In My Mailbox #11

Howdy All! Here's what I got this week! (Sorry for the crappy photos, I need to get a new camera :) )

I bought

Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

ARCs I received for Review:

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler (HarperCollins)

Archon by Sabrina Benulis (HarperVoyager) 

Tempest by Julie Cross (Thank you Crystal from Raincoast Books!)

Switched by Amanda Hocking (St. Martin's Griffin)

That's all for me this week, what did you guys get in your mailbox?

Happy Reading!!!

Waiting on Wednesday: Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

I can't wait for this sequel, loved Starcrossed!

Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

Release Date: May 29th/12.

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads: 

As the only Scion that can enter Hades at will, Helen descends to the Underworld in search of a way to overcome the Furies and end the cycle of revenge that has cursed the Scions. But she’s running out of time. Each descent weakens her both in mind and spirit. A mysterious stranger might be her only salvation, but the price may be her love for Lucas Delos.

As an unforgettable love triangle emerges, Josephine Angelini’s compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding. The eagerly awaited sequel to the internationally bestselling Starcrossed, Dreamless delivers with a huge emotional impact that will leave readers satisfied—and longing for more.

ARC Review: Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Fever by Lauren DeStefano
Release date: February 21/12.
ARC Received from Publisher
Simon and Schuster

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:
Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind. 

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness. 

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary. 


WARNING: THIS IS A SEQUEL, THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS IF YOU HAVE NOT YET READ WITHER! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED :)


My Thoughts:
I'm nervous to write a review of this book for the simple fact, that I feel my words cannot do justice to Destefano's latest installment.


Fever has blown Wither way out of the park! I could happily get lost in DeStefano's writing everyday, she has an incredible imagination that resembles that of Diana Gabaldon- I never know where she'll be taking Rhine next.


This isn't a read for the faint of heart. Even though Rhine and Gabriel have escaped Vaughn's clutches, they still have many battles ahead. When I first saw the cover for this book I said to myself "Junkie much?" but after reading the book, this cover is PERFECT in absolutely every way possible!


I love the tenuous romance between Rhine and Gabriel, it's a gentle romance that both characters need to cope through the hard times that they face. I also like the way DeStefano writes the complex feelings Rhine has for Linden and vice versa, this isn't your typical love triangle, and I care for each love interest just as Rhine does.


There are so many complexities to DeStefano's writing. After watching Rhine and Gabriel suffer one after the other of trials and tribulations, the reader is left to question: is it better to be caged and protected, or free and at risk of the world's devices?


The ending was perfect. I don't feel cheated, but I am excited to see how things will conclude for Rhine, Gabriel, Linden, Cecily, Rowan and Vaughn.


If you liked Wither, or like me, were on the fence about Wither I BEG YOU PLEASE READ FEVER! You will not be disappointed. This is definitely in my top 5 reads of 2011! Thank you Lauren, I can't wait to read your next masterpiece!


Happy Reading!!!

Waiting on Wednesday: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

OMG I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK, THE COVER, THE SYNOPSIS AND THE FIRST 5 CHAPTERS (WHICH ARE AVAILABLE AT INKPOP.COM!) :)

 Only one problem, how am I suppose to wait until May?

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Release Date: May 1st/12.

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads: 

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being
bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen
angels in Sweet Evil.

Anna, a tender-hearted southern girl, was born with the sixth
sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of
a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger,
but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring
Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her
will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned
you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

A cross-country trip forces Anna and Kai to face the reality
that hope and love are not options for their kind. When it's
time for Anna to confront her demons, will she choose to embrace
her halo or her horns?

ARC Review: The Taming by Teresa Toten and Eric Walters

The Taming by Teresa Toten and Eric Walters
Release Date: Jan.24/12.

Synopsis courtesy of Netgalley:

Katie likes to believe she's invisible. It seems much safer than being exposed as she is--shy, poor, awkward. So getting up on stage in the school production of The Taming of the Shrew should be complete torture. But as Katie tells it, something totally unexpected happened when she stepped on stage: "My head exploded. I loved it. Acting hit me like a sucker punch and I loved, loved, loved it! . . . Invisible Katie became visible Katharina."

Evan Cooper is, as they say, another story. He knows just what it takes to get noticed, and he uses every one of the skills he's honed after years of being the new kid. Like tossing the keys to his father's high-end Audi to a kid he's never met, first day of school. "I have insurance for car theft," he explains to a shocked Danny. "And there's a full tank." An abuse of the power that comes with privilege and money? Sure.

But more dangerously, is his romance with Katie another version of the same thing? Or is it the real thing?

My Thoughts:

WOW! This is one of the most INTENSE books I've read all year!

Warning!!! There is A LOT of sexual content, drugs, alcohol in this book.

The great thing about this book, was the writing of the emotions Evan and Katie experience through their relationship both on and off the stage. I had moments where I would begin to LOVE Evan, but than his true colours would spring free and I would feel a whole wave revulsion.

The same rains true for Katie, she's shy and beginning to break out of her shell by staring in the female lead of the school play, but the longer she spends in Evan's presence, the weaker and more insecure she becomes.

Be warned this is NOT a love story! These two characters bring out the absolute worst in each other's personality which is the perfect equation for an abusive and destructive relationship. 

The intertextuality in this plot is cleverly woven through Evan and Katie's relationship on and off the stage. I was thoroughly hooked and entertained throughout.

This book is definitely not for the faint of heart, however, once I started it, I was unable to stop. it's a gripping and intense read that provides ideal literary merit on abusive relationships (both physical and emotional).

I think that everyone, aged 14 up, should read this book. It delivers an important moral lessen that it doesn't matter what people feel and think about you, but that YOU LOVE AND RESPECT YOURSELF enough to walk away from someone who doesn't appreciate you.

Please read this book guys, you won't be disappointed. And thank you Toten and Walters for not sugarcoating the reality of young abusive relationships.

Happy Reading!!!

In My Mailbox #9

ARCs from Egmont (Random House)

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Dec/11.)

The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison (Feb/12.)

A Huge Pile of Teen books from Harlequin (Thank you Harlequin TEEN!!!) :)

Crave by Melissa Darnell (Finished Copy)

Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter (ARC) Apr/12.

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa (Finished Copy)

Saving June by Hannah Harrington (Finished Copy)

Soul Screamers Volume One by Rachel Vincent (Finished Copy)

dancergirl by Carol M. Tanzman (Finished Copy)

Finished copies from Random House

My Beating Teenage Heart by C.K. Kelly Martin

End of Days by Eric Walters

ARCs from Harpercollins/Teen 

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (ARC)

Everything We Ever Wanted by Sara Shepard (ARC)

Books from Random House's Children's Fall Preview

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel (Finished Copy)

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay (Finished Copy)

The Death Cure by James Dashner (Finished Copy)

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen (Finished Copy)

E-galley from Netgalley

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand (Jan/12.)

Swag from MacMillan

Cinder Mirror

That's all for this week! What did you guys get in your mailbox?

Happy Reading!!!

100 Follower Giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday: Destined by Jessie Harrell

Mythology is soooooo popular, in Teen Lit, right now- and I can't wait to read this modern day retelling of Psyche and Cupid myth!

Thank God we only have to wait a week, right? :)

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:

When Psyche receives a prophecy gone horribly wrong, she learns that even the most beautiful girl in Greece can have a hideous future. Her fate? Fall in love with the one creature even the gods fear. 

As she feels herself slipping closer into the arms of the prophecy, Psyche must choose between the terrifyingly tender touch she feels almost powerless to resist and the one constant she's come to expect out of life: you cannot escape what is destined. 

Destined is a fresh and heartachingly romantic retelling of the Cupid & Psyche myth from debut novelist, Jessie Harrell.


Happy Reading!!!

ARC Review: Unleashed by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

Unleashed by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie
Release Date: November 22nd/11.
Publisher: Delacorte Press

Katelyn McBride’s life changed in an instant when her mother died. Uprooted from her California home, Katelyn was shipped to the middle of nowhere, Arkansas, to her only living relative, her grandfather. And now she has to start over in Wolf Springs, a tiny village in the Ozark Mountains. Like any small town, Wolf Springs has secrets. But the secrets hidden here are more sinister than Katelyn could ever imagine. It’s a town with a history that reaches back centuries, spans continents, and conceals terrifying truths. And Katelyn McBride is about to change everything.
Broken families, ageless grudges, forced alliances, and love that blooms in the darkest night—welcome to Wolf Springs.

My Thoughts:

First off let me just point out that I am NOT a fan of Holder's Wicked series,

However...

I LOVED this book! When I first started reading Unleashed I felt it resembled Twilight in many ways.

Kat's been uprooted from her Sunny LA lifestyle to a small rural town with her Grandfather. And Wolf Springs has some secrets (that aren't so secret :)).

I felt a disconnect with her friend Cordelia, all the scenes between Kat and this character felt awkward and uncomfortable to me (almost forced).

However, this writing team definitely redeems this story with it's budding love triangle :)  I'm TEAM TRICK ALL THE WAY, although Justin is amazing, Trick is the whole package (Hot, fun, chivalrous, and his Southern accent doesn't hurt!) I definitely felt passion between Kat and both these guys, which one will she choose, I have no fricken idea, but I'm dying to find out!

Overall I would recommend this read to all Werewolf and Twilight fans out there!

Happy Reading!!!

ARC Review and Author Interview: Blood of the Ancients by Tammy Wilkinson

Blood of the Ancients by Tammy Wilkinson
Release Date: November 12th/11.

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:

"Maddy swung around and came face to face with a pair of stunning green eyes gazing intently at her. Gabe stood just inches away from her. His warm breath caressed her face and goose bumps rose on her forearms. Startled, she jumped back a step."

17 year old Madeline Evans had no idea what she was in for when she met Gabriel Brennan, nor did she know the dangerous truth about his past. His pale blonde hair and bright green eyes had captivated her from the moment she saw him, but fighting the urge to stay away from the dangerous boy is easier said than done. More than once Maddy finds herself in a perilous situation, but Gabe always seems to be there to save the day. Can Maddy trust Gabe or will he lead her to her untimely death?


My Thoughts:

Can I please have Blood of the Ancients?! 

This book is perfect for Twilight fans, who like a little extra tension between their two protaganists.

Maddy is a practical heroine. She's spent most of her life with her head in the books, planning/preparing for her future... Enter Gabe.

The mysterious and sexy Gabe, who comes with quite a bit of baggage (O, but he's sooooo worth it :) ) I loved Gabe, he's got the whole Knight-in-shining-armour thing down.

But Gabe isn't the only mystery that BOTA offers, someone's out to get Maddy, she's continuously attacked and placed in danger, will Gabe be able to save her? Well you'll just have to read and find out :)

Great YA Debut, and a huge thanks to Tammy for the opportunity to review it!


And now please join me in welcoming Tammy to the blog today....



1) What inspired you to write Blood of the Ancients?

It was a culmination of events, really. I'd always wanted to write a book, but never seemed to have the time to do it. One night I had a dream about a story I'd been concocting. Half asleep, I wrote down everything I could remember from my dream. It took me two weeks to decipher what I'd written, but at the end I have a brief outline of what would become Blood of the Ancients. A few weeks later I was having dinner with my little sis and we out all the details of the story. A week later I had the full outline. About a month after that I was laid off from my job. One day when I was on Facebook, I saw a link to the NaNoWriMo website and came to the conclusion that it was now or never. I used NaNo as the jumping point for the book.



2) How long did it take you to write BOTA?

After participating in NaNo, I was left with a VERY rough first draft of BOTA. It took me another 6 months to polish it up and get to the final draft. For those of you that don't know what NaNoWriMo is, it's National Novel Writing Month. The whole purpose is to write an entire novel during the month of November. It's also an organization that supports writing programs within the community and young writers programs worldwide. www.nanowrimo.org



3) Did you have particular actors in mind when you wrote Gabe and Perry? If so, who?

Hmm... now this has been an issue of great debate. Ariana Grande for Maddy, Alex Pettyfer for Gabe (even though I'm gonna get an earful for this answer), and I haven't really given much thought to who I would want to play the part of Perry. I would love for Yannick Bisson to play the part of Nathan. He played the part of William Murdock in Murdock Mysteries. As for Cooper, the jury is still out on that one. A few of my top contenders for Cooper would be Christian Bale or Josh Lucas.


4) Do you have any favourite authors you enjoy reading, or that have inspired your writing?

Hahaha... Where do I start? I'll just list off a few of my faves. Cassie Clare, Richelle Mead, Suzanne Collins, Stephenie Meyer, PC & Kristen Cast, JK Rowlings, Becca Fitzpatrick, LJ Smith, Christopher Moore, Neil Pasricha, Emily Bronte, F Scott Fitzgerald, and of course, Jane Austen. Those are just a few off the top of my head.


5) What has been the most exciting part of publishing your first book?

I'd love to say that it's the excitement of getting ready to launch the book, but the truth is, the best part has been the involvement of my friends and family. I think they're just as invested and excited as I am to see Blood of the Ancients come to fruition.


6) How far do you plan to take your Boston Vampire series?

As of right now the series is outlined for three books. The second book, Curse of the Ancients is my current Work In Progress, and is almost finished. With any luck, it'll be ready to be released in the spring of 2012.


7) Do you have any advice to give future writers?

Yes! Writing is like any other skill, with time and practice it will become more refined, so keep at it! I would also suggest participating in NaNo. They offer so much support and encouragement for budding writers.

Come meet Tammy in person and get your own copy of BOTA signed!

Chapters Kennedy Commons (20 William Kitchener Road)
November 12th/11.
1-4pm

Connect with Tammy:

www.bostonvampires.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/bookworm647
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Tammy_Wilkinson or @Tammy_Wilkinson

Happy Reading!!!




In My Mailbox #8

Sorry for the upside-down picture :)

It was quite the haul this week...

From the left on:

The Society of S by Susan Hubbard

Willow by Julia Hoban

You Against Me by Jenny Downham (2 copies Thanks Random House!)

Tiger's Voyage by Colleen Houck (So flippin excited for this!)

Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel (So excited LOVE the cover!)

Love Struck by the lovely Chantel Simmons

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (Signed and with a personal letter, from the author, included- Thanks Scholastic!)

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

Awake at Dawn by C.C. Hunter

That's all for me this week what did you guys get in your mailbox this week?

Happy Reading!!!

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

After Mara Dyer’s best friend dies, she begins to go through episodes of posttraumatic stress disorder. She cannot remember the accident, or was it an accident? Mara only knows that of the four people who went that night to the abandoned asylum, she was the only survivor. Mara gets a new start in Florida, where she meets sexy Noah, who is known for being a player. Mara tries to ignore Noah at first but easily becomes entwined in his charms. Hallucinations and nightmares are a regular part of her life that she tries to keep hidden, especially from Noah. After an incident with her younger brother, Mara finds out that Noah has powerful secrets of his own.

My Thoughts:

WOW, this is an amazing read! The plot had me guessing to the very end, the mix of romance and suspense will leave you thirsty for more...

Mara is a strong heroine and narrator, however, she's going through a very trying time as she tries to piece together the events that lead to her friends deaths. Her reality and illusions/visions blend so well together that I found myself feeling just as vulnerable as Mara. If only I had my own Noah to keep me on track...

Noah *sigh* I'm in love with this man. This is one of those cases where you definitely should be judging a  the book by its cover. The way that man wraps his arms around her *swoon* and he has amazingly sexy forearms :) There are a few Noah scenes in this book that I have, and will continue, to read over and over and over. He doesn't take any crap from anyone, and refuses to open up to anyone, until he meets Mara.

Please do yourself a favour and read this book. It's freakin amazing! I can't wait for book #2, I'm getting excited just thinking about it :)

Happy Reading!!!

In My Mailbox #7

Hello Everyone!

I bought

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
Thank You Notes by Jimmy Fallon and Writers of Late Night


I borrowed

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

For Review

I received ANOTHER Cinder ARC (My other ARC is currently up for grabs- see Current Giveaways page)

That's it for me this week, what did you guys get in your mailbox?

Happy Reading!!!

Review: Possess by Gretchen McNeil

Possess by Gretchen McNeil

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:
Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from. 

Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.


My thoughts:
I really enjoyed Possess, it was the perfect October read, although I wish I had waited to read it closer to Halloween. The plot has a great mystery to it- left me guessing til the end and there were a few scenes in this book that gave me the heebie jeebies! This book definitely reminded me of the exorcist.


Bridget is very mature for a fifteen-year-old, in fact, I was really surprised to find out she was so young. She definitely has sass. I actually thought she was on the borderline of mean, but I think it's just a defence mechanism, to keep her from getting close to anyone. Her sarcasm was refreshing and realistic amongst most teenagers.


I loved Matt! Literally could not get enough Matt time in Possess. He's the popular jock that everyone loves and the son of the local Sheriff, so many cliches in this one character, but I LOVED every single one of them. Matt is relentless, supportive, caring, charming and sexy. Basically the perfect guy :). 


I can't wait to read Gretchen's next book and see where she takes Bridget and Matt.


Happy Reading!!!

Waiting on Wednesday

I've been hearing nothing but good things about this title- So excited!

Release Date: January 3rd/12.

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

In My Mailbox #6

This was a big week, I got so many exciting books!

ARCs I received from publishers:

Fever by Lauren DeStefano - Holy Crap so exciting!
Release Date: February 21/12.
Simon and Schuster Canada

Saving June by Hannah Harrington - Very Excited!
December 2011
Harlequin TEEN

Books I bought

Possess by Gretchen McNeil
Balzer and Bray

Daimon (novella) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Spencer Hill Press
I actually already read the e-version of this, but I had to get the print version to go with Half-Blood on my shelf :)

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
Tor Teen

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
MTV Books (Simon and Schuster)
This is my book clubs October pick!

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick
Simon and Schuster
Seriously though, who didn't have this as part of their In My Mailbox this week, right? :)

Here are the egalleys I received from Simon and Schuster this week!

Release Date: November 15th/11.     Release Date: December 2011

This was a great week for books, I don't know which one to start first, what do you guys think? What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Happy Reading Everyone!