In My Mailbox (6)

December 11, 2011

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. It’s awesome. Every week, we all get a chance to tell everyone what new books we’ve gotten so that we can tell you guys and we can all drool and squee together! Huzzah for squees!

This week is not so much about the quantity, guys, but let me tell you, I am EXCITED about all of these books! In fact, I was so stinkin’ psyched that I’ve already read two of them!! Yay!

FROM NETGALLEY

Graffiti Moon, by Cath Crowley (February 14, 2012 from Knopf). This book has already been described as “literary O-face” so I’m not sure what else I can say about this one from Aussie author Cath Crowley, except that it’s about a girl, Lucy, who goes out to find the mysterious graffiti phantom (but, you know, he’s not a ghost. He’s a real person) Shadow. And then, you know, “o-face.” It’s like, oh what is that guy’s name?! Banksy! This one sounds really good guys. Can’t wait to read it!

Ripper, by Amy Carol Reeves (April 8, 2012 from Flux). I feel like there’s been an uptick in books about or related in someway to Jack the Ripper. I LOVE THIS. I once tried to write a history paper about him but there’s practically no legit information anywhere! It’s really amazing when you think about it. But this book takes place in London in 1888, right in the middle of Jack the Ripper’s murders. Abbie Sharp gets caught up in the gruesome killings when she starts having visions of the murder scenes before they happen. So this one is kind of a historical fiction with a paranormal twist! Fantastic! Plus, if you guys are doing the Debut Authors Challenge, add this one to your lists. Sounds so good.

BOUGHT

The One That I Want, by Jennifer Echols (ebook is out now; print version coming February 7, 2012 from Simon Pulse).

You guys, I’m a big Jennifer Echols fan. Her books are fun, sweet, quick reads that feature some solid sexytimes. She writes what she calls “romantic comedies” that are usually slightly younger and a little lighter on the sexytimes; her “romantic dramas” are decidedly older and are heavier on the sexytimes. I appreciate that her characters act their ages, whatever they might be. This one is a romantic comedy about two high school juniors who flirt one day from afar but wind up with other people and have to find their way back together again. I read this one already and it was SUPER CUTE. Yay!

Catching Jordan, by Miranda Kenneally (December 1, 2011 from Sourcebooks Fire). So I bought this one, guys, and read it the same day, and I’m so glad I did. I even reviewed it already! But this book, which is the first in a trilogy of companion novels, is great. If you loved The Dairy Queen books, get a copy of this book right away. You won’t be disappointed. CATCHING JORDAN is the story of a high school senior, Jordan Woods, who is the VERY GOOD quarterback of her school’s football team. The other guys on her team are her bffs, and everything is going great until a new guy shows up and threatens her role on the team and sends her personal life into chaos of the heart. It’s sooooo good!

Did you guys get anything awesome this week?

Top Ten Tuesday | Top Ten Childhood Faves

Top Ten TuesdayTop Ten Childhood Faves

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It’s awesome. Every Tuesday, the lovely folks over at The Broke and the Bookish post a top ten list topic so that book lovers like you and me can pour over our shelves and make our own lists. You can check out all the other Top Ten Tuesday‘s on their site!

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In My Mailbox (5)

December 4, 2011

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. It’s awesome. Every week, we all get a chance to tell everyone what new books we’ve gotten so that we can tell you guys and we can all drool and squee together! Huzzah for squees!

Lots of fun stuff from the library and my own pocketbook this week, friends! Happy December to everyone!


FROM THE LIBRARY

A Touch Mortal: A Touch Trilogy, book 1, by Leah Clifford (February 22, 2011 from Greenwillow). I’m still catching up on my angel books, and this one sounds really good. A girl, who is caught between life and death, falls in love with a fallen angel and becomes a key piece in the war between heaven and hell. I’m in.

The Magnolia League: Magnolia League, book 1, by Katie Crouch (May 3, 2011 from Poppy). Southern debutantes who make deals with hoodoo priests? Sounds like something I would LOVE.

All These Things I’ve Done: Birthright, book 1, by Gabrielle Zevin (September 6, 2011 from Farrar, Straus and Giroux).  This book sounds SO FAB! First of all, I don’t even want to THINK about a time or place when coffee and chocolate are AGAINST THE LAW. I’m fascinated by the twisted mind that could imagine such a place! But this book also sounds a little Russian-mafia-ish, and I’m loving that, too. I’ve been waiting for this one for a while from my library and I can’t wait to devour it…while drinking coffee and stuffing chocolate in my face.

Darkfever: Fever, book 1, by Karen Marie Moning (October 31, 2006 from Delacorte). This series has been floating around my brain for a LONG TIME, but I’ve always managed to grab other things–usually thing that, unlike this series, are YA books–but I decided the other day to get on it already. So I am VERY EXCITED to read about grown-up fairies!

BOUGHT

Pyxis: The Discovery: Pyxis, book 1, by K.C. Neal (November 4, 2011 from StoneHouse Ink). I’ve been hearing lots of great things about this book. It’s a paranormal fantasy about a young girl who realizes that she’s being haunted–along with her boyfriend–by a dark force, and also by a creepy lady, who may be able to give Corinne some answers to her questions about her grandmother, who has some interesting secrets.

That’s it for me this week! What about you guys?

Tripping Over December

New books that are on their way this month!

There’s lots of good stuff coming out in December! I’m certain there will be no shortage of great books to put on your holiday gift lists. So, without further ado, let’s get to the books! Click on the covers to head on over to each book’s Goodreads page.

[Read more…]

Top Ten Tuesday | Top Ten Books to Read This Winter

Top Ten TuesdayTop Ten Books to Read This Winter

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It’s awesome. Every Tuesday, the lovely folks over at The Broke and the Bookish post a top ten list topic so that book lovers like you and me can pour over our shelves and make our own lists. You can check out all the other Top Ten Tuesday‘s on their site!

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[Read more…]

In My Mailbox (4)

November 27, 2011

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. It’s awesome. Every week, we all get a chance to tell everyone what new books we’ve gotten so that we can tell you guys and we can all drool and squee together! Huzzah for squees!

I’m back from Thanksgiving! Hope everyone’s holiday was as fantastic as mine! Just a couple things this week, guys, but I’m excited about them. PLUS, my library got a shipment of some NEW STUFF (Yay!), so I’ve got great books to read.

FROM NETGALLEY

Dust Girl: The American Fairy Series, book 1, by Sarah Zettel (June 26, 2010 from Random House). A half-human, half-fairy girl from Dust Bowl-era Kansas goes on a journey to find her parents? I’m so intrigued by this! Of all the times and places you could imagine a fairy, I’ve never once thought of the Dust Bowl. I can’t wait to dig in!

New Girl, by Paige Harbison (January 31, 2012 from Harlequin Teen). You guys, a retelling of Rebecca?!? YES PLEASE! YES. PLEASE.

FROM THE LIBRARY

Virtuosity, by Jessica Martinez (October 18, 2011 from Simon Pulse). There seem to be a lot of books about kids who are active in the arts, no? I’m a big fan. Plus, this sounds so good and I love the cover!

The Survival Kit, by Donna Freitas (October 11, 2011 from Farrar, Straus and Giroux). I’ve been wanting to read this for ages and the library comes through in the clutch! Sounds like a great story that kind of reminds me of Maureen Johnson’s Little Blue Envelopes books. Can’t wait!

Firelight: Firelight, book 1, by Sophie Jordan (September 7, 2010 from Harper Teen). So I’m behind the times with this one. It’s been on the TBR for ages, and it’s finally come in for me. Really looking forward to this one.

Darkness Becomes Her: Gods & Monsters, book 1, by Kelly Keaton (February 22, 2011 from Simon Pulse). I have heard so many great things about this book, and I keep meaning to grab it. Paranormal romance in post-apocalyptic New Orleans? HUZZAH!

So, that’s the pile this week, my dears. Anything good in your mailboxes this week?

Top Ten Tuesday | Top Ten Authors I’d Love to Have at My Thanksgiving Feast

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Authors I’d Love to Have at My Thanksgiving Feast

Ten authors I’d love to have for Thanksgiving? Let’s do it! Just for my own purposes, I’m keeping this list to living authors, not dead authors who I would pretend to invite to Thanksgiving. I’m looking for living, breathing guests, my dears. I’ll save the ghosts for my books!

In no particular order…except for probably the last two (the last two being possibly my most fangirly. Although, maybe I’d be fangirly with them all…hmm…):

1. Jandy Nelson. You guys…this lady is exceptional. She’s only written one book so far, THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE, and it picked me up, tossed me about, wrung me out, and the dropped me, nonsensical and drooling with adoration, on the ground. This book is amazing, not least because it is a book about grieving a loss so totally that actually managed to give me the warm fuzzies and the lovey tingles. Jandy’s (cause I’m on a first-name basis with all my guests) language is gorgeous, and I’ve never enjoyed reading poems more than I did reading the poems here. We would talk about it, have a few glasses of wine, and then laugh and just hit it off in general and become BFFs. Best Thanksgiving ever.

2. Kristin Cashore. I love her. GRACELING was possibly the first YA book I read before I really started reading YA at all and it was like the spark that lit the flame. I love her stories and the way she writes. I’ve been following her blog for ages and feel like we could definitely hang out at Thanksgiving and talk about having sisters and traveling and why she can move around all the time but I like it where I am. Yay!

3. Maggie Stiefvater. I’ve read all of Maggie’s books and I’ve loved all of them, but none as much as THE SCORPIO RACES, my favorite. It makes me wish I was a horse-riding, small-island-in-the UK/Ireland-living person. Even though that might mean that I wouldn’t celebrate Thanksgiving. Hmm…. I would still have Maggie at my holiday table because she could bring awesome desserts and we could talk about books and writing and why I like traditional Irish music even though I am not Irish (I don’t know…something about those fiddles…). It’d be great fun, I know it.

4. Diana Gabaldon. One of my favorites. I love her Outlander series because its got most of my favorite things: historical fiction of colonial America, Scottish people, some kind of magic (small amounts, but important), GREAT romance (the adult kind), amazing characters, politics, emotional investment…and time travel, done without seeming to science-fictiony. Love her.

5. Stephanie Perkins. Stephanie Perkins would be SO FUN at Thanksgiving, right? I LOVE her books. They’re romantic, funny, genuine, quirky, and character-driven. I can just picture the the two of us laughing and chatting the whole day away. Plus my sister would love her hair.

6. Lauren Willig. Do you guys know Lauren Willig? Please forgive me for asking, but I want to make sure that I introduce all of my guests and since Lauren writes adult historical fiction and this is a YA blog, I just wanted to make sure. Because Lauren, I think, would be a blast at Thanksgiving, if the humor and fun in her books (the Pink Carnation series) are any indication! Seriously, her books are insta-buys for me, and they are always a guaranteed good read.

7. Jeanne Birdsall. This is a sentimental pick for me. Jeanne writes the Penderwicks books, a completely adorable, sweet, endearing, lovely middle-grade series about the most instantly likable family in the whole world. I LOVE these books because I LOVE the Penderwicks, a plucky and loving gaggle of sisters who live with their rumpled but wonderful father in Massachusetts. Reading about them is like sitting in the grass on a beautiful spring day with not a cloud in the sky and a breeze blowing around–they’re a breath of fresh air.

8. Lauren Oliver. *Sigh* Lauren Oliver. I’ve read all of her books so far and they’ve all touched me, made me think, squee, cry, get tingly (perhaps there weren’t so many tingles with Liesl & Po, but you understand), laugh, rage…everything! Plus she just seems so darned NICE!

9. J.K. Rowling. Oh my goodness, we’re getting down to it now, everybody. This is one of my biggest fangirly ones. J.K. (probably I would call her Jo) would be on my one side, and the next guy would be on my other and I would drool and gush and embarrass myself in front of them both. Plus, Jo would hit it off with my dad, who has the audiobook of Half Blood Prince on constant repeat in his car. Having her for the holiday would probably be HIS best Thanksgiving ever, and that makes it mine as well.

10. George R.R. Martin. Oh, yes, I am OBSESSED with A Song of Ice and Fire. Crazed. I read the blogs, the books, the forums. I theorize on the prophecies and who is Jon Snow’s mother and who will ride the dragons with Dany. I watch the show. About the only thing I don’t do is dress up like the characters from the books and attend fan conventions (they’re mostly in Ireland anyway). George would be right next to me at the table so I could pump him mercilessly for info and spoilers and he would love it because he would get to be back in Jersey, where he’s from. Then we could talk about the Jets and have such a great time that we would wind up talking allllllll the way to Christmas and he could pretend to be Santa! He totally reminds me of Santa.

So, Thanksgiving is in two days, right? I can totally make this happen by then.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It’s awesome. Every Tuesday, the lovely folks over at The Broke and the Bookish post a top ten list topic so that book lovers like you and me can pour over our shelves and make our own lists. You can check out all the other Top Ten Tuesday‘s on their site!

In My Mailbox (3)

November 20, 2011

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. It’s awesome. Every week, we all get a chance to tell everyone what new books we’ve gotten so that we can tell you guys and we can all drool and squee together! Huzzah for squees!

I can’t lie, guys. This week’s IMM is thin, but I still got some great books to read. Some are new, some are a little old, but I’m psyched for all of them. Let’s get down to business!

FROM NETGALLEY

Sisters of Glass, by Stephanie Hemphill (May 8, 2012 from Knopf). I actually have another of Stephanie Hemphill’s books on my currently reading pile, WICKED GIRLS, which is a story in verse about the Salem witch trials. THIS book, though, is a historical fiction set in Italy among Venetian glassblowers. Sounds great! Plus I think the cover is pretty!

BOUGHT

Torn: Torn Trilogy, book 1, by Erica O’Rourke (June 28, 2011 from Kensington). This one sounds great. The murder of a best friend reveals dangerous secrets and magic and two–count ’em, TWO–yummy boys!

Brightest Kind of Darkness: Brightest Kind of Darkness, book 1, by P.T. Michelle (June 27, 2011 from Patrice Michelle). This book sounds fantastic. It’s about a 16-year-old girl who dreams every night of what will happen the following day. Obviously, this leads to problems. Problems that I want to read about, please!

Deadly Little Secret: Touch, book 1 (December 23, 2008 from Hyperion). So, I’m behind the times with this one, I know. (This series currently has four books out already, and the fifth one is out next year.) But it sounds right up my alley, so I nabbed an ebook for my Kindle and am ready to get started!

Amber Frost: The Lost Magic, book 1, by Suzi Davis. The second book in this series, SILVER DEW, is coming out next month, and the books sound so intriguing that I had to get on ’em. This one, AMBER FROST, is about a young girl who moves to a new city and meets a mysterious boy. There seem to be hints at past lives and forgotten pasts and other awesomeness. Also, strange tattoos. I can’t even!

That’s it for me this time around! Any oldies but goodies in your mailboxes this week?

Top Ten Tuesday | Top Ten Books That Have Been on My Shelf the Longest

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Books That Have Been On My Shelf For The Longest But I’ve Never Read

So, I know that you guys can’t actually see me, but trust me right now: I’m cowering in a corner in mild fear of your disbelief and disdain. This is because–gulp–I have a particularly large pile of really well-known, popular (mostly) YA books that I haven’t read yet, and it just so happens that this week’s Top Ten Tuesday meme addresses this very issue! Don’t misinterpret that exclamation point, though: It’s an embarrassing pile, it’s way bigger than ten books, and I’m not proud of it. I keep it off to the side to further prevent my tripping over it and thus renewing my shame. But listen! I have a really good reason for this pile, and in my defense, it’s not that I haven’t tried to tackle these books before. It’s just that something always comes up, whether that’s life or just another book. Because I trust you guys, though, I’m going to share the ten most egregious items in my shame pile in the hopes that we can talk about it and move forward. Be gentle, though, ok? Ohmygod, I’m sooooo nervous.

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In My Mailbox (2)

In My MailboxNovember 13, 2011

You guys. I’m SO EXCITED about this week’s In My Mailbox. Major, huge, sloppy thank you kisses to Random House Children’s for a killer NetGalley haul this week. I actually squealed when I got these books. Out loud. Oh man, I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to these books! Woo Hoo!! *doing an embarrassing happy dance, which is VERY embarrassing because I have no rhythm!* Let’s get down to business!

FROM NETGALLEY

Seraphina, by Rachel Hartman. Coming on July 10, 2012 from Random House Children’s (Dragons, you guys. DRAGONS).

 Don’t You Wish, by Roxanne St. Claire. Coming on July 10, 2012 from Delacorte (sounds kind of Freaky Friday-ish. Definitely looking forward to this one).

The Gathering Storm: The Katerina Trilogy, book 1, by Robin Bridges. Coming on January 10, 2012 from Delacorte (SUPER excited about this one! It’s like a historical paranormal AND it features the Russian Imperial family?!? Somebody grab the smelling salts! I’m going down!)

The Prince Who Fell From the Sky, by John Claude Bemis. Coming on May 22, 2012 from Random House Children’s
(This is a middle grade title that sounds AMAZING. Dystopian Jungle Book?!? WORD).

Wanderlove, by Kirsten Hubbard. Coming March 13, 2012 from Delacorte (ROAD TRIP! I LOVE road trips).


Fury’s Fire: Siren’s Storm, book 2, by Lisa Papademetriou. Coming July 10, 2012 from Random House Children’s (I haven’t read the first book in this series yet, but they sound good).


Cross My Heart, by Sasha Gould. Coming March 13, 2012 from Delacorte (Historical Fiction! Italy! Betrayal! Secret societies! Yay!).


The Book of Blood and Shadow, by Robin Wasserman. Coming January 10, 2012 from Random House Children’s
(The Goodreads synopsis mentions murder, Prince Charming, blood trails, secret societies, the divine, Prague, and controlling the world. Sounds bananas. Can’t wait to get to this one).

BORROWED

Tempest: Tempest, book 1, by Julie Cross. Coming January 17, 2012 from St. Martin’s Griffin (Time travel fugitive. Yes!)

BOUGHT

Darker Still: Magic Most Foul, book 1, by Leanne Renee Hieber. Published on November 1, 2011 from Sourcebooks Fire (I’m hoping to read and review this one soon)


I’m so excited about the books I got this week! What book did YOU add to your piles this week that you’re most excited about?