Currently reading:
by David Mitchell
by Ransom Riggs
by J.K. Rowling

What I plan to read:
by Sarah Ockler
by Allan Richard Shickman

I never feel in control of my TBR pile.  I've read 90 books so far this year, which is completely awesome for me considering that I also got a master's degree, yet there are still so many books that I desperately want to read but haven't made the time for yet.  I feel especially behind when I think about all the series I have to finish, and I doubt I'll finish every series I ever started.  Here are my top ten unfinished series: the ones I most want to finish or feel particularly conflicted about.

1.) The Wolves of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefavater
I haven't quite read all of Maggie Stiefvater's books and after finishing Linger a year ago, I figured would be the next book I read by her. Well, then The Scorpio Races won a Printz honor AND I got to go to ALA and attend the Printz ceremony and reception, so a bit of shuffling happened.  Honestly?  I have no regrets.  The Scorpio Races was AMAZING, and hopefully I'll get to Forever before the end of 2012.

2.) The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
For a while in high school, I had to buy the latest book in this series as soon as it was out. I LOVED these books.  Then college happened, and I had to cut way back on fun reading.  Right now I am not really sure what the last book I read was and what happened in it. Plus, there are a lot of really short, in between books in this series. I'm paranoid that I'll read them out of order and miss a crucial detail.

3.) The Mortal Instruments by Cassie Clare
Honestly? I only kind of liked City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. The writing felt somewhat immature, and that book has a total wtf ending.  Now, other people have told me to continue the series no matter what and The Infernal Devices look totally awesome, so I've been acquiring Cassie Clare's books. I'd like to continue soon, but due to my recent move, is buried in one of about 20 boxes in my hallway, so there's that.

4.) The Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa
The Iron King is such a great book! I really enjoyed Kagawa's characters and world.  So why haven't I gotten to these yet?  I don't know.  I suspect I may need to reread the first book and the prospect of rereading makes me feel guilty.  That, however, is another post entirely.

5.) Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Allow me to sum up Hush, Hush in one word: mediocre.  The plot was okay, but the characters were so annoying. Do I really want to put up with three more books of Vee?

6.) Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness
In fall of 2011, my book club read A Monster Calls.  I wound up picking the first two books in this trilogy last semester because of a class, but just didn't have quite time for . If Ness's other heart-wrenching books are any indication, I have a feeling I'll sob my way through this one.

7.) Need by Carrie Jones
I liked Need okay when I read it a few years ago. It was good, but frankly a rather bizarre book. This is another case where I'd have to reread, or at least look up a summary that spoils book one.

8.) The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
For me, it's really rare to love the first book in a series and then strongly dislike the second, yet that's exactly what I experienced with Despain's novels.  On the one one hand, I want to know how it all ends, but on the other, I'm concerned that will only disappoint. 

9.) Confessions of Georgia Nicholson by Louise Rennison
I loved these books as a teen. They are freaking hilarious.  I really want to own these and binge on them all, but there seem to be a couple of different sets of covers out there, and I think it's be nearly impossible to get them so they all match.  I wish whoever publishes these would just make bind-ups because it would totally solve my problem.

10.) Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Now this is a series I could dive back into without rereading book one.  However, have you seen how long these books are? They are freaking ginormous. I honestly think it would take me about two weeks to get through . I bet it would be worth it given that the atmosphere is simply delectable, but sometimes when a book takes that long, I can't help but think of all the other books I could have read in the time it took me to read one. Oftentimes, the long ones turn out to be worth it, like with The Woman In White or by Patrick Rothfuss, it can just be hard to sit down and commit.

Well, I think in this post I've revealed a whole lot of eccentricities that could take up several more posts.  I hope some of you can relate. At any rate, what series do you still need to finish?

I no longer read due to this year's earlier plagiarism scandal, and posts formerly known as IMM will henceforth be known as Book Hauls.  These posts will be labeled as Book Hauls from now on.  Eventually, I intend to give all prior IMM posts the Book Haul label.  Also, since I believe almost everyone has thought to themselves, "Hey, I should post about the books I got!" at one point or another, I will not be crediting the idea to any particular person or blog.  Thank you all for understanding and supporting my stance on this issue.

This was filmed some time in May or June, after which I bought and received some review books that all got packed up and made my big move with me.  I was still in Pennsylvania and therefore still in Pittsburgh when I filmed this vlog, and I can assure that the crazy of graduate school shows.  Since those are spread out among various boxes and whatnot, I won't be doing a Book Haul for them, but a book haul that covers the month of September will be up soon.



For reivew:
by Julianna Baggott

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy
Freebie:
by R.A. Nelson
Bought:
by Bil Wright (Actually didn't finish this one)
by Jack Gantos
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (Got this signed at ALA!)
by Daniel Handler (I later picked up a signed, personalized copy at ALA!)
by Marissa Meyer
by Megan Miranda
by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
by Miranda Kenneally
by Courtney Allison Moulton (Sent this to to have it signed. She'll be mailing it to me soon, I hope)
by Jodi Meadows
by Amanda Grace
by Stefne Miller
by Kate Egan
by E. Lockhart, Sarah Mylnowski, and Lauren Myracle
by Maureen Johnson
by Maureen Johnson
by Richard Dawkins

Read:
I've actually gotten a TON of books read since the last IMM I posted. Instead of listing them all here, I invite you to visit my GoodReads page and take a look at my challenge page. If you're on the blog right now, you can find a link in the upper right hand corner.   Next time I do an IMM I'll probably list everything I've read.
Currently reading:
by Catherynne M. Valente
by David Mitchell
by J.K. Rowling

What I plan to read:
by Gail Carriger
by Maggie Stiefvater
by Bianca Turetsky
by Ransom Riggs

Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You've never heard of them, have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel, respectively, and yet, thanks to those lousy bards who wrote the tales, you likely know them only as Prince Charming. But all of this is about to change. Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their castles, Liam, Frederic, Duncan, and Gustav stumble upon an evil plot that could endanger each of their kingdoms. Now it's up to them to triumph over their various shortcomings, take on trolls, bandits, dragons, witches, and other assorted terrors, and become the heroes no one ever thought they could be.

Debut author Christopher Healy takes us on a journey with four imperfect princes and their four improbable princesses, all of whom are trying to become perfect heroes--a fast-paced, funny, and fresh introduction to a world where everything, even our classic fairy tales, is not at all what it seems.

(Summary from GoodReads)

In this gripping exploration of a futuristic afterlife, a teen discovers that death is just the beginning. Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost—family, friends, and Neil, the boy she loved.

Then a girl in a neighboring chamber is found dead, and nobody but Felicia recalls that she existed in the first place. When Julian—a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life—comes to offer Felicia a way out, Felicia learns the truth: If she joins the rebellion to overthrow the Morati, the angel guardians of Level 2, she can be with Neil again.

Suspended between Heaven and Earth, Felicia finds herself at the center of an age-old struggle between good and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati hunt her down, Felicia will discover it’s not just her own redemption at stake… but the salvation of all mankind.

From the Flying Start author of Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, a powerful novel about hope in the face of heartbreak. Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.

     Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

     As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.

(Summary from GoodReads)

Even though Second Chance Summer got rave reviews from bloggers that I trust, I was wary of it.  Some books that deal with terminal illnesses do an exceptional job, whereas others make me want to throw breakable objects.  When I saw with a copy at ALA and she pointed out that Morgan Matson was signing less than five feet away from me, I knew it was time for me to buy the book.  About a week before I graduated, I decided that I needed to pick up a summer book and selected Second Chance Summer.  Matson wrote a touching, human story that I stayed up until 2 a.m. while crammed in my small bathroom to finish.

It’s hard to pin down exactly what makes Second Chance Summer such a great book.  While I suspected I might like this one, I failed to see how quickly I would connect with it.  Matson wrote an exceptional story, and it’s part of what compelled me to read late into the night.

If you haven’t already figured it out, Matson’s sophomore novel left me feeling tight-chested and teary-eyed.  I can see where some readers might not connect with Taylor, but I empathized with her, as well as the entire Edwards family.  When she was making her decisions, I couldn’t help but think, “I would probably do the exact same thing. And it would hurt.”

       

Griffins are supposed to be extinct. So when Yukiko and her warrior father Masaru are sent to capture one for the Shogun, they fear that their lives are over. Everyone knows what happens to those who fail him, no matter how hopeless the task.

But the mission proves far less impossible, and far more deadly, than anyone expects – and soon Yukiko finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in her country's last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled griffin for company. But trapped together in the forest, Yukiko and Buruu soon discover a friendship that neither of them expected.

Meanwhile, the country around them verges on the brink of collapse. A toxic fuel is slowly choking the land; the omnipotent, machine-powered Lotus Guild is publicly burning those they deem Impure; and the Shogun cares about nothing but his own dominion. Yukiko has always been uneasy in the shadow of power, when she learns the awful truth of what the Shogun has done, both to her country and to her own family she's determined to do something about it.

Returning to the city, Yukiko and Buruu plan to make the Shogun pay for his crimes – but what can one girl and a flightless griffin do against the might of an empire?

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

(Summary from GoodReads)

I love contemporary and have found myself reading a lot of this genre lately, as many of you who are GoodReads friends with me may know.  I have been very excited to read Pushing the Limits by Kate McGarry and today, thanks to the folks at Harlequin Teen, I have a copy to share with one lucky reader.
 

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

If you're interested, check out the rules listed below.
*One reader will win a finished copy of Pushing the Limits by Kate McGarry.
*Open to U.S. readers only.
*You must be 13 years of age or older to enter.
*The giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. on September 17th.