Book Stack 3.27.12

With my professors advising us to start work on our final projects and the beautiful (unusual) spring weather we're getting here in Minnesota, I'm not reading much fiction. I'm usually either doing homework or practicing my archery.  But still, I always have a book stack I'm working through.  For a little bit lighter content today, I'm going to share what's currently in the stack.

First, we have Cinder by Marissa Meyer.  It's basically about Cinderella... except for one twist.  She's a cyborg.  My dad brought this one up in conversation and we sort of made fun of the idea (we tend to poke fun at things we don't know much about or are secretly interested in - bad habit), but several weeks later, it appeared at the library and it had such a glossy, beautiful cover that I picked it up and brought it home.  (After checking it out, of course... Man, I sound like such a horrible person in this paragraph...drawn only to books with beautiful covers, ridiculing stuff...)
Anyways, it's actually very good so far, managing to be incredibly unique while staying close to the traditional Cinderella story.  Another interesting fact: it takes place in futuristic China! The author really knows what she's doing with the whole cyborg thing, too.  It makes me wonder if she learned from experience.  Hmm...

Next we have Entwined, by Heather Dixon.  I learned about this one from The Book Fae, but I haven't started it yet.  It's an alternate story of The Twelve Dancing Princesses.  (I'm sensing a theme from my book stack here...) The only other thing I know is that the main character is named Azalea, and I'm trying to sort out my feelings on that name.  Do I like it, or do I not?

Next we have The Risen Empire by Scott Westerfeld.  I was at the library one day (I volunteer there once a week, that's why I'm always bringing it up) when Dad came by to pick me up and checked the sale cart.
"Anything good?" I said.
"No." He sounded pretty decided about it, but I went to check for myself anyway, in case there was a Gallagher Girls or something like that whose interest he would not share.
A few seconds later, I was hurrying toward him, waving The Risen Empire and demanding, "You mean this isn't considered something good?"
He was just as excited as I was, and so we paid the measly fifty cents and took it home.  I started reading it the day or so after we got it, but frankly, it wasn't that exciting.  But I shall read it anyway - I have to support dear Scott W.

And there, at the bottom, I have some Amish romance by Beverly Lewis: The Thorn and The Judgment.  Even though there are certain aspects to Amish romance that drive me crazy, it's one of my guilty pleasures and an excellent stress reliever.  After my statistics exam yesterday, I wanted to escape my own little world for a while, so I curled up on the bed with The Thorn and some chocolate.  Although that probably did nothing to change my impending doom (revealing of exam score), it was very nice.



What have you been reading lately? Got any suggestions for my stack?