Stacking the Shelves #13

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews. Stacking the Shelves is a way to show off what books you have received throughout the week (whether they be for review, from the library, etc.)

This week: May 19th-May 26th

So I haven't posted one of these in a while because I've been so busy with school ending, so some of these books I got in past weeks. 

Received from paperbackswap.com:

Fruits Basket 2 and 3 by Natsuki Takaya

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

Gossip Girl the Carlyles: Love the One You're With by Cecily von Ziegesar

I Will Always Love You by Cecily von Ziegesar

Received for review:

Saving the Pearls Part One: Revealing Eden and Saving the Pearls Part Two: Adapting Eden by Victoria Foyt (Found a lot of controversary over these books so I can't wait to read them and see what's up for myself. She did autograph them for me though which was super nice!)

That's all for now! Leave a comment below and I'll come check out what you got this week!

See you soon!

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Gossip Girl: The Carlyles: Love the One You're With by Cecily von Ziegesar

Read a synopsis here!
Number of pages: 240
(This is going to be a slightly shorter review because I read the book about two weeks ago)
I think this is, by far, the best Carlyles book in the entire series. The first one was good because it was a new series, with new people, but this last book was a great way to end the series.
I really like books that take place on an island, especially rich people on vacation and that's what this was! So the Carlyle family goes on an island vacation and the triplets bring some of their friends along and there is, of course, lot's of drama, but also many problems that have persisted since the first book are put to rest.
Everything was resolved extremely well and there wasn't any issues that were left on a cliffhanger.
This was a great book, but I'm glad the series is over. It wouldn't have lasted as long as the Gossip Girl series, and honestly didn't need to. I felt that the triplets had more depth and each book went through a lot more than one Gossip Girl book did. 
Of course all the books were light and fun reads and I enjoy Cecily von Ziegesar's work, but I think I'm done with her books for awhile. I won't be reading the It Girl series because it'll probably be too much like all her other works. Of course I could be wrong, but it's time to move onto other books.
See you soon! Sorry for the short review!
Paige

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Gossip Girl: The Carlyles: Take A Chance On Me by Cecily von Ziegesar

Read a synopsis here!
Number of pages: 240
These books are starting to sound too much like the original Gossip Girl series. The way the characters are starting to act and behave is suspiciously similar to Gossip Girl. And you're probably thinking, well yeah! Cecily von Ziegesar wrote both series'!
But in actuality, she didn't! She created The Carlyles series, and a lady named Annabelle Vestry was the one who actually wrote the series. And it doesn't even say her name on the front cover! If I was her I'd be a little upset, because it takes a lot of work to write a book!
But I'm not here to rant and rave about marketing, I'm here for reviews! So let's move on... (But just a side note about the marketing; I do LOVE that red dress on the right there!! SO cute!)
The series is starting to lose its appeal for me. It started out strong, but is continually becoming weaker and weaker. I'll still read the fourth book in the series to see how the story ends, but let's just say I'm glad there's only four books.
Don't get me wrong, I love the writing style, the cattiness of the girls, name dropping of designers, restaurants, etc., and the deliciousness of the boys, but the the plots are becoming boring. I had to keep convincing myself to read the book, just so I could be finished! (That's never a good thing and always a sign that the book is dull from beginning to end)
I also liked these books, at first, a bit more than the original Gossip Girl one's because there was less drug and sex references, but that's starting to become more common as well. Again, I'm all for having that in a book, because I am by no means a book burner, but I just had higher hopes for these characters. I also originally though these characters were a little more innocent in the beginning of the series, compared to Gossip Girl, but they've become cynical and...dry. Some seem to have little life left in them which leads to a disappointing and unrelateable character.
Normally, we want to look up to these characters and we wish we were like them, but now...They've lost their superiority, at least for me they have. They're less enviable. Because when you start to envy a characters clothes more than their attitude, you know there is a problem.
Overall, I wish the plots were a little more interesting and I hope the next and final book in the series does not disappoint me as much as this one.
See you soon!
Paige

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Gossip Girl: The Carlyles: You Just Can't Get Enough by Cecily von Ziegesar

Read a synopsis here!
Number of pages: 208
This is the sequel to the first Carlyles book appropriately called The Carlyles, and it was just as good as the first! The beginning was a little slow but they usually are for me with Gossip Girl books, I'm not sure why. But as soon as you really get into the story and what issues are going on in the current novel, the book gets better and better. Gossip Girl/Carlyle books, for me, are like the TV show The Hills; totally addicting and a guilty pleasure! Sure there are books with more quality out there, but I just love diving right into these books where there's tons of backstabbing, hooking up, name dropping, and just overall, bad girl/boy activities. 
Plus I would totally love to move to New York!
I don't want to give away anything in this review so it will be fairly brief; Avery is still trying to live a classic and old fashioned New York life just like her grandmother did. Sometimes that doesn't always work out for her though...Avery also has to deal with her arch nemesis Jack again, who stirs up more trouble than she can handle. Especially with all the baggage she has in her own personal life.
Baby is now enjoying New York a little more, but she keeps noticing things that would make either her sister or her brother happy, but not her. Baby is a very conflicted person. She's happy most of the time, but the rest of the time she feels frustrated and unhappy with the old fashioned ways of NYC. Very unlike her sister who feels NYC isn't old fashioned enough...Hmm
Then Owen, also has conflicts with his friends and there are some large rumors spread about him around his school and he has to deal with those as well. (And some other stuff that I can't tell you about without spoiling it!)
I think I liked the first book better, simply because it was the first book, but I like how the characters are developing more and more throughout each novel. I also noticed more snarky interjections from Gossip Girl herself, throughout the novel, which I actually liked. She (or he? Really it could be either) has such a sarcastic attitude, but at the same time she has a lot of sense. A perfect narrator! 
Overall, I can't wait for the next one and can't wait to see what other kind of trouble these kids get into!
(Also, is it just me or do they seem way more sophisticated than their age level? They're only juniors in high school but they have such authority and power. Maybe it's because they're rich....)
See you soon!
Paige

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Gossip Girl: The Carlyles by Cecily von Ziegesar

Read a synopsis here!
Number of pages: 243
Wow! Another fantastic book by Cecily von Ziegesar! I think I'm going to like this series more than Gossip Girl! Not really sure why, perhaps the characters were a little more relatable and the story moved along a lot more quickly. There was also a lot less main characters to keep track of. Much easier for the story to move more quickly because then you don't have to keep going back to one character and then another, and another; in general the story will move much more slowly.
Anyways, so a group of triplets, the Carlyles, move to New York from Nantucket and basically take on the Upper East Side (this is a spin-off series from Gossip Girl, obviously, so there are references to the old characters. For example, the Carlyles live in Blair's old penthouse). Avery and Baby go to Constance Billard, just like Serena and Blair did. However, this time the girls start out as the nobodies with a famous, dead, grandmother who used to wreck havoc on New York back in her day. 
Avery is trying to become one of the popular girls at Constance Billard and is vying for the position of Student Liaison (the Student Liaison, makes decisions for the rest of the class). Her enemy Jack, short for Jacqueline, is also campaigning for the position, and the girls go on a rampant of back stabbing. Oh fun!
Baby hates the fact that she had to leave Nantucket behind, along with her boyfriend, and is trying to overcome heartache in Manhattan. She is also trying to break as many rules as possible (cussing in French class on the first day? Awesome!) to get kicked out of Constance Billard's so she can be transported back to home sweet home. However, her views begin to be questioned when she meets some very interesting people...
Owen, the last Carlyle triplet, goes to St. Jude's and is attempting to get over a girl he had a fling with over the summer in Nantucket. He's also trying to make some new guy friends, because he didn't have many before he moved because he was always going after girls and the guys didn't want to compete with him. Surprise, surprise, however, the guy that Owen befriends has some shocking circumstances that will put Owen in a tight place.
I adore Cecily von Ziegesar's writing and I can't wait for the next book. Yes, there is the typical partying, drinking, and overall, misbehavior by teenagers, but you can't hide this from teens forever! Let them read these books and look at is as a learning tool to show that after the party is over, there's ugly hangovers to deal with and ruined reputations (doesn't seem like that big of a deal, but to a teenager it is).
Five out of five stars for another name-dropping, trash talking, overall guilty pleasure of a novel! Can't wait for the rest of the series! I've already ordered the next one's!
See you soon!
Paige

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