State of the Stack (Dec. 29, 2014)

This is my monthly State of the Stack post. It is my way to keep track of my review books and to hopefully reduce the stack that I have waiting for me. I take a look at my review commitments on the last Monday of each month. Please feel free to join in and let me know the state of your stack.

Here is my Review Books Spreadsheet. Yellow highlighted books are ones past their publication date that I still haven't read and reviewed. I use pink highlights for reviews due in even numbered months so that I can see at a glance how many I have for each month. Ideally, this keeps me from over-committing to review books.  

I also do this post because sometimes (frequently) review books sit on my stack for a while before I read and review them. I try to read and review books within two weeks of publication date. Sometimes I can't, though, if too many books are releasing on the same date or if the book arrives too near its publication date and my calendar is already full. 

I am very grateful to the authors and publishers who support my reading habit. 

My Review Pile

The Stolen Moon by Rachel Searles (Jan. 27)

Cut Me Free by J. R. Johansson (Jan. 27)

 I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios (Feb. 3)

Beastkeeper by Cat Hellison (Feb. 3)

 Since You've Been Gone by Mary Jennifer Payne (Feb. 17)

Mars Evacuees by Sophia McDougall (Feb. 17)

 Shadow Study by Maria V. Snyder (Feb. 24)

Dreaming Spies by Laurie R. King (Feb. 17)

 Stone in the Sky by Cecil Castellucci (Feb. 24)

The Secret Cipher by Whitaker Ringwald (Feb. 24)

 No Parking at the End Times by Bryan Bliss (Feb. 24)

Better Than Perfect by Melissa Kantor (Feb. 26)

 Vampires Never Cry Wolf by Sara Humphreys (March 3)

The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski (March 3)

Lost Boy by Tim Green (March 3)

 The Memory Key by Liana Liu (March 3)

How to Win at High School by Owen Matthews (March 3)

The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows (March 10)

 Boys Don't Knit by T. S. Easton (March 24)

Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly (March 24)

The Cemetery Boys by Heather Brewer (March 30)

Solitaire by Alice Oseman (March 30)

Holding Strong by Lori Foster (March 31)

 The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre (April 7)

Lies I Told by Michelle Zink (April 7)

The Pretty App by Katie Sise (April 14)

 Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Gier (April 14)

Skandal by Lindsay Smith (April 7)

Darkmouth #1: The Legend Begins by Shane Hegarty (April 21)

 Every Last Promise by Kristin Halbrook (April 21)

Archie Greene and the Magician's Secret by D. D. Everest (April 21)

Dear Hank Williams by Kimberly Willis Holt (April 14)

 Ferals by Jacob Grey (April 28)

Drive Me Crazy by Terra Elan McVoy (April 28)

 Flirty Dancing by Jenny McLachlan (April 28)

The Secrets We Keep by Trisha Leaver (April 28)

 Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge (May 5)

Making Pretty by Corey Ann Haydu (May 12)

Heat of the Moment by Lauren Barnholdt (May 12)

 The Cost of All Things by Maggie Lehrman (May 12)

A Sense of the Infinite by Hilary T. Smith (May 19)

The Improbable Theory of Ana & Zak by Brian Katcher (May 19)

 Kissing in America by Margo Rabb (May 26)

The Fog Diver by Joel Ross (May 26)

Proof of Forever by Lexa Hillyer (June 2)

Can Anybody Help Me? by Sinead Crowley (July 7)

 I Read This Month

These are listed in the order I read them. Links go to my reviews for all that have been posted already. Otherwise, the date the review is scheduled for is listed and the link goes to Amazon.

1. Carousel Seas by Sharon Lee (Dec. 27) 
2. Hungry Like the Wolf by Paige Tyler (Jan. 1)
3. Save Me by Jenny Elliott (Jan. 1) 
4. Private Affair by Rebecca York (Jan. 3)
5. The Unicorn Hunter by Che Golden (Jan. 3)
6. Owl and the Japanese Circus by Kristi Charish (Jan. 8) 
7. The Hound at the Gate by Darby Karchut (Jan. 7) 
8. Polaris by Mindee Arnett (Jan. 10)
9. The Boy Next Door by Katie Van Ark (Jan. 14)
10. Too Hot to Handle by Katie Rose (Jan. 15)
11. The Prey by Tom Isbell (Jan. 15)
12. Twisted Fate by Norah Olson (Jan. 17)
13. Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff (Jan. 22)
14. The Inquisitor's Mark by Dianne K. Salerni (Jan. 24) 

Read Previously, Reviews Posted This Month

1. Suspicion by Alexandra Monir (Dec. 4)
2. Walking on Her Grave by Melinda Leigh (Dec. 3)
3. Hour of Need by Melinda Leigh (Dec. 6)
4. For Real by Alison Cherry (Dec. 6)
5. The Stag Lord by Darby Kaye (Dec. 4)
6. Undercity by Catherine Asaro (Dec. 11)
7. This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner (Dec. 18) 

I Added These Books

These are listed in the order I received them. Links go to Amazon. Date received and date published are listed in parentheses.

1. Vampires Never Cry Wolf by Sara Humphreys (March 3)
2. Owl and the Japanese Circus by Kristi Charish (Jan. 13)
3. Shadow Study by Maria V. Snyder (Feb. 24)
4. Holding Strong by Lori Foster (March 31, 2015)

Next Month's Plan

I still have two review books on my stack for January but expect to finish them during my Holiday Break which lasts until January 5. Then I'll start to tackle the 10 books on February's stack. I am managing to stay nicely ahead since I read and schedule posts at least three weeks ahead. I hope to be able to continue to do that is 2015.

This year I received 229 books for review and read and reviewed 206 books. I would really like to cut back on the number of books I review because my TBR mountains just keep growing but there are so many good books available to review and my will power is weak.