What's New? Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Hop on over there to ogle what other bloggers got this week.

For review:

The Early Cretaceous: notes drawings, and observations from prehistory by Juan Carlos Alonso & Gregory S. Paul. Ancient Earth Journal series. 112 p. Walter Foster Jr./ Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc., September 1, 2015. 9781633220331.

Publisher synopsis: What it would be like to see a living, breathing dinosaur? The Early Cretaceous brings readers closer to prehistoric life than ever before. By combining the latest paleontological findings with highly detailed, intimate drawings of wildlife from the Early Cretaceous, readers will look into the eyes of some of the most fascinating creatures to ever inhabit the earth. Written and illustrated in the style of a naturalist's notebook, the viewer will be given a first-hand account of what it is like to stand alongside everything from the first birds to flying dinosaurs to some of the largest creatures ever to walk the earth. Through detailed illustrations and descriptive narrative, readers will discover how some dinosaurs survived polar blizzards, while others were able to pump blood five stories high to reach their brains. While many books on prehistoric life lump dinosaurs into the general timeline of the Mesozoic Period, no book currently dissects plant and animal life during one specific period. This allows the book to explore wildlife seldom featured in publications, many of them recent discoveries. The Early Cretaceous is backed by the research of one of paleontology's most acclaimed theorists, giving the book the most up to date scientific interpretation regarding animal behaviors, interactions, and recreations."

I'm participating in a blog tour for this one. Look for my review and an author Q & A on August 24.

The Dogs by Allan Stratton. 258 p. Sourcebooks, September 1, 2015. 9781492609384.

Publisher synopsis: Out of the corner of my eye, I catch something moving by the barn.

When I look, it disappears. Wait. There it is again, at the cornfield.

Some movement, some thing.

Mom and I have been on the run for years. Every time he catches up with us, we move to a new place and start over.

But this place is different.

This place is full of secrets. And they won't leave me alone.

Purchased: Yeah, yeah, I know. Ridiculous given all I already have to read but I met a friend at a local indie before going to lunch. She had a gift certificate to spend and I absolutely cannot enter a bookstore without buying something.

YOLO Juliet by William Shakespeare + Brett Wright. 100 p. Random House Childrens Books, May, 2015. 9780553535396.

Publisher synopsis: Romeo and Juliet, one of the greatest love stories ever told . . . in texts?! 
 
Imagine: What if those star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet had smartphones? A classic is reborn in this fun and funny adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays!
 
Two families at war. 
A boy and a girl in love.
A secret marriage gone oh-so-wrong.
 
<3 and h8. The classics just got a whole lot more interesting. ;)
 
tl;dr A Shakespeare play told through its characters texting with emojis, checking in at certain locations, and updating their relationship statuses. The perfect gift for hip theater lovers and teens. 
 
A glossary and cast of characters are included for those who need it. For example: tl;dr means too long; didn’t read. 
I had fun reading Srsly Macbeth this past spring. Not sure I'll invest in any more unless my students get into them; but it's a clever idea.

You and Me and Him by Kris Dinnison. 275 p. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, July, 2015. 9780544301122.

Publisher synopsis: Maggie Bowers thinks she knows what to expect her junior year of high school--yeah, it would be nice if her mother didn’t care so much about her weight, but at least she has Nash, her out-of-the-closet best friend and a cool after school job at the local record store. But when Tom moves to town at the start of the school year they have something unexpected in common—feelings for the same guy. Up until now Maggie and Nash they have always chosen each other, but what if winning someone’s heart means losing their soul mate? 

Frank Einstein and the Electro-finger by Jon Scieszka. 170 p. Abrams/ Amulet Books, March, 2015. 9781419714832.

Publisher synopsis: In this second book in the series, Frank Einstein (kid-genius scientist and inventor) and his best friend, Watson, along with Klink (a self-assembled artificial-intelligence entity) and Klank (amostly self-assembled artificial almost intelligence entity), once again find themselves in competition with T. Edison, their classmate and archrival—this time in the quest to unlock the power behind the science of energy. Frank is working on a revamped version of one of Nikola Tesla’s inventions, the “Electro-Finger,” a device that can tap into energy anywhere and allow all of Midville to live off the grid, with free wireless and solar energy. But this puts Frank in direct conflict with Edison’s quest to control all the power and light in Midville, monopolize its energy resources, and get “rich rich rich.” Time is running out, and only Frank, Watson, Klink, and Klank can stop Edison and his sentient ape, Mr. Chimp!

When I received book 3 for review a few weeks ago, I realized that I missed the publication of book 2. Remedied that.

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera. 295 p. SoHo Teen/ SoHo Press, June, 2015. 

Publisher synopsis: In his twisty, gritty, profoundly moving debut—called “mandatory reading” by the New York Times—Adam Silvera brings to life a charged, dangerous near-future summer in the Bronx.

In the months after his father's suicide, it's been tough for 16-year-old Aaron Soto to find happiness again—but he's still gunning for it. With the support of his girlfriend Genevieve and his overworked mom, he's slowly remembering what that might feel like. But grief and the smile-shaped scar on his wrist prevent him from forgetting completely. 

When Genevieve leaves for a couple of weeks, Aaron spends all his time hanging out with this new guy, Thomas. Aaron's crew notices, and they're not exactly thrilled. But Aaron can't deny the happiness Thomas brings or how Thomas makes him feel safe from himself, despite the tensions their friendship is stirring with his girlfriend and friends. Since Aaron can't stay away from Thomas or turn off his newfound feelings for him, he considers turning to the Leteo Institute's revolutionary memory-alteration procedure to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he truly is. 

Why does happiness have to be so hard?

That's what's new with me. What's new with you?