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.

Oh! The riches continue! Good thing summer break is coming up! I am so-o behind!

For review:

Things That Surprise You by Jennifer Maschari. 278 p. Balzer + Bray/ HarperCollins Publishers, August 22, 2017. 9780062438928.

Publisher synopsis: A poignant, charming middle grade novel, perfect for fans of The Thing About Jellyfish and Fish in a Tree. A beautifully layered story about navigating the often shifting bonds of family and friendship, and learning how to put the pieces back together when things fall apart.

Emily Murphy is about to enter middle school. She's sort of excited…though not nearly as much as her best friend Hazel, who is ready for everything to be new. Emily wishes she and Hazel could just continue on as they always have, being the biggest fans ever of the Unicorn Chronicles, making up dance moves, and getting their regular order at The Slice.

But things are changing. At home, Emily and her mom are learning to move on after her parents' divorce. Hardest of all, her beloved sister Mina has been in a treatment facility to deal with her anorexia. Emily is eager to have her back, but anxious about her sister getting sick again.

Hazel is changing too. She has new friends from the field hockey team, is starting to wear makeup, and have crushes on boys. Emily is trying to keep up, but she keeps doing and saying the wrong thing. She wants to be the perfect new Emily. But who is that really?

Saving Marty by Paul Griffin. 208 p. Penguin Young Readers Group, September 19, 2017. 97803995339077.

Publisher synopsis: Fans of Because of Winn Dixie will adore this warm and heart-wrenching story of the friendship between a boy and a pig who thinks it's a dog.

Renzo is a quiet kid, content to let his charismatic friend Paloma do all the talking while he dreams of playing the guitar and surfing out in California, becoming a veterinarian, and maybe learning more about the war hero  father he's never known. He lives on a farm with his mom, grandfather, and an extraordinary pig named Marty...a pig who thinks he's a dog, that is. Renzo and Marty’s friendship is one-of-a-kind, but the bigger Marty gets, the harder it is for Renzo to justify his unusual pet to his penny-pinching mom. So when she threatens to sell Marty—or worse—Renzo decides it’s up to him and Paloma to save Marty once and for all.

I adored the author's When Friendship Followed Me Home. I also got a signed copy at Day of Dialog so I will send this one to my friend, e.e. Charlton-Trujillo's not-for-profit, Never Counted Out.

Whichwood by Tahereh Mafi. 369 p. Dutton Children's Books/ Penguin Young Readers Group, November 14, 2017. 9781101994795.

Publisher synopsis: Embark on a wondrous journey through the land of Whichwood in this stunning companion to Tahereh Mafi’s acclaimed bestseller Furthermore.

Our story begins on a frosty night . . . 

Laylee can barely remember the happier times before her beloved mother died. Before her father, driven by grief, lost his wits (and his way) and she was left as the sole remaining mordeshoor in the village of Whichwood, destined to spend her days scrubbing the skins and souls of the dead in preparation for the afterlife. It’s become easy to forget and easier still to ignore not only her ever-increasing loneliness, but the way her overworked hands are stiffening and turning silver, just like her hair. 

But soon, a pair of familiar strangers appear, and Laylee’s world is turned upside down as she rediscovers color, magic, and the healing power of friendship. 

Lush and enchanting, critically-acclaimed author Tahereh Mafi weaves together an all-new magical adventure in this dark, Persian fantasy, a companion to the New York Times bestselling Furthermore.

There's Someone inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins. Dutton Books/ Penguin Young Readers Group, September 26, 2017. 9780525426011.

Publisher synopsis: Scream meets YA in this hotly-anticipated new novel from the bestselling author of Anna and the French Kiss.

One-by-one, the students of Osborne High are dying in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasing and grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and the hunt intensifies for the killer, the dark secrets among them must finally be confronted.

International bestselling author Stephanie Perkins returns with a fresh take on the classic teen slasher story that’s fun, quick-witted, and completely impossible to put down.

I usually avoid horror like the plague having been scarred for life by Stephen King and Dial M for Murder as a teen. I enjoyed Perkins' Anna books and am curious about this "fresh take."

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