In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren.



Sorry for the really bad picture. =/

This week was a pretty slow mail week for me. I didn't go book shopping since I'm trying to save money for all the book signings and events that are coming up in Houston soon. The only book I received was The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan which I ordered last week from Amazon. I can't wait to read it, I need some David Levithan this week and it came at the right time. I heard this one's reeeeeally good!

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Review- Delirium

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: February 1, 2011
Source: Around the World ARC Tours

My Rating: 5 Stars- In Love!!
Ninety-five days, and then I'll be safe. I wonder whether the procedure will hurt. I want to get it over with. It's hard to be patient. It's hard not to be afraid while I'm still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn't touched me yet. Still, I worry. They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness. The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don't.  (From Harper Teen)
 
*Sigh* and yes, I start with a sigh because even though I read this book a couple of months ago I still don't have the right words to explain how I feel about it. Saying I love it does not even begin to describe how much I really do. I knew that when I first heard about Delirium I would do everything possible to get my hands on it and read it as soon as I could and I was sooo glad I did. This book was amazing, I loved Lauren's debut novel Before I Fall and I just knew this one was going to be just as great, but I was wrong because Delirium was even better, it was epic.

I couldn't find a single flaw in this beautiful story. I loved that the beginning focuses on world building and getting you acquainted with the characters and the way they live their lives, it helps you understand how the world has changed and how they treat love as a disease. I just loved the world that Lauren created in this story, it wasn't lacking in details and it made perfect sense to me, it didn't leave me confused about the purpose of this society and the way it works. Yes of course it was insane the way this people acted around each other without any kind of real feeling or emotion, more like robots or zombies, I felt very frustrated and angry at times but I loved every minute I spent reading about it.

The main characters were well developed and beautifully written, they weren't perfect but had realistic flaws that helped me feel a connection to them and the emotional turmoil that they go through. Hana, Lena's friend was my favorite one, I loved Lena and Alex of course but I feel a little bit thankful to Hana for being the wild one between the two, and not being afraid to take some risks before the cure, which in some way ends up changing Lena's life and her beliefs about LOVE.

I really loved the little snippets from the Book of Shhh at the beginning of each chapter, it's suppose to be the book that this society goes by and their beliefs and rules, so it was helpful to me to understand a little bit better what these people really think about love and how it can kill you. Insane as it all sounded I have to admit that  it kind of made a little sense that they wanted to protect themselves from it, but even if it did, I would never want to live in a world without it.

Lauren keeps increasing the intensity in the story while throwing a few shocking twists that make you hold your breath and wondering how it will all turn up in the end. By the time I finished the book I was sobbing and clutching it tightly to my chest, which is a true sign of how immersed I was into the story that it left me raw and emotional. I remember thinking while reading it that I finally found the next series that will fill the void left behind from The Hunger Games series. Lauren Oliver's writing in Delirium is brilliant and moving, it will demand your full attention and you won't want to let it go. You'll feel like you're falling in love for the first time all over again. Beautiful and definitely recommended! Pin It

Hourglass Cover Revealed!!!!!

So I was probably one of the last few people to have seen the gorgeous cover of Myra McEntire's debut novel Hourglass.It was just revealed today on Twilight Lexicon and but since I've been so busy and haven't had much time for twitter fun I totally missed it. I honestly love it! I love the way the girl seems to be walking on the wall and her hair is flowing towards the floor, it's just so eye catching and the colors are subtle but beautiful and elegant. So what do you guys think?

Hourglass is being published by Egmont and will be released on May 24, 2011

Synopsis:

Since the age of fourteen, Emerson Cole has seen strange things – dead things – swooning Southern Belles, soldiers, and other eerie apparitions of the past. She’s tried everything to get rid of the visions: medication, counseling, asylums. Nothing’s worked.

So when Emerson's well-meaning brother calls in yet another consultant from a mysterious organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to give it one last try.

Michael Weaver is no ordinary consultant. He's barely older than she is; he listens like no one she's ever met before; and he doesn't make her feel the least bit crazy. As Emerson ventures deeper into the world of the Hourglass, she begins to learn the truth about her past, her future--and her very life.

A seductive time-slip novel that merges the very best of the paranormal and science fiction genres, Myra McEntire’s Hourglass is a stunning debut from an author to watch.

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Blogoversary Winners!

Thanks to everyone that entered my First Blogoversary Giveaway, I picked the winners using Random.org and here are the three winners:

First Prize:

#98 Lisa Gibson

Gets a book of her choice from my 2010 Favorites

Second Prize:

#17 Quigui

Gets the Linger Inspired necklace from my Etsy shop.

Third Prize:

#184 Christa

Gets surprise swag pack.

*Winners have been emailed and have 48 hours to respond or new winner will be chosen*

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Waiting on Wednesday- The Day Before

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming books that we are eagerly anticipating.

The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: June 28, 2011

Sometimes there's no turning back.

Amber's life is spinning out of control. All she wants is to turn up the volume on her iPod until all of the demands of her family and friends fade away. So she sneaks off to the beach to spend a day by herself.

Then Amber meets Cade. Their attraction is instant, and Amber can tell that he's also looking for an escape. Together they decide to share a perfect day: no pasts, no fears, no regrets.

The more time that Amber spends with Cade, the more she's drawn to him. And the more she's troubled by his darkness. Because Cade's not just living in the now--he's living each moment like it's his last.

 

I cannot wait for this Lisa Schroeder book, I just love how she has the ability to suck me right into her stories, they are beautifully written and bittersweet. I just know this one will be just as good and I really love this cover, I have a feeling just by looking at this cover and the synopsis that the story will most likely bring me to tears.

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Review- Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Released on May 23, 2006

My Rating: 4 Stars
It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who’s just walked in to his band’s show. With a new guy. And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure set against the backdrop of New York City—and smack in the middle of all the joy, anxiety, confusion, and excitement of a first date. (From Random House)

After reading Dash and Lily back in December and loving it so much I decided to go back and read the other novels that these two authors had already written together. I wanted to start with Nick and Nora since it was highly recommended by Lori from Pure Imagination.

Well Lori was right, I ended up liking this one a whole lot!! It was definitely different from Dash and Lily, there's a lot more language in this one, the F word is in almost every page and there's a lot more make out scenes, but who doesn't like make out scenes? I certainly do and these were nicely done. The book is a very fast read, under 200 pages long so it only took me a couple of hours to read it and I gotta say that it was very hard to put it down. These two writers have a way to suck you into the story that it made me feel like I was reading a run on sentence with no place to put a comma in. You just want to continue reading about these two very likable but insecure and broken hearted characters that have a really funfilled journey while getting to know each other all in one night.

I really enjoyed the characters in this novel, even the side characters. These aren't some clueless teenagers just looking for fun, they're knowledgeable, artistic and talented, they know their music, their instruments and their pop culture. I love books that have a little bit of pop culture in them, I know some people don't but I do, it makes me reminisce. The characters that Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have created are extremely relateable and realistic, I adored them from the start and couldn't get enough. If you need something fun, this one is just perfect for those sad moody days. Now on to hunt the next novel by these talented writers! Pin It

Book Birthdays!

Today we have a lot of pretty awesome new releases. We have a some that are part of a series and a couple of debut author novels. I've read The Iron Queen already and I highly recommend this series if you haven't picked it up yet, it's amazing! I'm really looking forward to reading a few of these. Happy Book Birthday to the authors of these awesome books:

  
   

Drought by Pam Bachorz
Blessed by Cynthia Lietich Smith
The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal
Dark Goddess by Sarwat Chadda
Vesper by Jeff Sampson Pin It

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren.

 Had a pretty awesome week for books. I went to the Montgomery Book Festival today and had the opportunity to meet Lois Lowry for the first time, I loved her and I've always wanted to meet her, but more on that awesome experience later this week. While I was there she talked about a book she wrote that I hadn't heard about and didn't own, it's called A Summer to Die and I just had to get it!

I also bought from Half-Price Books Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. I fell in love with these two writers after reading Dash and Lily and I've been wanting to read more from them. 

For review I got The Girl Who Became a Beatle by Greg Taylor, thanks to Feiwel & Friends.

Two really awesome blogger friends let me borrow Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr and Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan.

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Review- Radiant Shadows

Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr
Publisher: Harper Teen
Released on April 20, 2010

My Rating: 4 Stars!
Hunger for nourishment.
Hunger for touch.
Hunger to belong.
Half-human and half-faery, Ani is driven by her hungers.
Those same appetites also attract powerful enemies and uncertain allies, including Devlin. He was created as an assassin and is brother to the faeries' coolly logical High Queen and to her chaotic twin, the embodiment of War. Devlin wants to keep Ani safe from his sisters, knowing that if he fails, he will be the instrument of Ani's death.
Ani isn't one to be guarded while others fight battles for her, though. She has the courage to protect herself and the ability to alter Devlin's plans—and his life. The two are drawn together, each with reason to fear the other and to fear for one another. But as they grow closer, a larger threat imperils the whole of Faerie. Will saving the faery realm mean losing each other? (From Harper Teen)

*Do not read unless you've read the previous books in the series*

I was trying to put off reading Radiant Shadows until it got closer to the release day of Darkest Mercy, and now I think that was probably a mistake. I should've have read it and waited like everyone else because going back into the series after not reading it for a while was a bit confusing and it took me a little bit to get into again. It was like starting the series and getting acquainted with the faery world that Melissa created all over again, so I probably won't be making that mistake again.

Radiant Shadows was still beautifully written just like all of the other ones. This one didn't have much of Seth and Ash, but we do get a few glimpses and definitely some more secrets revealed about Seth. The story focuses on Devlin, and if you remember from Fragile Eternity he is the one that does all the dirty deeds for Sorcha, the high Queen that lives in Faery. The other main character in the story is Ani one of the halflings, sister to Rabbit and daughter of Gabriel the Hound for the Dark Court. Even though I love the main story of Ash, Seth and Keenan I really enjoy the ones that Melissa Marr created with all these side characters that you really don't pay much attention to on the other books,  but they play a very important role in this Faery world.

It did take me quite a while to get to that part of the book where I just couldn't put it down, I think it was mainly the reading mood I was in, but it wasn't until I was halfway throgh when I really got into it. Radiant Shadows was told from the point of view of Devlin and Ani but there's also another new character called Rae, a dreamwalker who's responsible for Devlin and Ani getting together and having this deep connection. This one was still pretty intense and dark just like the other books in this series. The faery world is starting to fall apart as the evil Bannanach tries to gain more power over her sister Sorcha by using Ani and planning to kill Niall and Seth.  Devlin and Ani play a very important part in shifting everything to a different path and changing the Faery realm once again.

I love that we get a lot of the dark court in this one so we get to see my favorite characters from Ink Exchange, Niall and Irial. We also get a huge background on Faery and some really great character development.  We get a lot of answers in this one and a few secrets that I think will be a pivotal part in the next book, I'm actually very nervous now about what might happen on the last book. Radiant Shadows was definitely an important book in the series, dark and at times very sad but with amazing characters and a plot that changes the course of things and should definitely not be missed. Pin It

Waiting on Wednesday- Bad Taste in Boys

Waiting on Wednesday is  a weekly event hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming books that we are eagerly anticipating.

Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris

Publisher: Delacorte 

Release Date: July 12, 2011

Someone's been a very bad zombie.

Kate Grable is horrified to find out that the football coach has given the team steroids. Worse yet, the steroids are having an unexpected effect, turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless flesh-eating zombies. No one is safe--not her cute crush Aaron, not her dorky brother, Jonah . . . not even Kate! She's got to find an antidote--before her entire high school ends up eating each other. So Kate, her best girlfriend, Rocky, and Aaron stage a frantic battle to save their town . . . and stay hormonally human. (From Random House)

I first heard about this one last year when I saw the cover and it immediately caught my eye that I had to add it to my list, then I read it was about zombies and I knew I definitely wanted to read it. I have a feeling this one will be a very fun read and it's a debut author novel so I can't wait for it!

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Review- Choker

Choker by Elizabeth Woods
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Released on January 4, 2011
Source: Around the World ARC Tours

My Rating: 3 Stars
Sixteen-year-old Cara Lange has been a loner ever since she moved away from her best and only friend, Zoe, years ago. She eats lunch with the other girls from the track team, but they're not really her friends. Mostly she spends her time watching Ethan Gray from a distance, wishing he would finally notice her, and avoiding the popular girls who call her "Choker" after a humiliating incident in the cafeteria. Then one day Cara comes home to find Zoe waiting for her. Zoe's on the run from problems at home, and Cara agrees to help her hide. With her best friend back, Cara's life changes overnight. Zoe gives her a new look and new confidence, and next thing she knows, she's getting invited to parties and flirting with Ethan. Best of all, she has her BFF there to confide in.
But just as quickly as Cara's life came together, it starts to unravel. A girl goes missing in her town, and everyone is a suspect—including Ethan. Worse still, Zoe starts behaving strangely, and Cara begins to wonder what exactly her friend does all day when she's at school. You're supposed to trust your best friend no matter what, but what if she turns into a total stranger?(From Simon & Schuster)

Choker was strange, different, and in the line of creepy books that I don't see very often but are always a nice change from the normal stuff I usually read. It starts off a bit slow and keeps at a steady pace the whole way through almost to the end when it increases the tension a little bit.

This review was very hard to write because I'm trying to keep it spoiler free so I won't ruin it for you. At the beginning I felt really bad for Cara, she is a loner and is being constantly bullied by the mean girls at school, you can't help but hope that things get better for her. After her childhood friend  Zoe arrives unexpectedly at her house she gets a new makeover and begins to get a bit of self esteem and confidence, but soon it all starts falling apart when a girl she knows is found dead and another one goes missing.

Then at the same time Zoe starts acting even weirder, I mean from the beginning you know that there's something wrong with her but she gets even worse as the days go by. I was kind of irritated with Cara at that point, because she keeps mentioning through the book how Zoe starts letting herself go, that she looks dirty and her teeth looked like she hadn't brushed them in a while. I just wanted Cara to scream at Zoe to go take a shower and brush her teeth, and seriously demand some answers from her. I mean this girl is living in her house and all of a sudden things are turning to the weird side and she doesn't suspect anything? Really? It felt like Cara just kept avoiding the important stuff that was going on around her and easily forgot about what her best friend might be doing. Now there's really not much of a love interest or romance in the story, there' a boy that Cara has a crush on and he begins to pay attention to her after his girlfriend goes missing which I thought was a little wrong of him. The story focuses more on the death and the missing girl and on Cara's weird best friend, so if you think it will be a sweet contemporary story because of the pink cover, you'll be proven wrong.

By the time Cara started figuring out what was really going on with Zoe I already had a feeling of what was "truly" happening. Even though I already knew what was going to happen, the ending still surprised me a little bit and it was still definitely creepy. Choker was good thriller, with an eerie feel and some really messed up stuff that will keep you interested to continue reading and find out how the whole story will come to an end. Pin It

Review- Paranormalcy

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
Publisher: Harper Teen
Released on August 31, 2010

My Rating: 4 Stars!
Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.
So much for normal.  (From Harper Teen)

I finally got a chance to read Paranormalcy, I had been dying to read it for a while since I started hearing such great things about it. Paranormalcy did not disappoint it was like the movies X-Men and Hellboy wrapped up in a pink bedazzled package.

I do have to be honest and say that it did take me a little bit to get into, but once I did I was in for a fun ride. I wasn't so sure at the beginning that I was going to like Evie because she seemed very girly and loved everything pink but once her character developed a little more and I got to know what she was all about I totally understood her and sympathize with her. She had never experience the normal teenage life so I knew that if I were in her shoes I would have felt the same way and I ended up loving her. She was fun, sarcastic, but very brave and fierce. She wasn't afraid to stand up for those she loved and make sacrifices to protect them but also at the same time she was very much like a typical teenager so it made the character a lot more believable and likable. Loved her!

Evie has this really sweet love interest in the story his name is Lend and even though he was a bit hard for me to picture because he is the color of water but solid. He was such a good guy and sweet that you can't help but fall for him, his voice and character was all it took for me. Now Lend is not the only guy in this one there's also a faery and I love faeries but this one was a bit different just like with all the other paranormals in the story Kiersten created her own mythology and made them all quite different from other books, I loved that! The story in Paranormalcy takes you through some twists that I personally never saw coming and it builds up a bit of tension towards the end that leaves you yearning for the second book.

Paranormalcy was a lot of fun to read, it was a very solid debut novel and also very clean that I would definitely recommend to anyone from middle grade to adults like me that love an entertaining lighthearted read filled with awesome beasties. Pin It

Dark Days of Supernatural Tour

Today marks the first day of The Dark Days of Supernatural Tour, the tour will visit California, Washington, Minnesota, Illinois and Florida, unfortunately not anywhere near me. A few of us book bloggers here in TX are hoping that HarperTeen hears us and that they bring Ellen Schreiber, Cynthia Hand, Claudia Gray, Courtney Allison Moulton, and Kimberly Derting to Texas! Yes we know that we shouldn't beg, but for this awesome authors we will make an exception! Texas is a huge state and we love our YA book events, seriously I go to most of them and I would definitely go to this one. We've even heard that the lovely ladies of Blue Willow Book Shop here in Houston are willing to host the event.

So If you live in Texas and would love to have the Dark Days of Supernatural Tour come here, you can make a post of your own like this one, visit Harper Teen's facebook page and "Like" it, and link your post to my friend Cari's Blog.  Now help us get The Dark Days of Supernatural here!

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Waiting on Wednesday- Shift

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming books that we are eagerly anticipating.

Shift (Shade #2) by Jeri Smith Ready

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: May 3, 2011

Aura’s life is anything but easy. Her boyfriend, Logan, died, and his slides between ghost and shade have left her reeling. Aura knows he needs her now more than ever. She loves Logan, but she can’t deny her connection with the totally supportive, totally gorgeous Zachary. And she’s not sure that she wants to.

Logan and Zachary will fight to be the one by her side, but Aura needs them both to uncover the mystery of her past—the mystery of the Shift.

As Aura’s search uncovers new truths, she must decide whom to trust with her secrets…and her heart. (From Goodreads)

I really can't wait for this one, I read Shade recently and the ending left me wanting the second one right away. I can't wait to see what happens next to Aura, Logan and Zachary. Hopefully we can get some answers to the connection between Aura and Zachary in this one.

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The Launch of the Good Ship GodSpeed



*Thanks to Jeremy for making the graphic*

As you might already know today is the release day of Across the Universe by Beth Revis published by Penguin, but also the launch of the official book website: http://www.acrosstheuniversebook.com/#!/home The website is pretty amazing, you can find out more about the book, order it online, get to know more about Beth Revis, explore the awesome ship GodSpeed and download some pretty awesome backgrounds and avatars!

 If you haven't gotten Across the Universe I definitely recommend it, I loved it, you can read my review here. Today at 11:11 AM EST Io9 will be posting an excerpt from ATU here: http://www.io9.com

Here is an awesome video of Beth Revis talking about ATU, take a look:


Become a fan of the official Across the Universe Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/acrosstheuniversebook

More ways to get to know Beth Revis:
Website
Blog 
Twitter

Watch the Across the Universe trailer:


Visit Penguin Teen:
Website
Facebook
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Book Birthdays!

Today's new book releases are all amazing and very special because they are all by 2011 debut authors, I've read one of them and I absolutely loved it. Happy Book Birthdays to the authors of these awesome debut novels!

   

Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal
Timeless by Alexandra Monir
Warped by Maurissa Guibord
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